How Wheelchair Users Can Access Australia's Outdoor Attractions
Posted on: 23 January 2018
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Being a wheelchair user doesn't have to be a barrier to enjoying Australia's beautiful scenery and the wide range of outdoor activities that Aussies adore. Having said that, it's definitely harder to find suitable outdoor experiences or to enjoy activities like hiking or kayaking when you have a physical disability.
However, there are ways for wheelchair users to make enjoying the great outdoors safer and easier. By picking the right venues and using modern wheelchair technology, you can unlock places, sights and experiences that would otherwise remain tough to access.
Pick outdoor options that are wheelchair friendly
The first way to balance wheelchair usage with outdoor recreation is simply researching the types of venues that are suitable for disabled visitors. They don't always promote themselves as such, but plenty of parks and other attractions are set up to provide wheelchair users with a piece of the action.
Examples are all over the place, but just to take destinations in the Melbourne area, you could take advantage of the wheelchair pathway at the Twelve Apostles, join the wheelchair-friendly tours at Werribee Open Range Zoo and even hook up with the Disabled Surfers Association to get out in the breakers at locations like Bellarine.
Hire all-terrain wheelchairs to extend your range
Having the right equipment is another way to broaden your outdoor possibilities, and this doesn't necessarily mean spending large amounts of money on new kit.
Sometimes, the managers of Australia's outdoor attractions go out of their way to provide essential equipment for hire. Again taking an example from near Melbourne, Parks Victoria offer all-terrain wheelchairs which can be folded and stored in the back of vans and have the versatility to handle sand and dirt paths. They can open up beaches and forest routes for almost any wheelchair user.
Equip your own chair with wheelchair restraints
However, there's another problem for wheelchair users who want to explore the outdoors: actually getting to their destination safely. If you need to travel in your chair across difficult terrain, this can be both dangerous and uncomfortable. Both of these problems can be overcome by using high-quality wheelchair restraints.
These products are designed to work with all standard wheelchair models and strap chairs into vehicles, providing an extra level of security when you're traversing roads in the bush. They just clip onto the floor of the vehicle, securing the chair tightly as you drive to the beaches, parks or forests of Australia.
So there's definitely no impediment to enjoying the outdoors if you use a wheelchair. Australia may be more accessible than you think.