Accessible businesses such as quality customer service and appropriate floor layouts create a welcoming environment and a positive experience that attracts and retains all customers.

Businesses with limited access can exclude dozens of potential customers such as people with disabilities and their family and friends; older patrons and; patrons with children. 

Therefore, good access makes good business sense!

In addition, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Western Australian Equal Opportunity Act (1984) requires that all public premises are accessible to people with disabilities (about 25 per cent of Mandurah residents and about 20 per cent of the Western Australian population). That means your business is obliged to ensure ease of access for people of all abilities.

If you’d like to find out how easy it may be to attract new customers and ensure that you meet access requirements, The Disability Services Commission (www.dsc.wa.gov.au) has a range of useful resources. To make finding this information easier, use the below links:

• Providing access – for management of businesses or organisations.
• Suggestions for Printed Information
• Colour contrast information
• Conducting Accessible Meetings and Events
• Making your recreation service or facility accessible - Full Document
• Needs of people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment
• Needs of people who are blind or have a vision impairment
• Getting There - Access Awareness Video
• Useful Document: Government Access Guidelines for Information, Services and Facilities

You’re Welcome WA Access Initiative

You’re Welcome WA Access Initiative is an exciting initiative developed in response to a need for information about accessible business and community services and facilities identified by people with disabilities, their families and carers.
 
The initiative was developed by the Disability Services Commission in partnership with the City of Perth, Tourism Western Australia, the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), People with Disabilities WA Inc, ACROD, NICAN and the Minister’s Advisory Council on Disability Services.

The Mandurah Project

Aim: to increase access and inclusion of people with disabilities in Mandurah. 

The project aims to achieve this by engaging local businesses to promote the access that is currently available.  It is envisaged that the project will create a flow on effect encouraging additional businesses to think about the benefits of providing and/or improving disability access. 

The main benefits:

• For participating businesses: free promotion to a broader clientele group through a number of websites and media releases. 
• For people with disabilities and their families: improved, to up to date information on disability access of privately owned business facilities and community services and facilities. 

Project Update:

In 2007 the City contacted businesses within the Central Business District, Civic and Cultural Precinct and Mandurah Ocean Marina areas to discuss the project, their suitability and the benefits.  As a result 95 local businesses and 39 facilities or services had their access information collected to be later placed on the Access WA website.

The Access WA website has encountered a number of delays since the commencement of the state initiative.  In 2008 the Disability Services Commission took over the website component in order to get it operational as soon as possible.  DSC has requested the participant’s access information from the 26 local governments and is currently developing the website.  It is envisaged that this will be completed in 2008.