Spinal Life’s Access and Advocacy Officer Bevan Kearsley is travelling around the country on his wheelchair scooter for the Accessible Australia Ride, to raise funds to support people with spinal cord injuries.
Bevan departed today (26 April), heading for his first stop at Byron Bay. His journey is expected to take more than two months on his specially adapted wheelchair scooter, which he’s able to manoeuvre onto directly in his wheelchair via a ramp, with a support vehicle following behind.
“As part of the Accessible Australia Ride, I’m hoping to raise $1 million towards my dream of building a rehabilitation centre where people can stay after a spinal cord injury, in a place where family can live alongside you and be part of rehabilitation for support and understanding,” Bevan said.
“Along the way, I also want to influence more businesses to consider people with disability as customers and raise awareness of inclusive tourism. “I’ll also be uploading reviews and photos from the places I visit on Spinal Life’s Accessible Australia app, to help other people with a disability to be able to travel and explore more.”
In 2021, Bevan completed a three-week fundraising trip around Queensland, visiting Mackay, Cairns, Mount Isa, Winton and Charleville.
Bevan is a former carpenter who sustained paraplegia in an accident more than 30 years ago, and now shares his expertise on accessibility with businesses, local government organisations, and more. This includes on-site audits of new builds and existing facilities, reviews of building plans ahead of time, as well as providing disability awareness training. You can read more about our Access and Inclusion Consulting by clicking here.
Click here to download a flyer to share.
Click here to read more about Bevan’s trip and see the full itinerary.
