We invite your feedback on our new draft inclusion (disability) action plan 2021–2025 by Monday 14 June.
The plan is part of our ongoing commitment to make our city truly inclusive. It includes strategies to ensure our services, programs and events are inclusive for everyone, including people with less visible disabilities.
It sets out 4 key directions, determined by the NSW Government, for meaningful outcomes for people with a disability. It also has priority actions we’ll take over the next 4 years.
As part of these actions, we will:
- address the lack of understanding faced by people with less visible disabilities
- ensure our services, programs and events are inclusive for everyone, including people with less visible disabilities
- upskill our people to recruit and retain diverse employees, including people with disability, and develop a culture of diversity and inclusion.
- provide inclusive and accessible programs, services and events
- continue to improve access in our community facilities and public domain spaces and infrastructure
- provide accessible and inclusive communications, and decision-making and engagement opportunities.
“This action plan will help strengthen our practices, broaden our understanding of disability and ensure that inclusion is embedded in everything that we do,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
“Through our consultation, it’s clear one of the key roles we have to play is helping raise community understanding of people with less visible disabilities, including people with mental health conditions, people with autism and people with intellectual disability.”
Sabrina Houssami is the incoming Chair of the City of Sydney’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel and a person with lived experience of disability. She knows how important it is for individuals and society to work in tandem to create a rich quality of life and even the playing field.
“The City of Sydney created the panel and opportunities for community collaboration – so that people with lived experience can help us achieve our vision of an inclusive city for all,” said Sabrina Houssami.
“This consultation provides other people, including people with disability, the opportunity to provide feedback on the priorities in the draft action plan. I look forward to seeing what our community has to contribute.”
Building on our actions for people with disability
We released our first action plan for people with disability in 2002. This helped improve our public spaces, information and services and provide more inclusive programming. It ensures we continue to embed inclusion and access in all our services and processes.
We’ve also addressed physical barriers in our built environment so more people can access our streets, parks, playgrounds and open spaces. We’ve upgraded footpaths, provided new access ramps, braille and tactical signs in more city streets and spaces. We also opened the new inclusive and accessible Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre.
Working with our communities on this plan
We spoke to more than 200 people in collaboration with our Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel.
People with disability, carers, people with mental health conditions, disability service providers and advocacy groups took part in workshops and online, phone and email surveys.
See the plan and provide your feedback
The draft plan is available in a range of accessible formats including a tagged accessible PDF, large print and Easy English. You can also see an Auslan video providing an overview of the plan. Alternative formats can be provided on request.
Feedback closes 5pm Monday 14 June. This will inform the final plan before it is presented to Council for adoption on Monday 28 June.
Published 18 May 2021, updated 19 May 2021
