Access 2025 Conference: Universal Design - Inclusive Futures

Access 2025 Conference: Universal Design - Obvius Access

Obvius Access Consultants and Purely Access Consultants, delivered a presentation on the Palm Beach Aquatic Centre and Community Centre at the Melbourne Town Hall on 14 October 2025. The Access 2025 Conference was organised by the Access Consultants Association (ACA).

The conference presentation welcomed over 250 participants, all dedicated to advancing inclusivity through the principles of Universal Design.
The event was attended by access consultants, building surveyors, community advocates, representatives from government and health sectors, as well as other industry professionals.  
The two-day event offered a comprehensive program including keynote presentations, interactive panel discussions, and industry exhibitions. Focusing on the theme “Universal Design – Inclusive Futures,” the conference examined how inclusive design principles can enhance built environments, products, services, and communities to ensure accessibility for all individuals, of all age and abilities.

Left to Right: Nikki Jackson – Purely Access, Daniel Bedwell – Obvius Access Consultants and Auslan interpreter.

​The conference demonstrated inclusive design in action by providing live captioning and Auslan interpreters.

Case Study of Palm Beach Aquatic and Community Centre (PBACC)

Obvius Access Consultants who are located on the Gold Coast, served as the appointed Access Consultants for the project, collaborating with the City of Gold Coast as the Principal, Liquid Blu as the lead project architects, Cox Architecture as the project architects, and Urbis as the landscape architects.
The Palm Beach Aquatic and Community Centre are a new facility which opened to the public at the end of 2024.

Aerial view of the Palm Beach Aquatic and Community Centre

Universal Design Elements of PBACC

The presentation highlighted the following key universal design considerations:

• Best practice in accessible car parking and set down areas.
• Best practice in universal access to pools.
• Best practice in the design of stairs and ramps.
• Toilets and change rooms, including all gender change, group, male, female, ambulant, accessible, ambulant showers and baby change /facilities for parents.
• Animal assistance relief area and mobility scooter recharge areas.
• Luminance contrast wayfinding and orientation.
• Wayfinding including Tactile Ground Surface Indicators and tactile maps.
• Hearing Augmentation strategy across the whole site.
• Best practice in egress ramps and signs.
• External infrastructure, such as seating, barbecue areas and drinking fountains.

What are examples of universal design?

In summary, the following are examples of items addressed in this presentation to support the effective integration of universal design within sports and recreational facilities:

1. Accessible car parking for people with a disability should be located at the closest point to the site entry ramp or basement lift.
2. The stairway, walkway, set-down area, and lift from the basement car park should all bring people into the building at a common entry point.
3. Pathway widths, walkways and ramps should always be at least 1800mm clear to allow passing spaces for all users.
4. Seats with armrests and backrests should be placed in shaded areas about every 60 meters.
5. It is recommended that walkway gradients do not exceed 1:20, in contrast to ramps which may have a maximum gradient of 1:14. Walkways with gentler gradients offer improved accessibility and typically eliminate the need for handrails or Tactile Ground Surface Indicators.
6. If ramps are unavoidable, consider designing for construction tolerance to help eliminate the risks of non-compliance by designing at 1:16.
7. In addition to providing ramps, also install stairs, as some individuals with ambulant disabilities may find stairs more suitable than ramps.
8. Design stair goings and risers to match AS 1428.2:1992 pitch ratios for easier access by people with ambulant disabilities and some older individuals. Ensure all other stair components meet the National Construction Code D4 requirements.
9. Provide tactile and braille maps of the site layout and connect these with Directional Tactile Ground Surface Indicators. (Clear site maps benefit everyone, while tactile features on floors and signs help people with low vision navigate the area.)
10. Consider push buttons to unisex accessible toilets for the benefit of ease of use and hygiene for all users including people with prams, mobility devices users, or people with varying levels of motor skills and dexterity.

Written by: Daniel Bedwell Access Consultant