Shipwreck Coastline

Jensen Hughes accessibility consultants provided a masterplan review for the Twelve Apostles Visitor Precinct, which includes the Secret Apostles, Twelve Apostles lookout, Loch Ard Gorge, Visitor Information Centre, Glen Ample Homestead, and Gibson steps. We were engaged by Denton Corker Marshall, the architect of the Twelve Apostles Lookout. The lookout has been designed to be an accessible, inclusive, and equitable experience for all users.

During peak periods, the precinct currently attracts around 15,000 visitors daily. Our team was retained to provide Accessibility and Universal Design advice aimed at ensuring people with accessibility needs can enjoy a comparable visitor experience to those without such needs.

The Twelve Apostles masterplan aims to enhance accessibility and provide a more inclusive experience for all visitors, including those with disabilities. The area has published an accessibility guide detailing current facilities, but it does not establish benchmarks for meeting Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) or Universal Design standards. For example, many lookout points limit visibility for wheelchair users and children.

Notably, 20% of the Australian population identifies as having a disability. When factoring in the elderly, families with young children, and those with temporary injuries or who fatigue easily, the actual accessibility needs encompass around 40% of the population. Accessible tourism accounts for over $8 billion in Australia's economy.

Providing goods and services that support the needs of people with disabilities is a legislative requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). This act aims to ensure all people with disabilities can fully participate in the community through accessibility that offers dignity, functionality, independent use, equality, and safety.

In collaboration with Denton Corker Marshall, our experts provided a masterplan design report outlining specific Universal Design principles and best practices used for events like the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Parks Victoria developments, which can be applied to the Twelve Apostles masterplan.