Episode 50: Surf's Up at Accessible Beaches

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EP50:  Surf’s Up at Accessible Beaches

[00:00:03] Carers Queensland Announcement

Choice and Control is a podcast celebrating meaningful inclusion of people with disability in our communities, brought to you by Carers Queensland, your NDIS Local Area Coordination Partner in the community. Each episode provides a conversation space for people with disability, their families and carers to share their stories with you. We also hear from members of the wider community, local businesses and community leaders who share information, ideas and possibilities to give you more opportunity and more choice and control in your life.

This summer, Carers Queensland joined Sunshine Coast Council and other local organizations for the All Access Day at the beach 2023, a day of fun in the sun at Mooloolaba Main beach. Locals came and celebrated International Day of People with Disability with the Sunshine Coast community. In this episode, I speak to the volunteers and organizers behind the All Access Day at the beach.

[00:01:08] Tracy

Well, I'm here today down at Mooloolaba Beach and I have Jane Goodwin with me who's the Community Development Officer for the Sunshine Coast Council. Jane, thanks for joining me today.

[00:01:17] Jane

You're very welcome. Pleased to be here.

[00:01:20] Tracy

Now, Jane, you have been key in setting up today's event. Can you tell us what today is all about?

[00:01:26] Jane

Well, the All Access Day at the beach is firstly in celebration of International Day of People with disability. But the aim is to get people with disabilities to understand that barriers can be removed, they can access the beach and there are a lot of people here to help them do that.

[00:01:45] Tracy

What are some of the main barriers that you focussed on for today?

[00:01:50] Jane

Physical barriers. So getting down the matting and with the beach wheelchairs and getting into the water, enjoying that. But there's also the invisible disabilities. So we've got the welcome tent set up with Cerge there. So they're making people aware of what the experience is like ahead of time so people can feel more comfortable with getting down on the beach. They might not be used to that. And anyone that is feeling overwhelmed today, we've got a sensory tent for them as well.

[00:02:21] Tracy

Now, Sunshine Coast Council has a program where you can hire beach wheelchairs and get organised. Can you tell us about that program?

[00:02:28] Jane

Yes. So we've got an accessible beaches program and a number of beaches on the Sunshine Coast that have the mats and the beach wheelchairs and the life jackets.

And it's free to anybody that wants to use those wheelchairs. They just need to book them. And we've also got a beach wheelchair located with Compass and that's available to use at any of the beaches, patrolled beaches on the Sunshine coast.

[00:02:55] Tracy

What is it about the beaches in particular that excites you about this program?

[00:03:00] Jane

It's so good for you to get out in the fresh air, not necessarily the heat of today. I think that's been quite taxing. But getting out there, being with your family, participating in those joint activities and making those memories together, I think that is so important.

[00:03:22] Tracy

You were also instrumental in organising a photography competition. Can you tell us about that?

[00:03:27] Jane

Yes. That was the council's first accessible Sunshine Coast photo competition, and the winner of that competition is going to be announced today.

We had a few entries, we didn't have a lot of entries, but it's the first one. And I think what we wanted to do was acknowledge that, yes, not everywhere is accessible, but some people have got those favourite places that they're involved with that they go to that are accessible, and we wanted to celebrate those.

[00:03:57] Tracy

You said that not everywhere is accessible. What plans does council have for the future to open up more spaces?

[00:04:04] Jane

I think it's a question of creating that awareness, because not everywhere is council's responsibility. So there's some shops, hotels, that sort of thing that can be more accessible. And it's creating awareness so that they know how and what the steps are to become accessible. In terms of council's own infrastructure, we are working on that. Everything new that we do is accessible. But there's a lot of, as you can understand, a lot of old infrastructure within the Sunshine Coast that over time will become accessible.

[00:04:41] Tracy

And that's a goal that you're currently working on?

[00:04:45] Jane

It's a goal that council's working on, yes. And definitely with our All-Abilities Action Plan that's just been endorsed, a large part of that is creating awareness in the community around disability and what can be done.

[00:05:02] Tracy

And just finally, with that awareness in community, would you say it's increasing?

[00:05:08] Jane

It is increasing. I think we are definitely making inroads there and we have some champions in the community that are really leading the way there.

[00:05:20] Tracy

Thank you for your time today, Jane.

[00:05:22] Jane

Thank you very much.

[00:05:23] Carers Qld Announcement

LAC Connect.  It's a new way to stay in touch with your Local Area Coordinator, Carers Queensland, with everything you need right here on your device. It's a handy app to keep track of your LAC appointments, browse workshops and events, check out information and support and get the latest news, stories and podcasts. It's available on Android and iOS, so whatever device you have, you can stay in touch. Head to our website to sign up@carersqld.com au and look for LAC Connect.

[00:05:57] Tracy

So I'm here today with Belinda, who is on our Carers Queensland Sport and Rec Reference Group,  ‘Beyond the Sidelines’, and Belinda is also an advocate for people with disability in sport. Belinda, thanks for joining me today.

