Hello everyone,

We are immensely grateful for the incredible support and engagement we’ve received for our petition to implement Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSI) at Ivanhoe Train Station. With over 5800 signatures, your collective voice is making a significant impact.

A lot has happened since our last update, and many people have volunteered to help. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

• Metro’s Response: Metro sent an email advising that 196 out of 222 stations have TGSI dots. However, they provided no indication of why Ivanhoe doesn’t or when it might happen, if ever.
• Media Coverage: Lilly was interviewed on ABC Breakfast, highlighting the importance of accessibility for all – ABC Radio Interview.
• Political Engagement: We spoke to Nick McGowan MP, an opposition party politician who grew up in Ivanhoe. He wants to discuss the issue in Parliament, providing an opportunity to address the lack of TGSI at Ivanhoe Station.
• Department of Transport: We had a conversation with David Simmonds, Director Transport Accessibility and inclusion at Department of Transport & Planning (an accessibility expert who is legally blind himself) to seek his insights and support.
• Darebin Station Visit: We visited Darebin Station, which is an additional 25-minute walk for Lilly. Unfortunately, we found that Metro has resurfaced half the platform and in the process removed a good portion of the TGSI, making it unsafe for Lilly and other blind and low vision users.
• Gabrielle Williams – Minister for Public and Active Transport: Lisa’s husband has reached out to Gabrielle Williams’ office, but we have yet to receive a response. 
• Anthony Carbines – State Member for Ivanhoe: Anthony’s office forwarded our initial concerns sent on 14/01/25 to Gabrielle Williams on the 20th January. We have had no further communication from Anthony or his office beyond this.
• Banyule Council: We’ve had ongoing discussions with Banyule Council regarding the accessibility issues at Ivanhoe Station.
• Metro’s Plan: Metro proposed that Lilly should call ahead for assistance, but this solution compromises her independence, which we have been fostering since her birth. “The station does only have one team member on shift at a time so they may need to be juggling other tasks, but they will assist as quickly as they can.”
• Media Outreach: We spoke to a producer at Channel 9 and are awaiting a response for further coverage.
• Accessibility Map: Lilly’s Orientation and Mobility instructor, Marnie, has created a detailed map of Ivanhoe Station, indicating where TGSI should be placed to improve accessibility for Lilly and other blind and low vision users. This includes improved accessibility to the nearby bus stops.
• Public Transport Ombudsman: Our team has begun the process of reaching out to the Ombudsman.

Your support has been instrumental in driving these efforts forward. We will continue to advocate for accessibility at Ivanhoe Station and keep you updated on our progress.

Thank you once again for standing with us in this important cause.

With gratitude,

Lisa Cascun and the team

Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash