kids health
Burns Prevention Book Shop Childhood Obesity Breastfeeding and Infant Nutrition disAbility Keep in Step Parent Seminars Poison Safety Safety Factsheets Spinal Health Water Watcher Armband Your Baby's Development Crying Baby / Shaking your baby is just not the deal Oral Health


poisons information centre

fact sheets

bear cottage

your child in hospital

PKU handbook

a visit to the dentist

carer support program

AWCH library journal index

Questions and Answers

Staff: For issues regarding Occupational Health, Safety, and Rehabilitation: contact the OHSR Coordinator on 9845 3556.
Staff or Parents: Put a suggestion in the Suggestion Boxes.
Parents: Contact the Patient's Friend on 9845 3535.
Parents: Contact the Nurse Unit Manager of the ward where their child is staying.

Kids Health has a variety of videos, books and other resources about specific disabilities.
Search the Internet: using a search engine, enter the term, such as 'deafness.' You will then see links to sites which give information about the disability, support groups, etc.
Ask the medical, nursing, or allied health staff in your department.
Perhaps also visit the NOVITA website

The Parent and Carer resource centre has a range of information on services available for parents and carers. Contact the Carer Support Coordinator on 9845 3590
Kids Health has a variety of videos, books and other resources about specific disabilities.
The Department of Family and Community Services has information about services for carers. See the list below of web addresses.
Contact a social worker on 52641 or 52642.
Contact the Patient's Friend on 53535 or page 6219.
Search the Internet: using a search engine, enter a term such as 'deafness.' You will then see links to sites which give information about the disability, support groups, etc.

The current map of the hospital shows:

However, the map does not show:

the location of toilets (including toilets which are accessible to people with disabilities)
the location of nappy-change facilities
Children's Assessment Centre (Level 3 Outpatients) has nappy-change facilities for older children. In addition, the hospital is now in the process of equipping other toilets with nappy-change facilities for older children.

How can you help families?

Be aware of the location of facilities in your work area, including location of accessible toilets.
Stay tuned for an announcement regarding the location of nappy-change facilities for older children.

Staff needing disabled access temporarily should speak to the Head of Transport, who can issue a temporary sticker so that you can use the disabled parking spaces in the staff car park. There is usually no waiting time for this. This service is available to you even if you do not have a regular car park space.

Parents using the visitor's car park: Parents with a current RTA mobility parking scheme permit do not pay to use the car park. When they enter the car park, they take a ticket; when they leave, they press the intercom, quote the number on the permit to security, and then may leave without paying.
During the day, parents can drop the children at the front door and volunteers will care for them while they are parking the car. This can be organised when they arrive.

Glare screens and foot stools are also available for staff.
Ramps for wheelchairs are available for loan within the hospital e.g. when a parent/carer who uses a wheelchair for mobility is staying at the hostel or via the Transport Department when a patient in a wheelchair is going to an outside appointment and there is no wheelchair access. Contact Occupational Therapy to arrange a loan of the ramp.
Contact either Staff Services, 53550, (for queries about leave, for example) or the Occupational Health, Safety and Rehabilitation Coordinator, 53556; page 6498; you may be referred to other parties if necessary.
Talk to your supervisor / department head.

Staff or Parents: The Chemist on the second level sells non-prescription reading glasses.

The definition of disability used on the survey was taken from state and commonwealth legislation, and was used to ensure that all staff who may require their work area to be modified (eg footstool, computer desk, anti-glare screen for monitor) were noted.