Following our recent Invitation to Experience Barriers to Public Transport, we were contacted by the Hon. Nick McGowan MP, local member for Ringwood, who has a strong interest in advocating for accessibility as well as a personal connection to our local area.
Nick has previously raised the issue of Accessible train stations in the Victorian Parliament on 18 February 2025 – read the Hansard report here.
We were absolutely rapt that Nick agreed to “go blind” with Marnie and Lilly, and travel on Melbourne’s public transport system with them to experience what it is like for the visually impaired.
Nick has since shared videos on Facebook highlighting the challenges faced by Lilly and other visually impaired commuters, and the urgent need for accessibility improvements at Ivanhoe Station.
In the videos, Nick discusses Lilly’s daily struggles as a blind university student and calls on the government to prioritise the installation of tactile ground surface indicators (TGSIs) at Ivanhoe Station.
Nick’s posts emphasise the importance of practising inclusion through actionable change. We are incredible thankful for his ongoing support.
You can watch Nick McGowan’s videos on Facebook via the links below.