[00:06:00] Belinda

Thank you for having me.

[00:06:21] Tracy

Belinda, what first motivated you to get involved in sport and rec and the reference group?

[00:06:23] Belinda

What motivated me is that it is coming up to ten years and I believe that there's not enough grassroots sports for people with disability and there's not enough inclusion in mainstream clubs around Queensland. I think that needs to be improved.  Getting kids into grassroots sports to see if they go better or not.

[00:07:01] Tracy

Getting kids involved and making sure that they can access sport, it's so important, isn't it?

[00:07:06]  Belinda

It is. It’s important for social development. It’s important for making friends, being part of the community. That’s why I got involved in sport, I’m interested to get involved in my community into a family of other people with disability who want to play sport.

[00:07:42] Tracy

And here today we're down at Mooloolaba beach. It's a lovely day. What's your role here today?

[00:07:49] Belinda

My role here today is I am working with the reference group and talking to people about inclusive sport and raising awareness.  And also playing a bit of Boccia. I haven't played in a while, but yeah, that'll be fun.  Yeah, just enjoy the day, enjoy the sunshine and get on the beach.

[00:08:25] Tracy

I love it… enjoy the sunshine and get on the beach.  Now, you have a history with Boccia and you have competed in the Paralympics for Boccia.  Is that true? Can you tell us about that.

[00:08:44] Belinda

I didn’t quite make the Paralympics… (laughs)

[00:08:50] Tracy

Oh sorry.

[00:08:44] Belinda

I did go to two world championships? One was in Portugal and one was in Ireland.

And we did very well as a team. We didn’t quite make the Paralympics but I did national championships, Queensland championships.  That all grew from being in the grassroots area, starting small and then growing bigger with the help of coaches and my family. The best thing is the social thing for me but it grew to National Championships

[00:09:28] Tracy

Can you tell me the difference between boccia and bocce?

[00:09:35] Belinda

Boccia, what I play, we use boccia balls that are softer than the ones they use in bocce. Bocce is more of an Italian based sport with harder bocce balls played on grass, whereas boccia, we play on hard surfaces. Boccia was developed for people with disability and it was developed for part of the sport.

[00:10:20] Tracy

And today we're down on the beach playing boccia. How are you going to run today?

[00:10:29] Belinda

It’s on the sand so it’s going to be a bit harder. And the boccia balls are heavy so they will sit in the sand.  But yeah, I'm going to enjoy really having a go again. And playing again. Yeah, I'm really going to enjoy having a go and encouraging other people to have a go.

[00:10:57] Tracy

It's a wonderful thing today, isn't it? We just see so many people here getting involved. Why is it so important for people with disability to have access to the beach and events like this?

[00:11:13] Belinda

Promote a sense of belonging in the community. Personally, I've got a niece and nephew who love the beach and love the sand and being able to get on the sand with them is quite important to me.  It's important to show what can be done, and the values around beach access for people with disability, it’s not just about getting on the sand it’s about parking, the toilets and change rooms, all that has to be accessible so we can get down on the beach.  It important to show how far we’ve come up on the Coast and to really highlight what can be done in the area.

[00:12:27] Tracy

Yeah, it's so important having access for people to access sport. What would you like to see more of in terms of removing barriers and creating more access in sport?

[00:12:40] Belinda

I see more of an opportunity to work with, to work with,  sports organizations on the ground level to show them how it can be done. How we can remove those hard to remove barriers. Showing those people, that it's not a scary thing.

It's quite easy to do and talk with people, ask them what are their values, what they would like to see happening in their sporting club and how can we help them to become more involved.

[00:13:31] Tracy

Well, Belinda, I should let you get down to the beach so you can take the boccia away. Thanks for chatting with me today.

[00:13:40] Belinda

Thank you. Cheers.

[00:13:44] Carers Queensland Announcement

Carers Queensland is growing inclusion, awareness and opportunities for people with disability and where better to grow things than the garden? We're working with community gardens to improve accessibility and make sure people of all abilities can get their hands dirty. We're starting conversations about what the community wants and needs and how we can work together to give everyone the place to put down roots and bloom. Find out more. Get in touch or look for events and opportunities coming up near you. Visit our website at www.carerqld.com.au   Or call our inquiries line on 1300 999636.

[00:14:32] Tracy

Well, I'm here with Bern from the Accessible Beaches program. Thanks for joining me today.

[00:14:36] Bern

Thank you for having me.

[00:14:38] Tracy

Can you tell us a little bit about accessible beaches?

[00:14:40] Bern

So, accessible Beaches Australia is a not for profit. We're a registered charity. We advocate for beaches to be made accessible for everybody. Work in partnership with councils, life saving clubs and community groups to help make that happen. We educate and train on disability awareness and running accessible beach programs and we run a comprehensive online directory on our website of accessible beaches around Australia.

[00:15:05]  Tracy

Now, you're from Melbourne and you've flown up for this event. Tell us about that.

