Sydney lagging behind for elderly accessibility

The elderly are the latest victims of the economic downturn, with councils and governments less likely to invest on age-friendly urban design, according to the NSW Council on the Ageing.

Dr Catherine Bridge, chair of COTA’s Age Friendly Environments Working Group, said the global slump had seen funding to urban design projects rethought. “When you’re dealing with things like the global financial crisis and various other things, it’s very easy to focus on the things you have to do right now, rather than planning ahead,” she said.

According to Dr Bridge, Sydney’s urban design has some major flaws in terms of accessibility for older people and lags behind other cities of the world. “In Europe and in other developed Western economies, there is in fact considerable concern around this issue, and they’ve also looked at what the cost implications [are] of not addressing the issue,” she said.

“Tokyo has taken this on very seriously. Obviously they have one of the world’s fastest-ageing populations, but they have been able to achieve much more accessible environments which are much more age-friendly,” she said. “They have been more successful than we have in the past in terms of actually co-ordinating a number of different services which don’t come under one jurisdiction.”

In the next 20 years a quarter of the population will be 65 and older, but a lack of proper urban design will prevent older people leading active lives.

“The things that cause most problems for older people are actually the really simple things. They’re things like level paving, having seating, having cover and shade, and having good lighting,” Dr Bridge said.

Good lighting, regular seating and accessible public transport are crucial inclusions in any age-friendly upgrade program, according to COTA spokesperson Anne-Marie Elias.

“While all of these items relate to physical space, a definite case can be mounted to show how their inclusion in an environment contributes to the prevention of social isolation and mental health problems and to increased mobility,” Ms Elias said.

“Early intervention in these areas helps people to remain independent, remain living in their own home longer, enable participation and improve their wellbeing.”

Age-friendly urban design would even impact on the mental wellbeing of older people. “Apart from reducing the risk of falls, a welcome, age-friendly environment works as an early intervention strategy for staving off social isolation,” Ms Elias said.

“Identifying and removing the barriers which inhibit older people from actively participating in community life is a necessary step in promoting the social inclusion of older people. Social isolation has been identified as a key risk factor of depression.”

Double Bay resident Gordon Walker, 79, uses public transport to get around Sydney. Not having an accessible train station near his house is his biggest impediment. “The emphasis on people [in] wheelchairs is nowhere near as bad as young people starting off and older people who haven’t got a car [and are forced to use public transport],” he said.

“If I catch the bus from Double Bay and if I get off in Edgecliff and get [on] the train, I can get into the central rail service which can take me anywhere I like. And the beauty of it is you go in perfect safety – you’re not grounded into the ground in some big truck,” he said.

“The system, where it works, it works fine.”

by Ehssan Veiszadeh