Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry, I was thinking about the opposition there! We also have a rapidly ageing population—I need to get the member for O’Connor out of my head! We also have an ageing population whose needs are not being met by our existing housing stock. People with disabilities become used to adapting to a world where everyday objects, buildings and systems are not designed for their needs. Sadly, it is the people with disabilities who have to adapt, because in many cases their needs are considered to be secondary and somehow not relevant when objects are designed. In the field of housing, people with disability face limited choices or the prospect of spending thousands of dollars to retrofit a house. Further, universally designed houses also make sense for our ageing population. It is obvious that our needs will change as we get older. It is also obvious that most people prefer to age in their own homes, on their own terms, with as much independence as possible.

Some of the practical features of universal design are simple: solid walls in bathrooms so that rails can be easily attached; showers where a person does not have to step over the side of a bath or an obstacle to get in; benchtops in kitchens at both sitting and standing heights, which is important for people who are unable to stand for long periods of time and also allows small children to use the kitchen; extra living spaces on the ground floor of homes to accommodate future needs; a level principal entrance to a house and sloping landscaping to allow easier access; and windows that can be opened or closed with one hand by a person in a sitting position.

None of these items adds significantly to the cost of a new house. We have reached a point in our society where at last and at least environmental sustainability is considered an essential part of the design of new homes. The idea of sustainability is now not a bolt-on or an afterthought but there from the beginning. New houses are being built with an emphasis on saving electricity and water. There are easy to understand star systems operating to tell purchasers how energy efficient their homes are.

I would love to see us get to the same point with universal design. I would love to see real estate agents spruiking the fact that a universally designed house will increase in value because there will be more potential buyers in the future. I would love to see people buying a house asking themselves: will I be able to live in this house as I grow older? Our government is working on new standards for disability access to public buildings. However, legislation is only part of the answer. The building industry has a part to play in encouraging the adoption of universal design principles in what has previously been considered the too-hard basket of residential housing.

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