Accessibility

Meridian is located on the ground floor of a heritage building with structural limitations that make it difficult to improve our facilities for full accessibility. This means our offices, and programs and services run from them, are not fully accessible for some people.

We understand this may cause inconvenience and we are committed to supporting all clients. Please contact us if this might impact you, and we will try to find appropriate accommodations through either our services or another service provider.

The pathways around Meridian are uneven in places and may be difficult to navigate for some. Of particular concern are the curb cuts that cross the driveway at the entrance to Gould Street, as these are steep and impede on the main concrete path from the ‘accessible’ parking spots to the building.

It is possible to navigate these pathways by wheelchair, but care should be taken, especially during wet conditions. We have reported our concerns about the public footpath to the ACT Government.

There is no easy ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response as to whether Meridian is wheelchair accessible: it will depend on your circumstances, type of chair and level of comfort navigating tricky spaces. The following information may be helpful in determining if the space is likely to be accessible for you.

Entrances

There are ramps up to both the main entrance of Meridian and the Wellbeing Services entrance.

• The main entrance door can be opened out all the way and should accommodate a standard-size wheelchair. If a wider doorway is needed, a staff member will open both front doors from the inside.
• The Wellbeing Services entrance door is slightly wider and should accommodate a standard-size wheelchair. However, the screen door opens outwards and the there is no landing at the top of the ramp.
• The CBR Pride Hub is accessed internally through Meridian’s main entrance. The external access door to the Pride Hub is used as an additional fire exit and has a step down to the street. There are temporary ramps within the Pride Hub that can be installed for the external door to allow for use by wheelchair users.

The back door from Meridian’s offices is also used as an additional fire exit and has a series of steps down to a staff parking space with limited space for navigating between cars when full.

Internal access

The doorways in the building are wide enough for a standard-sized wheelchair but would not be accessible for a larger or motorised model.

Some of the corners are quite tight and it can be tricky to navigate around the building.

The back hallway and bathrooms have heavy self-closing doors which can be difficult for wheelchair users. A staff member can chock these open using doorstops.

Within the CBR Pride Hub, there are various seating and desk options to allow flexibility for each user’s needs. These can be arranged to ensure adequate circulation space for wheelchair users.

Ambulatory wheelchair users (who are able to leave their chair) can access Meridian’s all-gender bathrooms but will need to leave their chair outside the cubicle (or potentially the bathroom) due to limited space.

The far-right cubicle in both bathrooms has a grab rail installed along one side to assist with access.

Non-ambulatory wheelchair users (who are unable to leave their chair) can access Havelock’s wheelchair accessible toilet through their Federation Conference Room. A Meridian staff member will need to unlock this room with a key to provide access to the bathroom. However, this is only accessible during Havelock’s business hours; it cannot be accessed by Meridian for programs run outside of those times.

Assistance animals are very welcome in the Pride Hub and Meridian offices.

Unfortunately, there are currently no hearing loops in the Pride Hub or Meridian offices.