Acess is key at Knox Leisureworks

Nestled away in the outer Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, you’ll find Knox Leisureworks Aquatic and Recreation Centre.

Knox Leisureworks is a leisure hub for Boronia and the surrounding communities, always looking at new innovative ways to ensure the facility is easily accessible and safe for all.

Working with Access Ability Australia, Knox Leisureworks and AAA created an Access Key for the facility to decrease barriers and increase enablers. The Access key for Knox Leisureworks, helps people prepare for their visit in advance by going into great detail describing accessibility, facility offerings, staffing and sensory guide, communication board and safety features. Access Ability Australia has partnered with Vision Australia to bring develop the Access Keys in alternate formats.  The text-only Access Key has been formatted for people with low vision or who are blind and use assistive technology to access documentation.

Maxine Parker, Founder of Access Ability Australia (AAA), in the AAA blog showcasing Knox Leisureworks, exclaims that Knox Leisureworks is “an industry leader in access and inclusion”.  Maxine goes into detail about the facility’s pool access with ramps, aquatic wheelchairs, pool hoist, accessible unisex bathrooms and change facilities with mobility equipment.

Proud to be held in such high regard from AAA, a key enabler to Knox Leisureworks accessible pools comes from the collaborative partnership formed between Belgravia Leisure and Para Mobility Australia.

CEO of the Belgravia Foundation and National Disability and Diversity Manager at Belgravia Leisure, Dr Jeff Walkley said, “Belgravia Leisure is proud to collaborate and partner with Para Mobility, and through this cooperation we have seen great improvements in access and inclusion into aquatic experiences for people across Australia.  Para Mobility dedicates itself to very high standards, in both products and service, and deservedly consistently receives high praise from Belgravia Leisure teams located across Australia.”

Para Mobility and Belgravia Leisure’s partnership is approaching 10 years with 20+ Belgravia Leisure sites fitted out with Para Mobility equipment.

Para Mobility is a supporter of the All In project, a project lead by Belgravia Foundation, having donated $5,000 to the project to assist with the trial of innovative online training for swim school personnel to be better prepared to create a welcoming, supportive and inclusive aquatic experience for all. Knox Leisureworks proudly trialled this program and will look to embed the All-In program in their aquatic offerings.

In addition to this, the generous team at Para mobility have provided Knox Leisureworks with a brand-new Pelican Pool Hoist for staff to train and members to utilise whilst the old hoist is non-operable. The Para Mobility team and Knox Leisureworks connected in late May to create a short video of Ace and his love of water and the importance of swimming for his quality of life.

Ace is 9 years old and a regular user of the warm water pool at Knox Leisureworks, known for his beautiful smile in and out of the water. Ace has a rare neurological condition called Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome, a degenerative condition that calcifies parts of his brain, impacting movement. Due to this condition, Ace is non-verbal and in a wheelchair. By having the user-friendly Pelican Pool hoist, Ace can access the water in a safe environment with his carer, friends and family to reap the rewards of physical activity through swimming at Knox Leisure works.

Through innovative collaboration and nurturing a partnership with Access Ability Australia and Para Mobility, Knox Leisureworks is reducing barriers to participation in physical activity by creating a welcoming, safe, accessible environment.

On behalf of Belgravia Foundation, we encourage you to view Ace’s Story.

 For more information about the Access Key: Click here.