Day-to-day struggles of Warwick people with disabilities

Members of the community say they are struggling to access everyday services able-bodied people take for granted.

ACCESS FOR ALL: Peter Stacy and his son Leigh are calling for better access to Warwick’s public facilities and spaces for residents with disabilities. Picture: Kerri Moore

MEMBERS of the Warwick community with disabilities say the lack of accessibility in public spaces and facilities is impacting their daily lives.

Too few parking spaces, signs, and ramps made for residents with physical or intellectual impairments could curb their independence in completing routine tasks, such as grocery shopping or going to a park.

Former Warwick and District Disability Support Group chairman Peter Stacy’s son Leigh has only just been able to return to work as a disability support worker at the Endeavour Foundation.

Even with some return to normality, Mr Stacy said the fundamental ways in which the pandemic has altered daily life has destabilised many daily routines for people with intellectual impairments.

“If I can use the example of going to work as a supported employee, which Leigh does, the rules under which they can attend work have changed,” he said.

“It’s difficult for them to address those particular questions, especially if they don’t have a carer with them or are non-verbal.

“If you’re developing a COVID-19 plan for your business, the particular difficulty is often that people with a disability don’t get sufficient consideration prior to those rules being put into place.”

Mr Stacy added many public facilities and open spaces within Warwick also needed better accessibility for all residents with a disability, which required giving the sector a voice.

“The more people you talk to, the more levels of disadvantage become apparent,” Mr Stacy said.

“You have other people with vision and hearing issues, mobility issues, and they all need to be able to have their needs understood and addressed if you’re going to give equal access to people in the community.

“It’s not easy, and I’m not suggesting for one moment anyone is intentionally excluded, but people from the disability sector themselves need to get their say in the future.”

SDRC councillor for Parks and Open Spaces Andrew Gale said some newer developments, such as the Learn to Ride addition to Australiana Park, were designed with all members of the community in mind.

“(The park) is floored with Tarkura softfall, which is more durable than other bark, and you can push a pram or wheelchair through it quite easily,” Cr Gale said.

“All people deserve to be able to recreate, whether they’re able-bodied or not. As someone who’s been heavily involved in disability support, full accessibility tends to be the norm, rather than the exception nowadays.

“That said, I’d be disappointed if we weren’t meeting the needs of the community, very much so, and encourage anyone with positive or negative feedback to get in touch with council staff.”

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