Speaker 1
Many people live with disabilities. Some visible, others invisible, but no less challenging. Jenny Wright, a 1RPH member and reader with lived experience talks with Monica Short from Charles Sturt University about life with disabilities.
Speaker 2
Welcome back Monica, how are you this week? I'm good Jenny, hello, how are you? Hello everyone. I'm going well, thank you. Last week Monica, we covered a little bit about rural living in rural areas with disabilities. So this week we're going to discuss it in a bit more detail and how people manage to get around in rural Australia, how difficult it is for those in rural communities to be able to get into buildings. So what are your opinions on this one please? We will research.
Speaker 3
Well, you're right, Jenny. There are lots of beautiful old buildings in rural Australia. And there are many activities that occur within these gorgeous buildings. But the problem is, is they're not always the easiest buildings to get to or to do things in or just enjoy. So people love old buildings. Like you often see people going around and looking at old churches or looking at old town halls. And they get very excited about them. But these old buildings can be vast. They can be inflexible spaces that are expensive to maintain and resistant to any change or modifications that may be needed. So someone living with disabilities can enjoy those buildings.
Speaker 2
Oh that's so true, especially the Owens makes me think of the St George's Cathedral in Perth. It's a beautiful building. They are modifying it to what I believe to getting a ramp to go up into it now, but people just had to stand on the pavement or sit, you know, depending on their situation to be able to just look at the outside. They just couldn't get inside. So what do you think can be done about all this? Do you have any ideas?
Speaker 3
I've got some ideas. One of the research projects I did was looking at how Anglican churches engage with people living with disabilities and when I was doing that research project I started reading up on organisations like the United Nations and looking at statistics and some of the writings that the Australian Bureau of Statistics share with people and starting to think about something called universal design. Now universal design is where we use and wonder about the designer products, their environments, the programs and services that exist and wonder how can they be usable for all people including people living with disabilities and what is the greatest extent possible, what's the biggest way we can make sure that the most people possible can use and enjoy those buildings.
Managing beautiful buildings are not always something that people think about and so ideas about universal design so that everybody can access this space often gets ignored but it is something that's really important and if we think deeply about the universal design of buildings and spaces it means we can ensure that people or people can actually you know access them and but also feel included and not left out by from the activities that are happening inside those great buildings.
Speaker 2
Yes, it's a great idea and yes it does need to be looked into but my understanding from watching again lots of series on the good old television about old buildings, especially well churches but not only churches there's so many historical buildings but the cost of redoing these buildings is enormous and they have to be able to have the finances, government's not always going to provide the finances and yeah so how do they go about this you know there's a huge undertaking.
Speaker 3
It is a huge undertaking. I totally agree with what you've just said, Jenny. The fact is that we only have finite budgets within Australia. And the other fact is that there's legislations and policies that exist that we need to work with. For example, there's legislation and policies that protect heritage buildings and make sure that we're careful with those buildings and we don't destroy the heritage value of those buildings.
But at the same time, we need to be intentional in thinking about how are we engaging with people living with disabilities, particularly in the rural areas where there can be a lot of aging and old buildings that are not always maintained, and wonder about what can we do to make sure that people living with disabilities in rural Australia are included in everything that's going on. And it means thinking through the consequences of anything that causes unintentional exclusion of people living with disabilities.
05:21
Speaker 2
Do you have any examples of any of these suggestions?
Speaker 3
Sure. So as I was talking about that research project about the Anglican church engaging with people living with disabilities, in that project it was a, I should explain that project was a partnership between Charles Sturt University, Bush Church Aid, CBM Australia, Luke 14 program, and the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. And the project really forced us to think through old buildings and how that they can impact and influence the lives of people living with disabilities and the way that they get to mix with other people. To join in groups, to attend church services, to do craft groups, to volunteer, to open up food distribution places. Like there's deeply about this, we need to wonder about these buildings and make them flexible.
Speaker 2
What about areas outside the church? It's not just about church buildings, it's lots and lots of other buildings.
