RESEARCH conducted by Appiwork, the team behind Everywhere Venues, has found that people are caring more about accessibility than ever before.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In order to collect data, a survey was conducted online that asked questions regarding the importance of accessibility to people locally.
The survey was completed by 73 people.
When respondents were asked directly why accessibility was important to them, the most common answer was because they had a family member or friend with accessibility needs.
This answer was selected by 48.65 per cent of respondents, while 43.24 per cent said they wanted to cater to a range of people with accessibility needs.
Less than 6 per cent of respondents said accessibility wasn’t important to them.
Appiwork’s business development manager, Zoe Hida, said the survey also found out that 76 per cent wanted to see sporting venues listed on the Everywhere Venues website.
That made it the third most popular choice out of the eight available options.
“That is quite interesting because people quite often think of sport for just able-bodied people,” Ms Hida said.
“I think that is quite interesting, looking at the role sport plays in the lives of people with accessibility needs.”
The data collected by the survey will be used to support the ongoing development of Everywhere Venues.
So far, there are more than 200 venues listed and around 50 that have already been published to the site.
Ms Hida said the project, with the help of the accessibility rating system devised as part of it, was getting the owners of these venues to consider accessibility more.
“I think there are a number of businesses who don’t realise the kind of impact some of these things, like a small step or a narrow hallway, can have on someone in a wheelchair,” she said.
“The project had really highlighted some of these small things that are a huge issue for people with disability.”
Everywhere Venues is also expanding outside of Bathurst, with the team recently helping Temora Shire Council to list venues on the website.
