PHYSIOTHERAPIST Bec Dalzell has a vision of making the Mid North Coast one of the most accessible areas in Australia.
Her practice sees a large number of spinal cord injury and neuro physiotherapy patients, but her dedication doesn’t end there.
Bec juggles a busy family life alongside lobbying Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to consult with the local disability community as part of their planning processes.
With the support of Port Macquarie MP Robert Dwyer and Spinal Cord Injury Association [SCIA] representative Sarah-Lynn Eade, Bec organised a public accessibility event on Tuesday outside Coles, Port Macquarie.
“This is not about complaining or trying to institute massive changes,” Bec said.
“The aim is to highlight some of the difficulties that our community face and try to workshop some simple fixes.
“Retrofitting is expensive, time consuming and not always possible.
“So, if we can put things in place at the planning stage of future infrastructure, it saves a lot of effort down the track.”
The event was well attended by Council staff and local media.
Disabled community members Tannia Smith, David Smith, Blake Edge and Noel Hiffernan OAM, and carer Margaret Brockway, discussed their experiences of mobility challenges with Mayor Adam Roberts.
This included navigating parking, footpaths and public toilets.
Both Mr Roberts and Mr Dwyer were empathetic and receptive to the feedback offered and committed to listening to the lived experience of those with disability.
Part of the event included the politicians using white canes while blindfolded, and manual and electric wheelchairs.
Mr Dwyer strongly encouraged the community to have their say on Council’s current “Draft Community Inclusion Plan 2026-29: Make a Bigger Circle”.
By Rachael THORPE
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