Her primary form of transport for the past two years, Traralgon resident Rhonda Collins would be lost without her motorised scooter.
Rhonda suffers from arthritis in both ankles and heart trouble, often leaving her short of breath.
The scooter allows her to get out and about to go shopping, reach medical appointments and to attend classes at Traralgon Neighbourhood Learning House.
At the Kath Teychenne Centre one windy day in February, Rhonda ran into a bit of trouble when the door she was trying to go through blew back onto her.
“My scooter nearly smashed the window,” she said.
Rhonda promptly reported the issue to staff in the hope of preventing any re-occurrence.
Rhonda said it was the only entrance she could navigate on her scooter, as the main entrance ramp was too narrow to complete a turn having been designed for use by wheelchairs not scooters.
“The scooter gets tight,” Rhonda said, with fears she’d be looking at more damage to her scooter than just a scratch.
Following Rhonda’s report, a new door closer and hold open insert were installed at the building at the shared cost of Traralgon Neighbourhood Learning House and Latrobe City Council, as owner of the building.
The new fitting allows visitors to prop the door open with the mechanism holding the door in place until it is deliberately closed, meaning those like Rhonda will not be required to leave their mobility device or wait for assistance in order to access the building in future.