Hannah Hammoud
The Keilor Tennis Club is grappling with accessibility issues as members, including people with disabilities, are forced to deal with inadequate toilet facilities.
The club’s president, Lisa Mayoh, said she has been advocating for improvements to the club’s toilets for years, and has raised concerns about the current lack of disability-friendly toilets and the cramped restroom spaces with Brimbank council.
“We have discussed the issue about not having disabled toilets at our club and also about how small the space is. Even an able-bodied person over the age of 12 would have to squeeze into the door and shut it,” she said.
Ms Mayoh said the toilets are inaccessible to people with disabilities meaning there are no bathroom facilities for them to use at the club – a basic amenity that should be available to all members of the club.
“We need an urgent upgrade if not to the whole clubhouse, then just the toilets. It is embarrassing that we don’t have a toilet that everyone can use,” she said.
The club, located on the Old Calder Highway in Keilor, is used by more than 200 members. Ms Mayoh says the club has received little support from Brimbank council. When she wrote to council asking for help to fix the issue, she was told the club was seventh on a list for potential improvements. Council’s short-term suggestion was for members to use facilities at the nearby bowls club.
Ms Mayoh said such recommendations are impractical, especially for disabled individuals, making it a considerable challenge to access facilities conveniently.
Another proposed solution to install a sliding door was also dismissed as unsuitable.
“Council told us that we are seventh on the list, and gave us options to use the bowls club next door – which yes it’s next door, but for a disabled person it is still a decent walk. Council hasn’t even been out here,” she said.
Brimbank council community wellbeing director Lynley Dumble said council is committed to upgrading facilities to make them inclusive for all, “however there are many facilities that need to be upgraded”.
“The recently adopted (October 2023) Sports Facility Development Plan provides council with the evidence base to prioritise works to enable upgrades to be systematically undertaken. It has a pavilion upgrade program, which involves the full redevelopment of sports pavilions and an Inclusive Facilities upgrade program which focuses on bringing change rooms and social room toilets compliant with the required Disability Discrimination Act and female friendly standards,” she said.
“The Keilor Tennis Club are listed as priority number seven in the pavilion development program so is a high priority project given there are over 50 sports pavilions occupied by community clubs, however the first six priorities are required to be completed first.”
Ms Dumble said council officers are working through short term operational solutions with the club.
