Just like Darryl Kerrigan says in the great Australian movie, our homes are our castle. They are where we raise our family, experience some of our greatest joys and challenges, where memories are made.
But for the elderly, people with a disability or a permanent injury, finding a castle that is accessible, safe and fit for purpose can be incredibly challenging. Â
Small things that most of us never notice around our homes make getting around a house an often-insurmountable challenge for them. Things as simple as a step at the front door.
For many older Australians, this has meant moving out of the family home and into aged care facilities, away from their family, friends and neighbours.
At the national Building Minister’s Meeting last month, a majority of Ministers around the country agreed to adopt a minimum accessibility standard for new homes.
It won’t mean new homes resemble a disabled amenity in a public building, at all. Those opposed to the reforms will claim that and it’s simply not true.Â
What it does mean is that new houses and apartments will be designed and built up-front with things like a step-free entrance through the front door and shower, wider internal doors and corridors, and a toilet on the ground level.Â
There’ll be some sensible exemptions for steep blocks and designs like the iconic Queenslander built on stilts, for example.Â
It will cost as little as one per cent to include these features upfront, compared to the almost 20 times the cost to retrofit. And of course, the cost to society through inequity, demands on social housing and homelessness and family dislocation, are far, far greater.
For those men and women that have built our nation, it seems only fair that we support and nurture them, to ensure they can remain active and engaged with strong connections to family and community. A safe and secure home can help them age with dignity.
It might seem like a small step, just to remove a step, but it’s literally a step that will improve the lives of millions of Australians.
