Project Partners

Good Good Access Business

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Good Access = Good Business •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4

Why Good Access is so important ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 6

Rights and Responsibilities ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8

Making Your Business Welcoming ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 10 Project Partners Making Your Business Accessible •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 12 The Good Access = Good Business Project is a partnership of the following: Making Your Business Communication Friendly •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16 Benalla Rural City Council

Greater Shepparton City Council Making Written Information Easy to Read ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 18 Indigo Shire Council Mansfield Shire Council General Contacts ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 20 Mitchell Shire Council Moira Shire Council Council Contacts••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 22 Murrindindi Shire Council Nexus Primary Health Rural City of Strathbogie Shire Council West Regional Communication Service, Gateway Health

2 Previous Page Next Page 3 Good Access = Good Business This guide will help you improve access to your goods and services.

To attract customers who have a disability, small changes can make your business more accessible. Many of these ideas are easy to put into practice, however some will need professional advice so they are done according to the regulations. The accompanying Everyone checklist will assist you to look at the accessibility of your business. By benefits identifying areas where a small change, with from good minimal or no expense, can make a big difference access! to all customers, you can increase your customer base.

4 Previous Page Next Page 5 Why Good Access It’s is so important the Law. Customers with disabilities should be able to access your goods and Disability services just like any other customer. Is your business does not If they can’t they could make More than half discriminate… a complaint of discrimination accessible? of people aged under the Disability 55 years and over A disability can happen Discrimination Act. have difficulties with to anyone at any time in mobility, sight and their life, it can be Good hearing. short-term or lifelong. Access means there are no physical YOU or social barriers that prevent Not all could be customers from finding your disabilities are business, moving around physical. in easily and receiving 1 5 MISSING people have a disability. good service. That’s 20% of potential out on customers you could 90% be missing of disabilities are out on! potential invisible. customers.

6 Previous Page Next Page 7 Rights and Responsibilities

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) it is illegal to discriminate against a person with a disability by: • Refusing access to, or use of the premises or facilities, or setting special conditions of use • Failing to provide a means of entry to the premises • Requiring a person to leave a premises or stop using facilities without reason • Refusing to provide goods and services or setting Improving special conditions on provision to a person with a disability access • Providing goods and services in a way that is will assist your business not accessible to a person to meet your legal with a disability responsibilities.

8 Previous Page Next Page 9 Making Your Business Welcoming

One of the easiest ways to Guide Dogs and improve access is to change Assistance Animals the way you think about customer service for people with People with guide dogs and disabilities:. assistance animals can go into all public areas including • Undertake disability awareness restaurants, taxis and hospitals. training with your staff The rights of a person • Place your ‘Becoming accompanied by an assistance Accessible’ sticker in animal are covered under the a visible position Domestic Animals Act 1994 and • Make your customers and the Disability Discrimination Act Improving potential future customers 1992. aware of your accessibility by Both these acts override the access for promoting features which make Food Act 1984 which prohibits customers of your business welcoming. dogs from entering food Consider: premises. all abilities ° Access into your business does not have to ° Alternative contact methods such as SMS, email, hearing be expensive. loop, website, National Relay Service Never pat ° Online shopping service and home delivery service or distract a guide dog.

10 Previous Page Next Page 11 Making Your Business Accessible

Entrance • If you have steps and cannot • The pathway into your business replace them with a ramp or should be: level entry, consider: ° free from signs, tree ° making available a portable branches, furniture and ramp displays ° having a second entrance ° where possible at least 1.8m with better access, or from the building line or installing a call bell for shopfront ° customer assistance a non-slip surface ° • Make the entrance door less • Ensure lighting is sufficient to heavy or automatic (to benefit identify trip hazards and keep all customers) lighting constant throughout Door handles should be a lever your business space, especially • style and and 900-1100mm around service counters off the ground* • Paint the entrance to your • Make the doorway wide business in a colour that enough for people with walking contrasts with the surroundings frames, wheelchairs and prams • Safety markings should be to move through easily present on glass • Doormats must be secure and • If the door has a lot of reflective level with the floor glass, attach safety markings • Install a handrail so people do not walk into it*

12 Previous Page Next Page 13 Making Your When thinking Business Accessible about the layout for your business, please Furniture and Fittings adhere to all Occupational • Aisles of 1.2m wide allow room • Customer waiting areas ideally Health and Safety for wheelchairs, walkers and would have chairs available prams to turn* with and without armrests* requirements. • Aisles need to be kept clear • Tables and desks need to be at all times, free of protruding high enough for a wheelchair displays to sit comfortably. Chairs may need to be removed and legs Floors should be non-slip and • repositioned. A modesty panel clear of trip hazards (keep a may hinder knees visual check) EFTPOS machines with Think about best placement of • • features for customers with fittings and fixtures, where they blindness or low vision will be won’t compromise independent very well received. Wireless movement EFTPOS or one with a long • Consider customers who are cord will enhance privacy for blind or have low vision. They those in a wheelchair will appreciate becoming Accessible toilets require easy familiar with your business • manoeuvrability of a wheelchair, layout, so you can help by so this means being free of leaving items such as products clutter and stored items and displays in an unchanged location • If you don’t have an accessible toilet, please make sure your The counter should have one • staff know the location of the low section for people in a closest one wheelchair (830-870mm from floor level)* *Australian Standard (AS1428)

14 Previous Page Next Page 15 Making Your Business Communication Friendly

Communication difficulties can • Electronic device be due to many reasons. Some examples are stroke, brain injury, Helping customers with Parkinson’s disease, vision loss, communication difficulties hard of hearing, cerebral palsy, autism and dementia. • Be patient People with communication • Speak in a normal clear voice difficulties may have: • Speak to the customer directly No or very little speech •  • Ask how you can help with • Quiet voice communication • Unclear speech • Ask one question at a time Difficulty finding words and wait for an answer before • speaking again • Difficulty understanding questions • Ask questions that need a Difficulty reading and/or “yes”, “no” or short answer • spelling • Don’t pretend that you have People with vision loss may find understood it difficult or impossible to read text or print matter • Ask the customer to point to or show you what they want Other ways that people may communicate are through: • Have a communication board available from your regional Pointing, gestures, facial • expression communication service for free Writing • National Relay Service is an • -wide telephone • Pointing to pictures on a access service that relays calls communication board

16 Previous Page Next Page 17 Making Written Information Easy to Read

Written Communication Alternative Formats Guidelines* Other formats include: • Text size to be at least 14 point Audio • Use plain fonts, such as Arial. • These are often described as • Braille ‘sans serif’ (without small curls Electronic or decorative features) • Easy English • Align text to the left • • Line spacing should be at least 1.5 • Use bold to highlight a word • Keep your language simple and direct Almost half • Use short, simple sentences • Use matt or low sheen paper to of our adult avoid glare • Avoid patterns or pictures in population has the background of text • Make sure there is strong contrast between text and the difficulties with background (e.g., black and white, not light blue on blue) reading *Scope (2015). Clear written communications: The Easy English style guide.

18 Previous Page Next Page 19 General Contacts

DeafAccess Hume SEDA Seeing Eye Dogs Australia Companion Card SMS 0412 216 474 Phone 1300 847 466 Phone 1800 650 611 Phone/Fax (03) 5722 9175 www.seda.org.au Email [email protected] Email [email protected] www.companioncard.org.au Lions Hearing Dogs Inc. Australia Nexus Primary Health Phone (08) 8388 7836 National Relay Service Phone 1300 773 352 www.hearingdogs.asn.au TTY 1800 555 630 freecall Email [email protected] Voice 1800 555 660 freecall SMS 0416 001 350 Vision Australia Fax 1800 555 690 freecall West Hume Regional Phone 1300 847 466 Email [email protected] Communication Service – www.visionaustralia.org.au www.relayservice.gov.au Shires of Greater Shepparton, Moira, Mitchell, Murrindindi Australian Human VicDeaf and Strathbogie Rights Commission TTY (03) 9473 1199 Phone 5723 2074 Phone 1300 369 711 Phone (03) 9473 1111 Email [email protected] www.hreoc.gov.au FAX (03) 9473 1122 Toll free for country callers East Hume Regional Victorian Equal Opportunity TTY 1300 780 235 Communication Service – Shires of and Human Rights Commission Phone 1300 780 225 Wangaratta, Wodonga, Benalla, Phone 1300 891 848 Email [email protected] Alpine, Mansfield, Indigo and Towong www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au www.vicdeaf.com.au Phone 5723 2031 Email [email protected] Association of Consultants Australian Standards in Access Australia AS 1428.1 (2001, 2009) Guide Dogs Phone 03 5221 2820 AS 1428.2 (1992) Phone 1800 804 805 Email [email protected] For assistance with AS 1428 please Email [email protected] www.access.asn.au contact your local council’s building www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au surveyor or a private building surveyor.

20 Previous Page Next Page 21 Council Contacts

Alpine Shire Council Moira Shire Council , Bright 44 Station Street, Cobram Phone 03 5755 0555 Phone 03 5871 9222 Fax 03 5755 1811 Fax 03 5872 1567 Email [email protected] Email [email protected]

Benalla Rural City Council Murrindindi Shire 1 Bridge Street, East Benalla Perkins Street, Alexandra Phone 03 5760 2600 Phone 03 5772 0333 Fax 03 5762 5537 Fax 03 5772 2291 Email [email protected] Email [email protected]

Greater Shepparton City Council Nexus Primary Health 90 Welsford Street, Shepparton Phone 1300 773 352 Phone 03 5832 9700 Email [email protected] Fax 03 5831 1987 Email [email protected] Rural 62-68 Ovens Street, Wangaratta Indigo Shire Phone 03 5722 0888 101 Ford Street, Beechworth Fax 03 5721 9526 Phone 1300 365 003 Email [email protected] Fax 03 5728 1676 Email [email protected] Strathbogie Shire Council 109a Binney Street, Euroa Mansfield Shire Phone 1800 065 993 33 Highett Street, Mansfield Fax 03 5795 3550 Phone 03 5775 8555 Email [email protected] Fax 03 5775 2677 Email [email protected] Towong Shire 32 Towong Street, Tallangatta Mitchell Shire Phone (02) 6071 5100 113 High Street, Broadford Email [email protected] Phone 03 5734 6200 Fax 03 5734 6222 Email [email protected]

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