The City of Sydney is developing a new inclusion (Disability) Action Plan. The city’s fourth disability action plan is part of an ongoing commitment to promote inclusion and access for people with disability. The draft plan sets out 34 priority actions including:
- Creating and maintaining accessible community facilities and public domain spaces and infrastructure
- Delivering inclusive and accessible services and events
- Providing equitable employment opportunities and developing a diverse and inclusive work place.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the city was committed to ensuring that Sydney is a city that respects human rights and dignity and is inclusive and accessible for people with disability and people of all ages. “We’re committed to making Sydney truly inclusive and that objective is at the heart of its fourth plan,” she said. The plan lays out practical actions to address barriers faced by people with disability.
“Inclusive cities are easy to get around and they give people with disability opportunities to take part in the diverse social and cultural life and to access meaningful employment. An inclusive city benefits everyone, not just people with disability.” The City’s draft Inclusion (Disability) Action Plan 2017–2021 was developed in consultation with people with disability, disability groups and in collaboration with the city’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel. The plan addresses barriers to inclusive participation faced by people with disability including inaccessible facilities, streetscapes, barriers to participation in community life and attitudinal barriers though work to develop positive attitudes and behaviours towards people with disability.
Chair of the Inclusion Advisory Panel, Paul Nunnari, said delivering the draft plan will help people with disability living, working or visiting experience greater independence and dignity. “In Australia approximately 18.5 per cent of the population, or one in five people, have a disability,” he said. “This plan aims to offer these people more equitable opportunities for social and economic inclusion. It builds on the city’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, the successes of its previous plans, and harnesses emerging opportunities, ensuring access and inclusion are at the core of all services and facilities the city offers.”
The city developed its first Action Plan for People with Disabilities in 2002. This resulted in substantial and ongoing improvements in the accessibility of public spaces and the development of inclusive programming and accessible information across the city’s services. The draft Inclusion (Disability) Action Plan 2017–2021 sets out four key directions, determined by the NSW Government), to deliver meaningful outcomes for people with disability, and priority actions that will implement over a four year period. Following this, the plan will be reviewed and updated to reflect any new priorities that continue to deliver on the long-term vision.
The draft plan will be on public exhibition for 28 days until June 14 June and circulated to key disability sector organisations for comment. Feedback will be incorporated into the final plan before it is presented to Council. The final plan will be submitted for adoption by Council on June 26. The NSW Government requires all Inclusion (Disability) Action Plans to be in place by July 1, 2017.