FEATURED ARTICLE
Beaches for all in the City of Rockingham by Michele Gray
Michele Gray has been a Community Development Officer at the City of Rockingham since 2016. She is responsible for leading the implementation the City’s Disability Access and Inclusion Plan and Strategy.
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ustralia, the ‘island continent’ that is ‘girt by sea’. We sure do love the coast, and with 85% of us living within 50km of the coastline, the beach occupies a special place in Australian culture and identity. Whether it’s enjoying the surf, building a sandcastle, sharing a chat with a dear friend during a walk along the sand; you name it – we do it on the beach.
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From an access perspective, beach environments present some considerable challenges, and these impact every single person in the community, just in different ways and to different degrees. Let’s face it – not many people find it easy to walk over a hot, steep and soft sand dune, particularly while carrying a squirming toddler and a boogie board. However for many people, a trip to the beach can feel like a monumental challenge. They may even feel that it’s not possible, and something they just have to live without. The reasons for this are diverse, but predominately relate to changes in mobility, strength and/or balance caused by disability, ageing, injury or ill-health. Importantly, barriers that prevent people from accessing the beach are also also created and reinforced by attitudes and perceptions about people with disability that exist in the community.
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA
