Accessibility Projects
2000 City of Adelaide Streetscape Audit: Primary Consultants in association with MASHROB
This was an exciting project and national first! HC Harrison Consultants carried out a 34kilometer streetscape audit of the capital city’s CBD. A 250-page report that identified all issues associated with defining a clear path of travel in and around the city. Some specific corridors were chose e.g. from the Adelaide Railway station south to the Adelaide Central Markets, through Topham Mall and down Pitt Street. Identified streets with pedestrian crossings, streetscape furniture, kerb ramps; significant driveways and parking stations; alfresco dining areas and Rundle Mall; King William Street and around Victoria Square. Issues such as tripping hazards, the need for TGSI hazard tiles were identified. The report covered identified concerns, requirements and 4 levels of priority. Many interstate visitors to Adelaide are complimentary about the excellent level of access on footpaths and at crossings.
2001-2007 Local Government: Primary Consultants
HC Harrison Consultants have worked on numerous projects for City of Salisbury, Mount Barker District and Renmark Paringa Councils including full, detailed access audits of key office, community and neighbourhood centres and other buildings, including library and all sanitary facilities in public areas, at ovals, in parklands and other open spaces. Streetscape audits were reported for Salisbury and Victor Harbour as part of planning exercises to ensure aged and people with disability have accessible corridors to major facilities and transport routes. Projects are in conjunction with the development of City Access Action Plans and staff development throughout an organisation. HC Harrison Consultants have been involved in identifying areas for upgrade along major corridors used by both residents and visitors, including open space areas often used as temporary facility for festivals and other tourist events. Local Government can be progressive and our work with the Traffic Engineers, Community Development and Disability Liaison Officers is enabling communities to be much better served and more easily accessible.
2002 Adelaide and Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens: Primary Consultants
HC Harrison Consultants in association with Lees Cadman Cost Management Quantity Surveyors completed a 4-month project of both Gardens, another national first! A thorough access audit and costing project of the whole of the Adelaide gardens including all buildings for public and staff use and all possible pedestrian access routes in, through and around all of the identified gardens beds and other facilities such as glass-, shade-houses, restaurant, kiosk and Botanical Museum. The report identified and costed a range of surface types that could be researched to create safer, more easily maintained and equitable walking tracks. Conflicts of use were identified between maintenance vehicular and pedestrian use. Design and access to Heritage buildings was discussed. The Mt Lofty Gardens situated between Mt Lofty Summit and Piccadilly Valley had all buildings audited for access to all staff and volunteer facilities. Walking Tracks were identified to specific areas of garden and amenity including the Lookout facility. Dept Environment and Heritage have begun the process of meeting obligations under the DDA.
2004 - 2007 QED Unley Pedestrian & Bikeway Project/DTEI Interchange Upgrade to meet DSAPT/ South Road and Hilton Bridge projects: Sub Consultants
HC Harrison Consultants role with QED was to provide advice regarding accessible household surveys; identifying equity and safety issues along various identified corridors; briefing the team on “Equitable Access”; and presenting how inconsistency, particularly with alignment and TGSI use and placement, leads to unsafe and inequitable access. DTEI has begun to consult with access specialists in order to ensure infrastructure for transport corridors and points of transport service will meet the targets of the Disability Standards for Access to Public Transport (DSAPT). Adelaide Connect and CONWAG have sought advice in relation to the South Road Underpass and Hilton Bridge projects, which have required solutions to ensure safe and equitable access around major traffic and pedestrian points.
1998-2007 Training State Government Departments
HC Harrison Consultants has been involved with State Government department Training in various ways over many years; from providing Disability Awareness Training to the first Access Action Plan committee from the SA Health Commission in collaboration with peers to form a panel; to piloting Action Plan and Communication Training with the Attorney General’s Department; providing Disability Awareness Sessions and Wheelchair Simulation for technical staff in PIRSA; deliver training to PIRSA staff, via teleconference, for Country Administration staff on Disability Discrimination and how to better understand their obligation to deliver dignified and equitable customer service. Both Trevor and Jill have worked with Senior Management in WorkCover Corporation, in the areas of Understanding the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, How to develop an Action Plan and Communicating with Customers with No Verbal Communication. Dept Water, Land & Biodiversity Conservation supported 4 staff members to pilot a 5 day Short Course in Access Audits & Reporting.
2001-2006 City of Salisbury
Salisbury is a progressive council and our work with the Traffic Engineering and Disability Liaison Officer is enabling HC Harrison Consultants to work on numerous projects for Salisbury Council including working with the G5 Councils to develop the Enabling Access…? A Local Government Training Package; to have piloted several modules in association with OzTrain; and run 2 day 1:1 training of staff in understanding complex areas across Australian Standards and interpretations on-site regarding compliance with the DDA.
“Our long association with the councils’ commitment for the community to be better served and more easily accessible is exciting and encouraging!”
2006 – 2007 Rural and Remote Communities
Rural and remote local and state government agencies rarely have the opportunity to have access consultants or obtain their expertise in their own communities. To do this Trevor and Jill will work projects by staying locally in the camping grounds or Jill will fly in and out of rural areas.
In the past 2 years HC Harrison Consultants worked with Renmark Paringa over an 18 month period assisting with the development of their Access Action Plan, preparation for staff training and have done detailed access audits of all of their buildings and facilities including swimming pools, recreation centres and the new Renmark Paringa council building on 19th Street. All staff had Disability Awareness Training.
State government too is beginning the process of doing access reviews of all of their buildings and facilities. State wide Access Reviews for Primary Industries and Families & Communities have been completed with estimated costs and for this to be really useful in the budgeting and allocation of resources, a specific database has been developed and is proving to be very useful.
1998- 2007 Understanding requirements across an organisation & assisting tradespeople
Having carried out full and detailed streetscape audits and continuing to work alongside Traffic Engineers, Human Resources and the Community Services unit, all staff at Victor Harbour Council has received Disability Awareness Training. The Training project is in conjunction with the City’s Access Action Plan. Training of Technical Services division of councils and beginning to work with tradespeople assists people responsible for designing and laying the infrastructure and features in buildings to understand the impact their work has on people with disabilities. This may be for major corridors used by both residents and visitors, including open space areas often used as temporary facilities for festivals and other tourist events; or carpenters, plumbers, tilers and electricians to assist them with interpreting correctly the requirements specified in Australian Standards (AS1428. 2 1992).