Access for All
The Centre for Australian Research into Access (CARA) is a collaborative research initiative led by Deakin Rural Health and Grampians Health Ballarat, under the co-directorship of Professor Vincent Versace and Associate Professor Anna Wong Shee.
CARA's purpose is to address access-related health, education, and safety disparities between remote, regional and metropolitan Australians. The Centre will support academic research and inform policy decision-making, with the intention of improving access for essential services across all our communities.
Find out moreThe Centre for Australian Research into Access (CARA) is a centre of expertise for supporting and advancing research into accessibility.
CARA specialises in:
- The collection, collation of unique data sets for accessibility research.
- The implementation of novel large data processing methods for the calculation of accessibility metrics.
- The provision of data and expertise to support researchers and policy developers understand accessibility issues.
The underlying geography and population distribution of Australia leads to disparities in outcomes – in simple terms, where you live can impact how well and how long you live. Access to services, particularly in the health and education domains, is an issue that persists and presents ongoing challenges to priority setting and the fair allocation of funding.
Find out more
Interactive Maps
Physical access to a General Practice Service
The distance Australians have to travel from their home to their nearest General Practice. Data sourced from the 2023 National Health Services Directory maintained by HealthDirect Physical access to Primary Schools
Road distances to ACARA Primary Schools Physical access to Secondary Schools
Road distances to ACARA Secondary Schools Physical access to Universities
Road distances to HESA Table A Universities & their campusesLatest News & Events
CARA maps access to sexual and reproductive health services in regional Victoria
Women in rural, regional, and remote areas face complex challenges when seeking sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. The Centre for Australian Research into Access (CARA) has recently released a report with Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West that examines SRH service access across regional Victoria. The analysis revealed significant disparities in travel timesCARA supports the Working Better for Medicare Review
In October 2024 the Department of Health and Aged Care released the final report of the Working Better for Medicare Review. CARA, together with Healthcare Management Advisors, provided analytical support that was used to support the report’s conclusions and recommendations. CARA applied its address level intelligence tools to identify the changes to physical access to
CARA calculates the distances to the nearest school for all Australians
Access to education is important for everyone. The Centre for Australian Research into Access (CARA) recently generated a database of the road distances from every Australian address to Primary schools, Secondary schools & University campuses. This data has been published as a series of interactive maps on the CARA website and was undertaken for thePartner with us
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