Transformative property search feature improving accessibility

A quadriplegic Toowoomba man is hoping a new and transformative accessibility feature will make life easier for others living with a disability. Here’s why.

The unrelenting rental crisis in recent years has burdened the vast majority of Australians with an arguably marginalised group - those living with a disability - hit hardest.

While an able-bodied person may not need to consider how wide the doorways are, whether there’s ramp access or even an open planned bathroom, when searching for a home, Toowoomba’s Bryan Flemming knows all too well the challenge of finding accessible housing.

Mr Flemming, a former motocross champion and builder, has lived as a quadriplegic since an accident in 2009.

Having worked with Spinal Life Australia since his accident in 2009, Mr Flemming has been steadfast in his advocacy for more accessibility options.

A recent partnership between Spinal Life Australia and REA Group resulted in realestate.com.au launching first-ever accessibility filters for property searches, allowing the searcher to find suitable options whether buying or renting.

Bryan Flemming demonstrates the accessible housing filters available on realestate.com.au, Friday, May 3, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

As a qualified builder and former Workplace Health and Safety Coordinator, Mr Flemming had assessed many homes for their accessibility for the wheelchair bound.

“I would look at the ramps and the road crossings, gutter and I’d go ‘yep, that works, it’s got a ramp there, and that’s there and they can get up to the door there, it’s all flat and there’s no steps’,” Mr Flemming said.

“I went out there in my wheelchair, and a lot of the features that I found were fine as an able-bodied person were (now) impassable.

“I’d think ‘how did I let this go through’, and it was because I was able-bodied, you don’t realise the characteristics of a wheelchair or even just a walker.”

While he had help from a friend to modify his family home at the time, Mr Flemming was confronted with the realisation that he could only access one of the two built-to-code ramps on the property.

“It was too steep, and he put it to the regulations, but at that time I didn’t have enough strength to wheel up it by myself, so I always had to get a hand to get up that ramp,” he said.

“So even I didn’t know what I would be able to handle.

“When you’re lying in the hospital bed you have no idea what life’s going to be like after the fact.”

Mr Flemming’s former home became no longer suitable, and after having struggled to find another property that met his needs, along with his wife designed and had built their now disability friendly home.

Bryan Flemming talks about accessible housing and the rental market, Friday, May 3, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The new accessibility feature to property searches on realestate.com.au will be transformative for not only those living with a disability, but their carers or family members.

Having also previously searched for suitable properties for his elderly mother, Mr Flemming understands accessibility needs can come in all shapes and sizes.

He said the feature is also an important tool for those who are able-bodied and may be searching for a suitable property for a loved one who was ageing.

The most recent disability, ageing and carers ABS data collected in 2018 identified at the time there were 4.4 million Australians living with a disability.

Having had the fortune of travelling throughout Australia in recent years, Mr Flemming said he often encounters difficulties in finding accommodation with accessibility features.

Mr Flemming said while many places offer an accessibility feature when searching for a suitable place to stay, it can often be misleading.

“I’ve found now I have to ring up even though it’s got (an accessibility feature listed) and I have to ask things like, if there’s any steps or if I can roll from the bed to the shower,” he said.

Mr Flemming is hopeful this is only the beginning to more accessibility changes being brought forward for those living with a disability.