[00:15:10] Bern

So we were fortunate enough to be invited to come and lucky enough to receive a grant through the Sunshine Coast Council community grants for us to come up and attend the festival and to run disability awareness training, which I did with the lifesavers this morning here at Mooloolaba.

[00:15:28] Tracy

Why is it important to run such training and to have events like this?

[00:15:33] Bern

So, firstly, for the training. It's a key component. So we break down beach accessibility into two key components being hardware and software. The hardware is all the infrastructure. So we look at things like accessible car parking, wide clear pathways, accessible bathrooms, beach matting, compliant ramps, beach wheelchairs and other beach wheelchair equipment. And then things like accessible shade and fresh water, which enable people with a disability to actually enjoy a day at the beach so they can regulate their body temperature rather than just come for a short period of time, like on a really hot, sweaty day like today. If you can provide respite from the heat, it enables them to stay for a longer period of time.

[00:16:18] Tracy

Do you find that the Sunshine coast and beaches in Queensland, how are they going in terms of accessibility?

[00:16:23] Bern

Yeah, they're really improving a lot. Recently there's been a lot of improvements. It varies from region to region, but definitely things are improving in Queensland, particularly in the last twelve months. There seems to be more beach access. And I mentioned before about the software component is that willingness to provide beach access and to have training on understanding the barriers and challenges and to give people that perspective of someone with a disability so that they can really understand how to best help people like that and to break down the barriers of having a fear of dealing with people with disabilities and putting a personal slant on it that people with disabilities are exactly that. They're just people who want to be included, who just happen to have a disability.

[00:17:14] Tracy

Do you find that most surf life saving groups are receptive and keen to learn?

[00:17:20] Bern

Plenty of them are, absolutely. It always comes down to resources. Some life saving clubs are struggling in terms of having personnel and membership, and sometimes there's a fear that it's going to be too much for them. But once they have a go, they realize that there's actually not a huge amount involved from them. And the even more important part is that they realize that they get just as much out of it as the people with a disability getting the service. Providing that service does people wonders. And to have exposure to people with disability, there's only positives involved in providing services such as accessible beaches.

[00:18:00] Tracy

It's a wonderful program. What interested you in this program in particular?

[00:18:04] Bern

So I have a daughter with a disability. So my daughter is 13. She has a rare condition called Prada Willie syndrome. And for her, while she is able bodied, she experiences extreme sensory overload, touching the dry sand or coming out of the water with wet feet and getting sand stuck on her feet. So the alignment between my ethos and accessible beaches ethos was perfect. And they're a truly inclusive and flexible employer. So it enables me to do my job around my commitments with my daughter, and they're completely accommodating with that. So it's such an amazing program to be involved with, and to me, I feel lucky to have a job like this.

[00:18:50] Tracy

I've heard that it doesn't require a lot to make improvements and changes. What are some of the simplest things that groups can do to make beaches more accessible?

[00:19:00] Bern

Some of the simplest things are literally just providing the matting and the beach, wheelchairs and the walkers, because a lot of places already have great, accessible parking. They've got the wide, clear pathways, they have accessible bathrooms.

You already have those facilities available, and people can get to the top of the sand, and then all they can do is look at the water. And it's something so simple that you could just provide in some locations, just putting down the matting is enough to get people down there. And the key component to that is not just always about getting in the water, it's to be socially included. Social inclusion is so important, and we get told all the time that today is the first time I've been able to go down to the beach with my children in ten years, and people haven't felt the water in 20 years, and they've sat up the top and watched their family and friends and not being able to participate.

It says to people that they're valued by providing these services. It says you're just as valued as anybody else. And conversely, by not providing it, sadly, the message is you're not as valued as other people. So, yeah, there's some super simple things that can be done to make beach access available. It's amazing to have opportunities to do things like this festival today. I mean, you look around, they're doing seated Zumba and the Disabled Surfers Association are here and people are going in on beach wheelchairs. And there's nothing negative to say about something like that.

[00:20:32] Tracy

It's such a positive experience, and I think we all agree that we'd like to see more of it.

[00:20:37] Bern

Absolutely. The more the better.  We say at Accessible Beaches Australia, that the beach is for everybody. And it's such a quintessential part of the Australian way of life. And out of our 12,000 beaches in Australia, less than 1% are accessible. So, yeah, surprising, I know. And so many of them could be made accessible with such little effort. So we've got a long way to go, but that's what we're here for. We're here for the long haul, and it's about education and awareness. And once people get involved, the benefits are immense.

[00:21:10] Tracy

Thank you for talking with me today Bern.

[00:21:12] Bern

Thank you so much for having me.

[00:21:16] Carers Queensland Announcement

Thanks for joining us at Choice and Control, a Carers Queensland podcast. If you've enjoyed this podcast episode, please take a moment to leave a rating and review and share it with your community. For more information about the National Disability Insurance Scheme or Carers Queensland, contact us online at www.carersqld.com.au or call us on 1300999636 or head to Facebook and look for Carers Queensland NDIS.

Interviews by Tracy Burton

Production and voiceovers by Tracy Burton