RuralAccess
RuralAccess is an initiative that supports rural and regional communities to plan and develop strategies that will increase community membership and participation opportunities for people with a disability.
RuralAccess Coordinator Gilda McKechnie has the responsibility of planning and developing initiatives across the full range of community infrastructure, including education and training, transport, health, accommodation and housing, physical access planning, communication and information, sport and recreation and the arts. This covers the Northern Grampians, Ararat and Pyrenees Shires.
Gilda is based at Grampians Community Health Ararat, and is available to talk to groups, councils, businesses, clubs, etc about how we can become an inclusive community.
How does RuralAccess work?
RuralAccess assists the community to include people who have a disability and their parents and carers by:- Helping people and organisations to work together more effectively
- Improving community understanding about the needs and aspirations of people with a disability through community education and awareness raising
- Developing and implementing projects which respond to the needs and community priorities
- Ensuring that he needs of people with a disability are the focus of community planning
- Supporting service providers to assist people with a disability to live the sort of life they choose
- Developing easy ways for people to access the information they need about services, community activities and issues
Some projects ...
RuralAccess has been instrumental in a Bushfire research project with the RMIT Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre around the experiences people with special needs had in the 2005/6 Grampians fires, and the ensuing forums about bushfire awareness and safety for people with special needs. These forums are presented throughout the Northern Grampians, Ararat and Pyrenees Shires before the fire season each year.
RuralAccess has been working with the members of the Community Garden in Stawell to ensure the garden is accessible to all people in the community. RuralAccess works with schools to assist the planning and resourcing of students planning ‘Disability Awareness’ days.
The Tri-State Games will be run in Stawell and Ararat from November 8th to the 13th 2009 and again in 2010. These games will involve about 310 athletes with a disability and about another 70 carers and supporters from SA, NSW and VIC. RuralAccess is involved in the planning and delivery of these games with the leading agencies Intertwine and McGregor ATSS’s. The communities of Stawell and Ararat will benefit greatly from this major event.
