From the President’s Desk

by Lindsay Perry

President of the Association of Consultants in Access Australia

This edition of Access Insight, Design for Children with Disabilities, looks at what we can do to mainstream inclusion for children with disabilities. We have a wonderful and diverse range of articles, and I would like to extend a big thank you to all our contributors.

As access consultants we generally work within the realms of standards that cater to adults. While we commonly provide advice for early learning centres, primary schools and playgrounds, the needs of children are generally not reflected in the legislation. This edition of Access Insight provides us with a wealth of knowledge including designing for the whole child within the context of a primary school; the concept of working together with people with disabilities rather than for them; hearing augmentation for the classroom – pros and cons; inclusive play centres that benefit the entire community; and teaching through play in early learning centres. I have a tremendous amount of faith that with all the current research and design approaches the future of our children is in good hands.

On other matters, we have our Annual General Meeting scheduled for 2 December 2022. I would encourage anyone interested in being more involved with ACAA please get in touch – there are exciting times ahead and we welcome new perspectives and ideas to lead us forward.

Enjoy this issue and take care.