Walking With New Eyes: Stories from a Mapping Day

It all started with a clipboard and a quiet determination. I remember walking into the first cafe, heart thudding, wondering how the staff would react. Would they brush us off? Would they understand what we were doing? But as soon as I explained who we were and what we advocate for, their faces lit up. They welcomed us warmly, even encouraged us to take photos. That moment - being seen, being heard - was the first spark of something bigger.

Mapping Day Volunteers

This was my second time participating in a Mapping Day - an initiative by Enaccess Maps, a community driven project that helps people with disabilities find accessible places to eat, shop and gather. Mapping Days are held across Melbourne and other cities, where volunteers visit venues, assess accessibility features, and leave reviews to help others navigate public spaces more confidently. The first one I attended was just myself and the internal team, however this time around there were so many more participants, even some external! Seeing the new faces, some curious, some passionate, but all eager to make a difference - reminded me that this movement is growing.

On this day, one particular restaurant manager stood out to me. He didn’t just nod politely - he leaned in. I was halfway through explaining our mission when he reached for the clipboard and began reading aloud:

“Hi, we’re volunteers with a charity. We help people with disabilities find new places to eat. Is it okay if we take pictures for them?

Then he took us on a tour around the restaurant, proudly pointing out every accessibility friendly feature: the restaurant’s back door entrance that was for wheelchair access, the disabled bathroom, even the width of the aisles. That kind of passion is rare. It reminded us that there are people out there who care deeply, who want to learn and who are willing to change. That moment stayed with us. It was a quiet affirmation that our mission matters.

Voices from the field:

After one of our Mapping Days, the volunteers gathered together to reflect on this experience.

“When I first started leaving reviews, it was challenging - I didn’t know what to write,” she said. “But this time, it became intuitive.”

Kelly’s initial hesitation at her first Mapping Day, to the certainty she carried after submitting multiple reviews, shows how awareness can grow with practice. What once felt awkward became second nature. It just shows accessibility advocacy can become part of everyone’s daily routine.

Jayden’s words were impactful.

“You can research how inaccessible Melbourne is, but until you experience it, it’s hard to quantify how much it matters.”

That’s the truth. You can read statistics, but they don’t show you the narrow alleyways of Chinatown, the restaurants with steps but no ramps, or the accessible entrance that leads to an inaccessible interior. Jayden reminded us that data can’t replace lived experience. You have to walk through the streets to understand these barriers.

“There are so many little details that you don’t notice, until you start putting yourself in their shoes,” Tiger remarked.

These seemingly small details - the slope of a ramp, the width of a doorway, the absence of grab bars - are far too commonly overlooked, yet are often the most important in a wheelchair user’s experience of a venue.

“And it’s not even just for wheelchair users,” Jessica reminds us. “Accessibility is an issue we will all face at some point. Perhaps one day we may find ourselves in crutches after breaking an ankle, struggling to climb up the stairs of a restaurant. Perhaps one day we may find ourselves needing to use a walker as we reach our elderly years.”

It could happen to any of us, and it could happen to the people we care about. Friends after surgery, neighbors after a fall, grandparents in aged care. Accessibility isn’t just for wheelchair users. It’s for everyone.

Zooming Out: The Bigger Picture

Mapping Day isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about shifting perspectives.

We found cafes were often more receptive to the idea of discussing accessibility with us - perhaps because they sell an experience, not just food.

Some restaurants, on the other hand, were more dismissive, and we faced more rejections than we expected. Accessibility was often overlooked, not out of malice, but out of unfamiliarity. And in areas with no disabled parking, we saw fewer disabled visitors. Less visibility leads to less awareness. It’s a cycle we need to break.

Because all venues, whether it be a cafe or a restaurant, should offer more than just meals - they should offer inclusion.

Achieving this means influencing cultural attitudes, which will shape future policies and the physical environment so that accessibility is built in, rather than bolted on.

Mission of EnAccess:

Every Mapping Day is a step toward EnAccess Maps’s mission: to build a city that sees everyone. Volunteers aren’t just data collectors, they’re storytellers, advocates, and community builders. We take pictures, we ask questions, we listen. And we learn. We are slowly but surely building a world where public life is open to all, and all of that begins with your contribution.

We’re planning future Mapping Days around the mobility aid community’s preferences - where they want to go and what they want to experience. We’re also thinking about chain restaurants, public accessible toilets, and keeping reviews up to date. Because accessibility isn’t static. It evolves, and so must we.

Join us!

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a difference, join a Mapping Day. Talk to restaurant staff. Leave a review. Notice the details. You don’t need to be an expert - you just need to care. Because when you walk through the city with new eyes, you don’t just see barriers. You see possibilities.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll hand your clipboard to someone ready to make a change.