WHY Wait On Disability-Friendly Home Legislation?
ACF Video: Electricity Prices, Confusion And Longterm Needs
November 21, 2010Banks, Government 2.0 And Honesty In Social Media
November 25, 2010I have just re-read Bill Moss’s tirade about the Federal Government’s aspirational goal of having all new homes built to disability-friendly design standards by 2020 – ten years away.
He called it ‘wimpish’ and a ‘legally unenforceable cop-out’ and he called the responses from the Australian Property Council, the Master Builders’ Association and the Housing Industry Association ‘smug’.
What WOULD The Increased Cost Be?
Victoria’s ‘Build For Life’ project estimates it would cost an extra $870 to add accessibility features 0.2% of a median price house and land package
AND
the coat of retrofitting would be $19,400!
In Victoria 20% of the population is 60+, has a disability or is a carer, and we’re all getting older!
It seems Australia has the biggest houses in the world and we can’t do that little bit extra?
What Bill Said
“In my career as a businessman and senior partner at Macquarie Bank, until my increasing level of physical disability forced my early retirement, I always took a relatively straightforward, commonsense approach: when you see a problem, you work out what needs to be done to fix it, and then you do it.
And here’s one problem I can see: every year, thousands of new houses are being built in Australia that, because they continue to be very hard if not impossible for physically disabled people to access, rob such people of independence and dignity, reduce their chances of employment and grievously hamper their involvement with the community.
I know of many people with disabilities who are virtual prisoners in their own, expensively retro-fitted adapted homes because they cannot get in other people’s front doors, let alone get into the bathroom to go to the toilet, or get through narrow doorways. Let alone go into the many shops, restaurants and other public buildings that still stubbornly refuse to install a simple ramp so as to be wheelchair-accessible.”
What’s Needed
For those with mobility problems as well older people and parents with concerns about toddler safety the Liveable House Design requires:
- doors and corridors wide enough for a wheelchair
- a step-free shower – now very chic!
- a front entry you don’t have to wrestle the pram/wheelchair up
- Reinforced walls in toilet and bathroom to support grabrails at a later date – good for the many who don’t choose retirement villages
Australians Mad As Hell
This website and Facebook page very clearly put the position:
- 1.4 million people with serious disability – the population of Adelaide and Hobart combined.
- By 2030: 2.9 million people with serious disability.
- 700,000+ full-time carers of a person with a disability now; fewer carers as population ages.
- 10% less unpaid care = 40% increase in funded services.
Parents want their kids with disabilities to have decent services, all their necessary equipment and a good education. They are:
“mad as hell about a broken system that wastes scandalous amounts of taxpayers’ money and places endless obstacles in the path of our kids’ potential progress.”
Family carers ask :
“Why are 80 year old parents STILL the sole carers for their 50 year old disabled children?”
The Voluntary Building Code
This code was released mid July 2010 by Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Bill Shorten. Supporters say it should improve a home’s value as well as make life easier for many.
Isn’t this all about sensible long term economic planning…and a bit of compassion?
1 Comment
I think it’s nonsense. Here we go again making the entire population gear down for the victims. This is as stupid as pool fences around the whole country becasue a couple of irresponsible mothers either couldn’t look after their kids or or never bothered to teach them how to swim. Maybe you should make it compusory that all houses have to have a swimming pool and a engage a professional swimming teacher so kids can’t drown. So now we have to build every house to cater for cripples because one day maybe someone somewhere with some slight affliction might not be able to get into it. Next thing you’ll be wanting a mandatory extra room fitted as a cancer clinic because ten in eleven people might get cancer from eating too many hamburgers or something one day. Or what about a compulsive ambulance dock for the time an ambulance has to call because one day you are surely going to need one. Providing special access to public places is one thing but carte blanche to everybodies home regardless, just in case, for the down stats is a total nonsense.
What about doing something for the fit and able? How about compulsory playgrounds in evey home instead of backyards with fences you can touch no matter where you stand so fit and well people and their kids have somewhere to play because one day there might be children in the house. OR a compulsive gymnasium when there is no backyard because one day an owner might want to keep fit at home to save the expense of going out. This whole mad down trend to the lowest denominator just brings the rest of us down too. Let’s all be sick and disabled you get so much more and all the benefits than if you are well. When you reward down stats you get down stats.