Open access

By Bridget Cook
THE Australian Gardens and Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne will open its doors for free to people in wheelchairs and their carers this weekend.
As part of Accessibility Weekend, both venues are opening their doors to help build awareness of spinal cord injury and other disabilities and promote the importance of community accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility Weekend is part of Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week, SCIAW, an initiative of Independence Australia which is dedicated to educating Victorian communities about spinal cord injury.
Independence Australia SpinChat coordinator Andrew Harrison said the weekend would showcase venues in Victoria that were accessible and ‘doing it right’ for people in wheelchairs.
“It is a great initiative as it encourages people in wheelchairs to get out and see some Victorian attractions they may not have visited,” he said.
“It also stresses the importance of businesses to make sure they are accessible.”
For further details on Accessibility Weekend and other venues that will open their doors visit www.independenceaustralia.com.