Media release – Madeleine Ogilvie, Liberal Member for Clark, 8 July 2021
Lifting accessibility at our schools
Accessibility for students with a disability at Hobart College has been significantly improved following a $610,000 investment to build a new elevated walkway and install a lift.
The new lift and walkway are located at the college’s F Block building which is home to the athlete development program and used by hundreds of students who participate in indoor rock climbing, strength and conditioning, table tennis, badminton, futsal and basketball.
It is also used by staff and community groups before and after school hours, including Basketball Tasmania, Indoor Climbing Instructors Association and Hobart Kendo Club.
In addition, around 500 students visit F Block each week to attend classes in sports science, health studies, personal health & wellbeing, outdoor education, outdoor leadership, sport and recreation and VET courses.
Talented local athlete Izzy King hopes to make the Australian team for the summer Paralympics in wheelchair racing in Paris 2024 and the new lift and ramp are now helping her to maximise her training and qualification preparations.
The works were undertaken by award-winning local contractors Haven Built and architects Design House.
The Tasmanian Liberal government is committed to not only providing high-quality education facilities right across Tasmania, but also to ensuring these facilities are able to be accessed by all our learners.
That’s why we have committed $7.5 billion over the forward estimates, with an additional $204 million in capital works to support teachers, students and improve education infrastructure in our schools.
Media release – Disability Voices Tasmania, 8 July 2021
Excellent housing news for all our futures
Disability Voices Tasmania has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Workplace Safety and Consumer Affairs, Elise Archer, who has confirmed that the Tasmanian Government is supportive of adopting new regulations in the National Construction Code for a number of accessible features in all new housing.
“This is something Disability Voices Tasmania has been pushing for over the last couple of years and we are delighted to hear that government is going to act on this,” said Michael Small, Chair of Disability Voices Tasmania.
The new regulations will mean that all new housing, private and public, will be required to include six accessibility features aimed at ensuring new housing can meet the needs of families and friends as our needs change over time.
These features include:
A step free path to dwellings
A step free entrance
Wider internal doors
A toilet on the entry level
Bathroom design to make ease of access – step free shower
Reinforced bathroom walls able to support future grabrails
“Our focus now must be on encouraging the government to not unduly delay the adoption of the new requirements and not adopt more concessions and exemptions than are absolutely necessary,” said Mr Small.
