Individuals with lived experience of disability will help
shape Australia’s first permanent Accessibility Advisory Committee for a
convention centre operator.
The Victorian Convention and Exhibition Trust (VCET), the
organisation behind the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and
the upcoming Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention, has appointed an external
Accessibility Advisory Committee in a move to enhance inclusivity at its
venues.
Appointed following an open expression of interest process,
the new members are Briar Harte, Nikhil Bora, Jess Price and Alex
Stratikis—each bringing specialist knowledge in inclusive design, disability
advocacy, and accessible tourism.
Harte is an award-winning advocate for inclusive design and
a former recipient of the Disability Inclusion Changemaker of the Year award.
Bora is an experience designer and co-founder of SignHow, which developed the
world’s first community-driven sign language dictionary. Price is founder and chief vision officer of Paradigm Makers, a consultancy addressing systemic
barriers in the workplace. Stratikis, a tourism consultant and writer, founded
Autism Adventures Abroad, a platform offering travel advice and content for
autistic adults.
The advisory group will play a key role in implementing and
monitoring VCET’s Accessibility Action Plan, launched in 2024, ensuring both
MCEC and Nyaal Banyul deliver on commitments to access and inclusion for
delegates, visitors and employees.
“At MCEC and Nyaal Banyul, we aim to create spaces where
people of all abilities can connect, discover and enjoy,” said Natalie O’Brien
AM, chief executive of VCET. “By actively engaging people with lived
experience, we hope to ensure our facilities and services are truly inclusive
and welcoming to all. The Accessibility Advisory Committee members bring a
wealth of knowledge, personal and professional experience to the table and I
look forward to the progress we can make together.”
The initiative builds on VCET’s recent accessibility
improvements, including the launch of a Changing Place facility at MCEC and the
centre’s accreditation for Limited Mobility Accessible Tourism. Staff have also
completed Hidden Disabilities Sunflower training, designed to help them better
support visitors with non-visible disabilities.
Meanwhile, Nyaal Banyul—set to open in mid-2026—has been
designed in line with Universal Design Principles. Planned features include
sensory rooms, high-contrast wayfinding, fully accessible seating, a Changing
Place facility, and augmented hearing systems.
Committee member Jess Price said she hoped to help normalise
accessibility as a design standard. “My goal is to help shift accessibility
from something people have to ask for into something they can expect by
design.”
Harte added: “I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge as
a disability inclusion advocate and experience as a mum with a disability. Too
often I avoid events for fear of accessibility barriers. I look forward to
helping make Melbourne events more and more accessible for families like ours.”
