Where’s the accessibility in Adelaide City Council’s pimp my shopfront scheme?
25/05/2015
Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent has slammed the Adelaide City Council’s pimp my shopfront scheme, saying that aesthetically pleasing shopfronts should be a secondary consideration to access.
“It’s a slap in the face that the Adelaide City Council (ACC) is offering cash incentives for shop owners purely for aesthetic touch-ups, rather than improving access to stores for all,” says Kelly Vincent.
“If and when our city’s central retail sector is accessible to people using mobility aids, then the ACC might like to throw money at making shopfronts pretty, but in the meantime, they must consider prioritising access for all visitors to the city.
“What we need here are grants for reconstructive surgery, not a cosmetic facelift.
“If the ACC want to attract more customers to Adelaide’s CBD, perhaps they should implement a scheme that enables everyone to get into the stores, rather than concerning themselves with a fresh coat of paint.
“It needs to be remembered that people with disabilities would like to be able to spend their money like everyone else – but as long as they can’t get into shops, they’re not spending their money in the CBD.
“We hear a lot about the retail sector doing it tough because of the boom in online shopping, clearly as long as shops remain inaccessible, people with disabilities can’t splash their cash there.
“Good universal design that ensures buildings are accessible for wheelchair users, also improves accessibility for people with other mobility devices, older people, children, prams, pushers, delivery trolleys and reduces the risk of falls,” said Ms Vincent.
