Former Navy peace keeper making your streets accessible and keeping kids safe

When Cairns Regional Council want to know how to improve access at local libraries, the civic hall, suburban footpaths, Council amenities and buildings, they look no further then access and equity projects officer, Ian Chill. After falling down a cave during a Navy peace keeping exercise in the Solomon Islands four years ago, Ian sustained a spinal cord injury, which not only altered his personal life, but also his career.

Due to transfer to Officer later that year, and hopes of becoming captain of a Royal Australian Naval vessel, Ian had to completely rethink his future plans after the accident left him with paraplegia.

However, because of his vast experience in the defence forces, team leadership skills and training, Ian secured his current position with the Council.

A Cairns City Council spokesperson said Ian’s role was a first for any local government authority in Queensland.

His job is extremely varied and includes community development, assessing facilities, overseeing Council projects and access audits.

One of Ian’s proudest moments at Council was seeing the launch of the Recharge Project, which he was heavily involved in planning. Dozens of emergency electricity re-charge points for people with electric mobility devices were made available in buildings around the city.

With the support of Council, Ian manages to also volunteer during the working week as a member of the Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT), which is a service of the Spinal Injuries Association. He travels to schools all over the region, to share his emotional story with children from early primary school through to Years 11 and 12.

With three children of his own, Ian realises the importance of educating children about staying safe and preventing injury.

“The body is fragile, it’s certainly not bulletproof. As I lived a full life prior to my accident, I can share what I had and what I lost in relationships and how it has affected my family and kids,” Ian said.
The council spokesman said as well as Ian’s intricate understanding of access and equity requirements, he was further able to engage with the Cairns community through his SEAT involvement.

“Council sees his role with SEAT as an integral part of his role within community development, in relation to community capacity building and community education.”

This Thursday (26 JUNE), Ian will speak to 380 children from Years seven to nine at Redlynch State College as part of the SEAT program.

In 2008, SEAT aims to share powerful safety messages with 80,000 children at schools around Queensland. The success of the program, which has reached out to more than 1.2 million children in the past 21 years, coincides with Queensland changing from the worst state in the country for spinal cord injuries 10 years ago to having the second lowest rate today.

Issued 25 June 2008.