Gloria Heuvick nominated for a WA Disability Support Award

This past Saturday, Directions attended the WA Disability Support Awards 2025 to support one of its support workers, Gloria Heuvink, who was nominated in the Inclusion Communities Award category.

The WA Disability Support Awards celebrate the amazing work that people such as Gloria do as support workers, as well as other facets of the disability sector.

Gloria’s nomination was submitted due to her tireless advocacy for Directions’ clients who use Leisure World in Thornlie. Gloria was compelled to speak up when she noticed that accessible toilets were mostly being utilised by people who didn’t need them, leaving vulnerable people waiting up to 45 minutes to access toilets to change out of wet clothes following laps and hydro sessions in the pools.

To start, Gloria approached the centre’s front desk staff, who told her they would keep an eye out on who was using accessible toilets and ensure people who need them have priority access. This did not work, as Gloria continued to observe school kids taking up space and time in these toilets and there was no real change.

Gloria then contacted the centre manager, who at Gloria’s proposal allowed for signage to be put near accessible toilets informing everyone who accessible toilets were for. As people continued to disregard these signs, Gloria persisted and after many emails, the centre manager agreed to meet with Gloria together with the City of Gosnells’ Director of Communications to hear what other ideas and solutions she had. At this meeting, Gloria proposed accessible toilets to have key access that is collected from the front desk. This would deter people who didn’t need these toilets from requesting the key. Once locks were installed, pool goers started paying attention to the signs that had been put up, realising that people who genuinely need accessible toilets had been pushed aside.

Gloria has helped educate the facility’s patrons on the importance of inclusion in the community and ensuring that no one is overlooked when accessing public venues and facilities.

It is important to note that despite how long it took for this solution to be implemented, Gloria remained passionate about the cause with professionalism and understanding that real change takes time.

Although change was spurred on by clients that Directions support, other people with disability that use the same facility have also benefited.

Great work Gloria and congratulations on the nomination!

Gloria and her husband Peter, with the Hon Hannah Beasley, MLA, Minister for Disability Services