Line of Sight A Partnership Project
This display is the result of a partnership project between Wollongong City Council and Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (Illawarra Regional Office). The purpose of the project is to raise awareness of the challenges people who use mobility aids (wheelchairs) face while moving about the built environment. The exhibition has been developed with the guidance and assistance of wheelchair users. The project participants hope the information will provide insight into some of the barriers that prevent wheelchair users from moving about the environment freely and safely. Wollongong City Council and Spinal Cord Injuries Australia would like to thank the following participants for their involvement in the project. Leicia Green Jack Seddon Richard Kramer Steve Petrolati Alex Traill Bruce Veevers
Line of Sight A Partnership Project
What should or shouldn’t you do when meeting someone in a wheelchair... Always ask the person in the wheelchair whether they would like assistance before helping them. If you force assistance it can be very dangerous as some wheelchair users have a fine sense of balance and can easily fall out of their wheelchairs if not warned before being moved.
Never lean or hang on to a person’s wheelchair. It is a part of their personal space. When talking to someone in a wheelchair, talk normally, not in a patronising manner.
“Good access is not just for wheelchair users. Mums with bubs and older people have to use the road when footpaths are inaccessible�. Jack Seddon
“As a wheelchair user you don’t get a chance to look around. You’re always watching where you’re going. Not much fun”. Jack Seddon
“We all like trees but the tree roots are a problem everywhere and not just for wheelchair users�. Jack Seddon
“Cyclists need to slow down. My hands don’t always do what I want them to; I can lose control and end up on the wrong side”. Leicia Green
“Wheelchairs can be hard to control on bumpy footpaths. Many wheelchair users have sore backs and the jolting just makes things worse�. Leicia Green
“My parents worry when I go out on my own. You can’t always see me because I’m too low. Drivers need to remember to look and be careful”. Leicia Green
“Good ramps help us get safely to the other side but some ramps direct us into the middle of the road and into the flow of traffic�. Leicia Green
“The path is narrow. The barrier is the only thing separating me from the trucks�. Bruce Veevers
“It’s important to have warnings sign at the start of a pathway otherwise your always backtracking, and not just people that use wheelchairs but elderly with walkers and mobility scooters”. Bruce Veevers
“I’d like to be able to wheel to the pool, the doctors and visit friends, but there are too may barriers stopping me from being independent”. Bruce Veevers
“It costs nothing to be considerate but it can make a big difference�. Steve Petrolati
“Most petrol stations nowdays are self-serve; getting assistance is almost impossible. Sometimes you just need to be brazen and ask people for help�. Steve Petrolati
“…. to live in a world where access is not an issue. It’s better getting things right in the first place because it’s always more costly fixing a mistake”. Steve Petrolati
“One of my bugbears is people who let their dogs out. Because I can’t protect myself it makes it impossible for me to go down the road on my own”. Richard Kramer
“It’s about access for all, people with prams, older people with mobility problems. For me to access the train I have to get a taxi to Dapto or Wollongong Stations”. Richard Kramer
Mobiles: “Please take time to look up when walking”. Alex Traill