Balwyn North Village isn’t far from home for local Livian, but because she finds it hard to get around in her wheelchair she doesn’t go there often.

Back in December, Livian joined us with 5 other local people brought together by not-for-profit Ability Works for a site visit at these shops. We were keen to see how people with different disabilities could help us make the shopping area more inclusive and accessible.

‘It was great to be able to share what works and what doesn’t work for me,’ says Livian. 

‘Designing for people with disabilities is so important because it can make things accessible for everyone.’

The team tested how easy it was to use the whole shopping centre including all car parks and the pedestrian crossing. Council officers watched how the testers pressed buttons, navigated shop entries and how they got to the shops from the car parks. 

Here’s what our testers told us:

• Longer walk times at pedestrian lights would help those with limited mobility
• Changing the buttons at pedestrian lights would make it easier for wheelchair users to press
• Livian gave the thumbs-up to footpath dining and shopping, as it saves her having to get into a tight shop
• Some car-park kerb types were difficult to navigate
• We need more shade in our car parks and more places to rest.

As a result, our proposed design for the village incorporates several accessibility improvements based on the feedback we received. 

These include new and improved accessible parking, changes to the car park set-up to enable moving around the village more easily, new trees to provide more shade, and updated public seating and rest areas.

Have your say

If you use Balwyn North Village, check out our draft design and tell us what you think. The consultation is open 8 April to 6 May. Find more on our Balwyn North Village improvements Your Say page.