In February 2016, Equal Opportunity Tasmania ran a workshop on how to make sure new and upgraded buildings meet all the requirements for access for people with disability.

The workshop was funded by the Attorney-General through the Solicitors’ Guarantee Fund and participants came from disability advocacy groups, Council Access Advisory Committees, community legal centres, Equal Opportunity Tasmania and disability service providers.

The main aim in providing the workshop was to increase community understanding of what laws and regulations cover access to buildings and what people can do if they think those laws and regulations have not been not complied with.

One of the suggestions that came out of the workshop was that organisations such as Equal Opportunity Tasmania could assist in increasing community understanding of the importance of building access by including information in our newsletter about what a building with good access looks like.

Accessible buildings ensure people with disability and their families and friends can participate in and contribute to the social, economic and political life of our community. However, good access is not just important for people who have a disability now, it will be important for all of us as our abilities change over time.

This resource was prepared by Michael Small of Michael Small Consulting Pty Ltd, who also prepared and delivered the workshop.  It is being published to both inform readers and enable them to understand what they can do when they see something that might not provide the level of access now required in new buildings.