The Kelpies are 30 metre-high horse-head sculptures in a new parkland area near Falkirk, Scotland. The project connects 16 communities in the council area and the Clyde Canal. The sculptures attract many visitors to The Helix site and the whole project was designed with access and inclusion in mind. This is apparent in the Access Statement for the Kelpies – a good guide for all visitors. And a good example for others devising a similar guide.
The Access Statement for The Helix and the Kelpie sculptures uses plain language and lots of photos. The photos show key places such as car parking, the visitor centre, playground, café and toilets. Visitors can hire manual wheelchairs and dog bowls are provided for assistance dogs.
The Access Statement is not an overarching policy document. It is a visitor guide that includes information about the level of access visitors can expect. One of the best examples of visitor access information – makes it good for everyone.
There is more information about this destination and how to get there on the Accessible Travel Online Scotland website. Accessible Travel Scotland also has an accessible travel hub.
The video below provides more information about The Kelpies, the largest public artworks in Scotland. It explains the story behind the sculptures and their construction.
Australia’s national accessible parks policy
Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy our national parks. The personal benefits include increased wellbeing and improved quality of life. But not everyone can access these parks. The new Accessible Parks Policy published by the New South Wales Government should go some way to addressing the barriers.
The policy aims to provide a framework for improving access by integrating accessibility into the planning and management of parks.
But once again, we have a document professing to promote access and inclusion yet universal design is tacked on at the end as if it is an optional extra rather than an underpinning concept.
Guiding principles
In brief, the National Parks Service recognises:
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- the health and wellbeing benefits
- cultural and historic heritage can present a range of barriers
- barriers to accessing national parks may have compounding impacts on Aboriginal people
- disability is diverse and may not be visible to others
- good information is critical to empowering people with disability
- the inclusion of people with disability in the planning and decision-making process
- people who experience barriers to access should have the opportunity to participate in finding solutions to those barriers
- accessible facilities or experiences in national parks are only one component of the whole visitor journey
- it will not always be feasible to provide physical access to national parks for all people.
Commitments
In brief, the National Parks Service will:
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- identify and aim to remove barriers to services, facilities and experiences
- identify and remove barriers to people engaging and collaborating with the management of national parks and reserves
- engage and consult with those experiencing barriers in accessing national parks, visitor facilities and visitor experiences
- where possible, apply the principles of universal design
The webpage has different policy sections for visitor facilities, information, collaborating, and decision making.
Connection to Country is not included in this policy as there is a separate policy document. Perhaps as some point the Department of Planning will take a universal design approach which embraces intersectionality. That is, First Nations people also have disabilities and specific access requirements.