Ensuring access & inclusion for all, Council has developed, with input from people with disabilities, our new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2022-26 (DAIP). We adopted it at our last Council Meeting.
The plan was developed from what is already being successfully achieved in this area. It is based on a guiding principle that everybody has the right to contribute. That everyone should be treated with dignity and respect and to self-determination.
We first consulted our community way back in July/August last year when we sought to identify the issues. Those who contributed to the consultation period did so by sharing their lived experience, their suggestions, and their ideas.
We went back out to the community in February of this year. Disability Access advocates including Purple Orange, provided much feedback, as did many organisations and residents. This feedback has guided the final draft presented this week to Council.
If we have got it right, we will be ensuring access & inclusion for all. In other words, everyone should be able to use the same facilities. We should be able to take part in the same activities and enjoy the same experiences. This includes people with disabilities.
Most importantly, we are committing to this being a living document. Over the four years of the plan, we intend to continue to engage with people with disabilities and their families, friends, and carers in a collaborative way.
Doing so will ensure the outcomes aimed for are achieved through meaningful and impactful ways.