Flatmates Accessibility Features FAQ
Flatmates Accessibility Features are finally here! These have been a long time coming and we’re proud to finally release these much needed features for our community. This article aims to answer any questions you may have about our accessibility features, so read on!
What is accessibility? Accessibility is the process of ensuring your information, products or services can be used by everyone. Accessibility means to make something easy for everyone to access.
At Flatmates, all of our pages are designed to “pass accessibility” meaning members with vision impairment or using screen readers can still understand Flatmates and access our platform. However, this phase of accessibility on Flatmates.com.au focused on making it easier for people living with mobility needs to find a home that’s right for them.
This is only phase 1 and we have many iterations to go.
Why did we do this? We have many members in our community who are living with varying levels of mobility. This includes members living with disabilities, older sharers, single parents and younger families. We want to create a platform where everyone feels welcome and everyone can find a place to call home. The way our website was set up did not cater to members in the above groups and so we had a vision to make it easier for these communities to find a home.
After a lot of research, user testing, meetings with industry leaders (Hire Up, Spinal Life and Labor Party member Liesl Tesch) we have released our first iteration of accessibility features.
We understand that there are many more accessible features that members with mobility needs require to have a safe and accessible home. We have narrowed down this list to the top 6 that were most vital from our research. We are always keen to improve our platform and we’re keen to hear any feedback regarding this work at support@flatmates.com.au.
What do the features mean?
Lift This should be self explanatory BUT a lift is a platform or compartment housed in a shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels. So if you have a lift in your apartment building, please add this feature to your listing!
Step-free home - Your home doesn’t have steps inside, or not in any communal areas. If your flatmate has mobility issues, they can easily get to places of the home including their room and all communal areas (bathroom, kitchen, laundry, lounge, dining, outdoor areas etc). If there are some steps in your home, say up to your second bathroom or up to bedrooms that aren’t being rented out by this flatmate, we suggest to still tick the “step-free home” filter.
Level Access to home - There is easy entry/exit to your home with a flat path. Access to your home is free of steep or unsealed driveways, steps and hazards. This includes pebble driveways, gravel driveways with lots of pot holes (that would be hard for a wheelchair to navigate), steps, uneven pavers, steep ramps.
Wider Doorways - The doorways in your home are wider than 850mm. This is to allow enough space for a wheelchair or mobility apparatus to fit through.
Roll-in shower - Your shower does not have a lip, step or bat tub attached. A roll-in shower, means Flatmates can “roll in” to the shower in a wheelchair, without hitting any hazards.
Bathroom grip rails - Your bathroom has safety bars or support beams that assist with balance.
How do I search for these ? At the moment, you can search for homes that have accessible features via our “key-word search.” We will be releasing Phase 2 very soon which includes having these features added to search filters and to seeker listings. Watch this space!
