During the development of the BSEP , it was identified that the City was not delivering any actions that would improve business accessibility . Improved accessibility can help increase customer numbers and therefore turnover for a business .
This initiative was flagged as a priority because it delivered against outcomes identified in other corporate plans , including the Economic Development Strategy and Access and Inclusion Plan .
This initiative provides economic benefits to businesses by increasing customer attendance and creating a more accessible and inclusive environment for people with disability .
PROJECT PLANNING The project started with a structured project management plan and clearly defined scope :
Develop a resource / program that helps businesses understand the benefits of improving access and inclusion in their business and providing guidance to identify and improve accessibility barriers for people with disability .
Throughout the planning stage , the project team explored accessibility and inclusion and identified outcomes that could be achieved from an economic development perspective .
The project team made lists of stakeholders to consult with and identified a budget to allocate to a pilot .
The team developed key messages to use throughout the business community , delivering a consistent and coordinated approach to communication .
They also considered what evaluation outcomes might look like for this project , so progress and achievements could be tracked .
RESEARCH AND CONSULTATION PHASE During the extensive research and consultation phase , the project team talked to :
• People with disability
• Disability service providers
• Professional accessibility consultants
• Local governments
• Businesses
• State and Federal government agencies
• Small Business Development Corporation of WA
• Australian Network on Disability
• City of Melbourne , and
• University of Western Australia .
The project team researched accessibility and what an accessible business looks like . Considerations such as types of disabilities and the needs of customers across different business industries were quickly realised as key factors .
This initiative provides economic benefits to businesses by increasing customer attendance and creating a more accessible and inclusive environment for people with disability .
One of the earliest points of consultation proved to be pivotal in the design of the pilot stage . City of Swan business owner , Amber Dennis , is the founder and operator of WheelieGoodPerth . Ms Dennis is a disability advocate , accessibility consultant and a long-term wheelchair user . She specialises in conducting accessibility audits with businesses .
Working closely with Ms Dennis , a draft model of the pilot was established . The pilot approach was chosen to create collateral to demonstrate to businesses that improved accessibility has economic benefits and that the improvements don ’ t need to be difficult or expensive .
Through the consultation and research stage , we realised that many local governments from other states had already implemented a similar initiative across their respective business communities .
However further enquiries found that none could supply statistics on the economic impact on businesses . Many sources stated there was low business participation , however , there were always the few standout businesses that saw value in being accessible .
To encourage businesses to join the pilot , the team came up with three key messages emphasising the economic advantages and simplicity of improving accessibility :
• Almost 20 per cent of Australians live with disability , so businesses that lack access are missing out on potential customers . It is estimated these customers can increase retail turnover by 20-25 per cent ;
• As a business owner , you can take simple steps towards welcoming customers of all abilities ; and
• You don ’ t need to change everything all at once . Show customers you are welcoming by making small changes that make your business more accessible .
PILOT PHASE The pilot started with the goal of engaging 10 businesses to take part in an accessibility audit .
Armed with our key messages and a carefully crafted email , the project team invited pilot businesses from different businesses across the City .
The City organised audits at no cost to the business and they were free to choose which recommendations , if any , they were in a position to implement .
Ms Dennis was clear with each business that she would highlight no cost or low-cost changes and pointed out the areas where a business was already operating in an inclusive and accessible way .
The funding allocated to the pilot covered the cost of six accessibility audits by WheelieGoodPerth , so to reach our goal of 10 pilot businesses , we investigated other audit options .
One of the agencies we connected with during the consultation phase was People With Disability WA ( PWDWA ), a not-forprofit organisation funded to deliver a business accessibility program .
Participating businesses receive a free accessibility report , highlighting areas of improvement to welcome people with disabilities .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 17 NO 2 2024 27