Liz
Liz reminds us to put accessibility first
Liz loves to get outdoors, attend gigs and do many different activities. Engaging with the world brings her joy and meaning.
“I like live shows, footy and tennis, and visiting my family,” she says. “I’ll go see a big band on a Friday night, an Elvis cover band on Saturday, and then have a family get together on Sunday. It’s a lot of fun.”
It is important that the venues Liz visits are fully accessible and that she can travel there without any issues.
“I’m a bit of a lifestyle planner,” she says. “Before leaving home, I often have to ask, is it feasible for me to get there? Is there public transport? Do I need a taxi?”
While there are not a lot of accessible places around where Liz lives, she’s found a few that have become her favourites.
“I often end up at the same cafes and it’s nice because they remember me every time,” she says. “It's always that welcoming feeling that keeps you coming back.”
Through her job, Liz has done a lot of advocacy work for Changing Places, which are larger than standard accessible toilets that have extra features and more space to meet the needs of people with disability and their carers.
Liz believes accessibility should be one of the first priorities for anyone arranging a function or hosting an event.
When she looked at the Disability Gateway, the first thing Liz noticed was the search function.
“A lot of the time, people just don’t know where to look,” Liz says. “It’s great when something is set up in a way that it’s easy to find what they need or that will point them in the right direction.”
She adds, “It's just about inclusion. It’s so important and how you practise it makes it more inclusive.”
In Liz’s mind, it’s about making sure everyone has the support they need to live the life they choose.
“It’s important that we change the standard and the thinking to include everyone,” says Liz.
Audio Visual
[Background music playing]
I'm Liz and I love live music.
It's taken me four years to find another local venue I love and I often get the train there
and they somehow remember me, remember my drink.
Simple things in life can bring you a lot of pleasure.
It’s an ongoing thing you always have to consider no matter where you go is can I get in?
Having access to the right resources can't be under estimated.
Knowing the points to go to, including Disability Gateway.
Initiatives like that have been so important because it shouldn't be different.
It should just be seen in society and I think people need to understand it's how you practice it that makes inclusion true.
We need to make it as easy as possible. So, that sort of stuff doesn't consume your life.
[Title graphic: Australian Government logo and Disability Gateway logo. Website URL: www.disabilitygateway.gov.au]
Audio Visual
[Background music playing]
I'm Liz and I love live music.
It's taken me four years to find another local venue I love and I often get the train there
and they somehow remember me, remember my drink.
Simple things in life can bring you a lot of pleasure.
It’s an ongoing thing you always have to consider no matter where you go is can I get in?
Having access to the right resources can't be under estimated.
Knowing the points to go to, including Disability Gateway.
Initiatives like that have been so important because it shouldn't be different.
It should just be seen in society and I think people need to understand it's how you practice it that makes inclusion true.
We need to make it as easy as possible. So, that sort of stuff doesn't consume your life.
[Title graphic: Australian Government logo and Disability Gateway logo. Website URL: www.disabilitygateway.gov.au]
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Liz
Liz’s Story
An Easy Read case study
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This story is about a person with a disability called Liz. |
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Liz lives in Victoria. |
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She uses a wheelchair to move around. |
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Liz loves to go out to watch music shows |
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and sports games. |
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It can be difficult for Liz to do many activities if the venues are not fully accessible. |
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Being accessible means a person with a disability can easily get into or use a certain service. |
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It is important that sports and music venues are accessible. |
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Liz has done a lot of work speaking up for people with disability. |
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She helped getting Changing Places set up around Victoria. |
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Changing Places are public bathrooms that have more space. They also have extra features to support people with disability. |
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Some features found in Changing Places are:
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Liz likes how the Disability Gateway website has many accessible functions. Some of these functions are: |
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Liz believes that everyone should have the support and access they need to live the life they want. |
