Seeing Accessibility in a New Light: EPP Youth Consultant Training Kicks Off in the Shire of Dardanup

Yesterday, we officially launched our 2025 Economic Participation Project (EPP) training and what a day it was! Ten enthusiastic young people with disability joined our team as Youth Consultants, bringing curiosity, insight, and passion to their new roles helping local businesses become more accessible and inclusive.

From the moment the session began, the room was buzzing with ideas. After learning about the different types of accessibility barriers physical, sensory, communication, and attitudinal our Youth Consultants conducted a mini accessibility audit of the building we were training in.

That’s when one of them made an incredible observation that sparked a lively discussion:

The toilet doors only had green/red indicators, one for vacant and one for occupied, with no text or other indicators.
For a person who lives with colour blindness, that means it’s almost impossible to tell if someone’s inside.

Larissa even reached out to a few friends who live with colour blindness to ask the question; they shared that they often end up awkwardly pushing the door just to check.

“It was such a great reminder that accessibility is everywhere and sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.”

Throughout the day, our Youth Consultants explored real-world inclusion through topics like:

• Understanding accessibility and inclusion
• Identifying and reducing barriers
• Professional communication and self-advocacy
• Report writing and conducting business accessibility assessments

This year, Advocacy WA is working closely with the Shire of Dardanup to support local businesses through free accessibility assessments. We’re also collaborating with Gee from APM Communities, who brings fantastic, practical tips for businesses looking to make meaningful, low-cost changes that improve access for everyone.

We’re proud to be working alongside our friends at People with Disabilities WA (PWdWA), who are running the same project in the Wheatbelt region together, we’re building a more inclusive Western Australia from the ground up.

Together, we’re showing that accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business.

• 1 in 5 people in Australia lives with disability.
• Inclusive businesses see 4x higher profits and 2.9x faster sales growth.
• Staff turnover is up to 30% lower in inclusive workplaces

Normally, a professional accessibility assessment can cost anywhere from $400 to $5,000, depending on the building size and level of detail. Thanks to current grant funding, these assessments are completely free for businesses in the Shire of Dardanup.

If you own or manage a local business and want to make your space more welcoming for everyone, now’s the perfect time to get involved.

Register your interest here: https://forms.office.com/r/AT1WT6yWHE‍