Speaker 3
you know, like town halls and different services can be in quite old buildings. Like for example, some of the hospitals, you know, are in old buildings. So you're 100% right. It's about any building and making sure that the way they're designed is accessible and comfortable for people living with disabilities. And I've heard as I've been doing the different research projects about wonderful workarounds that people have been doing to make things accessible, whether that's organising portable ramps so that the buildings themselves are not damaged or impacted in any way.
It may sometimes be just as simple as widening a particular door so wheelchairs can get in. Rearranging seats or pews or tables so that scooters can drive straight into the buildings. Also thinking about things like, you know, putting wheels on something so that furniture can be moved easily by people who might be living with osteoarthritis or whatever. So all these amazing workarounds just mean that people can enjoy what's going on. And regardless of where they live in rural Australia, it can be part of the community and just feel loved and accepted.
Speaker 2
Yeah, I mean they can do it now as they build new buildings. That it's not always easy to do it with the older buildings. And I think, and I think Monica, those workarounds you mentioned could really help to find solutions.
Speaker 3
Yeah, I agree, Jenny. And with those solutions comes creativity and innovations and excitement. And people can really start to overcome any barriers. Some of the people, Jenny, that I spoke with about the research, they actually talked about how it's so important that we are preemptive and creative and strategic in planning about helping people living with disabilities access the buildings and to really enjoy what's going on inside them.
One person actually said that the secret is to make sure that things are accessible before they're needed. So instead of waiting for someone living with disabilities to want to come into the building, for example, say they wanted to come into a building that's been, was an old bank that been converted to a cafe. Instead of waiting for that person to come along and want to enter in and enjoy their friends sitting inside in a cafe, that they actually think about, well, what do we need? So that that person never goes through the experience of feeling excluded, even in the first time that they've wanted to enter that building. Good point.
Speaker 2
What do you think Monica, does everyone agree with modifying rural buildings so that are accessible for everyone? Because there can be opposition about the changes. You know, individuals can undermine improvements for example, when people think they do not have people with disabilities. And so why fix the building?
Speaker 3
And you raise a really good point there, Jenny. There's a lot of people who really strongly disagree to any changes being made to buildings, and they will be very, very unhappy with the sort of things that we've been talking about and even suggesting. So getting back to your very original question, Jenny, rural areas are well known. They've got uneven ground, there's tree roots, rabbit holes. It's not always easy to get around and into things. And once you get through the car park and you're at the front of the door and you're sitting there, and it is a beautiful building. There is no doubt about it.
But just some simple strategic changes that make things easy for people are really worth it because it means that nobody misses out. And we can do it in a way that respects the building, respects the heritage, respects people who love those buildings, whilst at the same time giving dignity to people living with disabilities.
10:56
Speaker 2
Well thank you Monica for that. It's been a really interesting programme and I would like to close now with a poem and it's called I Will Prevail by Phil Harris and of course the source is FamilyFriendPoems.com.
I have been told that I will never succeed. I have been told that I am living in a dream. I have been pushed to the side by many of my peers. I've heard the struggles that were presented with. I have accepted I can't change everything in my life. I know the things that can be changed will take time. I have watched many come and fall. I have seen those who have raised the riches for the pennies. I have started a goal. I have told myself that I will prevail. I have seen the evil in my life. I once been a victim to this life. I have learned that the only thing that can hold you back in life is living for the past. I refuse to give up without a try. I refuse to let anyone tell me that I can't reach the sky.
I refuse to live for today. I will always prepare for tomorrow even though it is not guaranteed. I will refuse to allow anyone to change my heart. I believe that God will lead me to a higher place. I believe that changes has been accepted for my life. I believe that someone is watching over me. I will prevail. I apologise for the struggles others may have faced. I refuse to allow myself to wait. I know that many have never received an apology for the struggles they have faced. I hope that you accept this from me as I am speaking through them to you.
I know that for many of you this is the reason. You have given into the belief that you can't exceed. I will continue through the obstacles that step in my way. I will ask for guidance every day. I will not give up. I will not give in. I will not look back. I will not expect that this is all my life is meant to be. I will continue. I will prevail.
Well thank you all for listening. I pray that you all be able to prevail and we look forward to talking to you next week.
13:09
Speaker 1
You've been listening to Jenny Wright and Monica Short talking about life with disabilities. This program has been produced by 1RPH Canberra.
