Media Release

CROSSING the road safely is often impossible for Samantha Petersen, who is campaigning for better access to pedestrian crossing buttons.

The 25-year-old Kilsyth resident, who has dystonia a neurological movement disorder, is unable to reach many of the buttons from her wheelchair because they are too far from the sealed pavement area.

``It stops me going everywhere independently getting home from the bus, going up to the shops, or going to the doctors,'' Miss Petersen said.

``To overcome so much and to get so far to be stopped by simply not being able to reach a button is very frustrating.''

Miss Petersen said about half of all pedestrian crossing buttons were inaccessible.

Kilsyth State Liberal MP David Hodgett called for an audit of pedestrian crossing accessibility in Parliament on November 25. ``I call on the Government to address this problem immediately,'' Mr Hodgett said. ``Sam and other people using motorised wheelchairs and scooters deserve their independence and quality of life, to be able to move around their local neighbourhood with ease.''

VicRoads regional director Duncan Elliott said the road authority had a program to retrofit pedestrian crossings to make them compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (1992).

Mr Elliott encouraged people to contact VicRoads with concerns about individual sites, which would be considered on a case-by-case basis.