HLS Healthcare Proud Supporters of Able Australia

HLS Healthcare Proud Supporters of Able Australia

Able Australia’s – Day Centre is on a mission is to reach out to people with multiple disabilities including deafblindness, supporting them in achieving self-fulfillment and connection with the greater community.

One person the Able Australia – Day Centre hosts regularly is Bradley,

Bradley loves cooking.

But it’s not easy for him.

Now 38 years old, Bradley has cerebral palsy and is partially blind.

“No one knows how much he can really see,” says his mum Beverley, “because he can’t tell us.”

The ability to cook for someone with a reduced physical ability allows them a small piece of independence.

Able Australia Centre is located in a converted home, but that has sadly been outgrown. As the number of people with multiple and severe disabilities has grown. Able Australia has found a bigger and more suitable building in Northcote to house the service. While the new building is large and spacious, it needs to be completely renovated.

When building a facility like the Able Australia – Day Centre Kitchen a lot of factors to take into consideration:

1. Ease-of-access for users in wheelchairs, make sure that the underside of counters and tabletops are just a few inches above knee-height, allowing for easy movement to and from the workstation.
2. Use of height-adjustable cabinets (KitFrame VertiElectric from Ropox).
3. Adjustable tables with caster wheels for easy movement. Keeping tables mobile and height-adjustable allow the user more options in their meal preparation and consumption.
4. Drawers, doors, cabinets, pantries, and storage bins are all easy to open, close, and secure.

At HLS Healthcare we are proud to be supporting the renovation of the Able Australia new kitchen facility which a line with our vision is to deliver the best products and the best services, to offer the best possible quality of life to all our customers and clients. Our role in the project involves:

• Installing mechanical or motor-driven countertops and kitchen islands
• Positioning cupboards so that all levels are reachable by a seated person
• Ensuring that walkways and aisles are wide enough to accommodate larger wheelchairs
• Resolving flooring elevation differences with ramped transitions, not with steps or seams

Cooking and the ability to eat is a fundamental need, by fitting Able Australia – Day Centre Kitchen with appropriate facilities it allows the center to continue their amazing work, helping people with multiple disabilities including deafblindness be seen, heard, respected, valued and connected

If you would also like to help Able Australia on their mission, any donation will make a huge difference to their ability to continue their amazing work – http://www.ableaustralia.org.au/support-us/new-kitchen