The vulnerability of people with disability is the basis of an interesting collaborative podcast involving APM Communities, Neighbourhood Watch and the Western Australia Police Force.
The project started after APM Communities team members Ben Rowe and Anthony Pyle approached Neighbourhood Watch in Armadale in Perth’s east.
The pair had earlier attended an information stall on community safety at the Armadale shops.
APM Communities works with people with disability, carers and supporting family members.
Teams work with local businesses and community organisations, by providing tailored support to help them improve inclusion for people with disability.
“Community safety for people with disability has often been an identified barrier to community life, from travelling on the train, to living independently and being a part of our city, “Anthony said.
Anthony said that he and Ben reviewed Neighbourhood watch’s community safety resources and the pair realised there was a gap when it came to material directed at people with disability.
“Building the capacity of WA Police would assist in breaking down those barriers that limit community life for those cohorts, “Anthony said.
Anthony and Ben then met with Neighbourhood Watch Armadale and the WA Police to develop a plan around providing important information related to community safety for people living with disability.
He said this meeting led to WA Police adapting their materials into a script to be recorded for a Neighbourhood Watch podcast. The pair recently joined staff from WA Police to record the podcast.
“The concept of the podcast was to remove barriers around literacy skills or having to use assistive technology to access printed materials,” Anthony said.
The podcast reviewed common themes around community safety such as how to avoid scams, information about crime stoppers and general neighbourhood watch information that keeps people safe within their homes and the wider community.
“In today’s technological world it’s easier to access information in many different mediums. This offers more opportunity for a wide range of people to access information in a way that’s comfortable to them,” Anthony said.
He said the podcast will be launched along with an information session for people with disability which will explore topics such how to install podcasts on their devices and have easy access to safety information at a moment’s notice.
“We’re also hopeful with this new way of delivering information to people, that it will inspire people with disability to take on leadership roles in programs such as neighbourhood watch and become more involved within community.”
As part of the NDIS Partners in the Community program, APM Communities help people with disability in several regions in Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory to access support.
Our Local Area Coordinators (LACs) help people with disability, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, families and carers to identify and access the support they need.