Australia: Nari Tagura (Learning on Excursions)

Learning on Excursions: A New Perspective on Disability

During my summer study abroad in Australia about International Perspectives on Disability, we got the opportunity to take a tour of the opera house and talk about accommodations and accessibility for individuals with disabilities and how they get around and about in the infamous Opera House. Not only did it feel so surreal to be in the opera house, but the inside and outside were very beautiful and accessible for those with disabilities. My program was about learning about individuals with disabilities and, from touring the Opera House, they have very sufficient restrooms that are both physically accessible and designated as gender neutral for purposes of gender inclusion and for caregivers for those with disabilities. We toured a changing room that was, again, very wide open and accessible for those with disabilities who need to change their depends if they are soiled. Additionally, they are gender neutral, and I went into an all-gender bathroom that was near the entrance and gift shop. I am not quite sure how many types of each of these bathrooms that they have, but if they had more than just 1 or 2, then it really shows how inclusive and deep the Sydney Opera House goes into making it very accessible to those with disabilities. It was unique to learn how such an iconic building can have open arms to those with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community.

 

Narianna (Nari) Tagura

Major: Nursing

Hometown: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Program: UW Disability Rights and Access in Australia