From RCIPS

Seven Mile Beach Community Officer Spearheads Disabled Parking Sign Initiative at Camana Bay, 23 May

Wednesday morning, 23 May, representatives from the RCIPS, Dart Realty and the Lighthouse School, met at Camana Bay to unveil ten new disabled parking signs which were designed and illustrated by students from the Lighthouse School as part of a joint project initiated by PC Jonathan Kern, community officer for Beat 9, Seven Mile Beach South.

PC Kern explained that the project came about partly in response to conversations he has had with people who didn’t fully realize the impact that illegally parking in disabled parking spaces has.

“People always use the excuse that they are only stopping in for a minute or that no one is using the space at that time. What they don’t realize is that for a family who needs that space, it can take them maybe 20 minutes to load and unload their car. When the space is taken, they now have to spend even more time waiting for it to free up,” said PC Kern.

“The idea to involve the children from the Lighthouse School came after doing a few police visits to the school,” he continued. “When I saw just how creative they are and how much they want to be involved with community projects I knew this was something that would be perfect for them.”

“How I thought about it, was that we should all be fair,” said 15-year-old Lighthouse student, Chelsea Frederick, when asked what she was thinking when she came up with her design for one of the signs. “It’s not fair to have people always parking in our spots. We need those spots for our parents to park in when they take us out, and it’s not fair that they are used by people who don’t have special needs.”

Once the designs were completed, PC Kern was able to get them printed with the support of local print company, D’signs. He then reached out to representatives from Camana Bay who were more than happy to display the signs.

“We are grateful to the RCIPS for allowing us to be the first organisation to take part in this important initiative,” said Tammi Sulliman, News Director for Dart Real Estate. “We hope these signs will encourage everyone who comes to Camana Bay to be mindful of disabled parking and leave those spaces for members of the community who really need them.”

It is hoped that other businesses will get involved with the initiative, and not only display the signs the Lighthouse students have designed, but also take steps to ensure their disabled parking spaces are designated clearly, with proper measurements and space for access.

Anyone interested in taking part in this initiative, or simply learning more, should contact PC Jonathan Kern at [email protected].

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Photo: PC Kern poses with students and teachers from the Lighthouse School in front of one of the new disabled parking signs at Camana Bay