The accessible city: Help us create a more welcoming Sydney

If you’re a person with disability or a carer, we’d like to hear about your experiences.

You can help shape our fifth inclusion (disability) action plan.

We want to hear about the physical barriers which may prevent you from moving around our city and accessing our public spaces, parks, playgrounds, facilities and buildings.

But we would also like to learn about the less visible barriers you may face, including lack of community awareness, community attitudes and behaviours, and difficulty accessing information, services or employment.

You can have your say by completing a digital survey, attending one of our online workshops or speaking with us over the phone.

We’d like to hear from people with disability, people with mental health conditions, carers, disability workers and disability organisations.

Mark Tonga, chair of our Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel, is a tetraplegic and faces many physical barriers. He said it is the invisible barriers such as community attitudes and perceptions that need further action.

“Once you start shifting attitudes and perceptions, everything else will follow,” Mark said.

“Changing attitudes and influencing the narrative around disability and inclusion will help shape policies, overcome physical barriers and create new opportunities.

“You may feel disempowered but in this consultation you’re empowered to come forward and contribute to decision making. It’s the perfect opportunity to influence decisions.

“I know from my experience on the advisory panel that the City of Sydney takes this seriously. It’s not going to be policy that ends up on the shelf. There will be real actions taken out of this consultation.”

Tara Elliffe, fellow advisory panel member, said lack of community awareness, access to affordable housing and health services were ongoing challenges for people with disability. She said there is a lack of community awareness, especially for people such as herself with Down Syndrome.

She encourages people with disability to be involved in the consultation and to share their experiences.

“Have a go, speak up and reach out. It’s great to have a voice for ourselves so people can understand what our struggles are,” Tara said.

Our vision is for an inclusive and accessible city, where people with disability have equitable opportunities to participate in social and cultural life, in meaningful employment, and participate in the decision making process.

Online workshops will be held on:

• Tuesday 22 September, 1pm–2.30pm – community workshop
• Thursday 24 September, 5–6.30pm – community workshop
• Wednesday 30 September, 10am–11.30am – disability sector workshop

Community consultation closes on 9 October 2020.

Register to have your say.