Inclusion plan feedback sought

Horsham Rural City Council has mapped a series of commitments to reduce barriers and increase inclusion and participation for people with disability in the community.

The council has released its draft ‘Disability Access and Inclusion plan 2023-26’ and is calling for community feedback.

About six percent, or 1272 people, living in the municipality say they need assistance with self-care, mobility, or communication due to a long-term health condition, disability, or old age.

Community engagement in August and September last year informed the draft plan.

It identified key themes and opportunities for improvement such as cultural and attitudinal change, tailored support and information, accessible infrastructure and events, and inclusive and accessible employment.

Cr Claudia Haenel told last week’s council meeting that the draft plan had identified a number of barriers to inclusion.

“It’s so wonderful that the barriers have been identified so that we can break them down to improve accessibility, safety and inclusion for all in our community,” she said.

Cr Bob Redden said skills development would complement actions contained within the plan.

“Sometimes we underestimate the capacity of people with disability to learn and develop skills. Sometimes they require some special teaching or training, but the rewards are there – both for the disability persons concerned and for society,” he said.

The draft plan includes four overarching goals. The goals are to improve understanding of the barriers faced by people with disability, and the value they bring to the community, through actions such as establishing a disability advisory committee, increasing engagement with people with lived experience of disability, council staff undertaking awareness training, and increased visual representation of people with a disability within council publications.

The plan seeks to provide tailored support and information to improve access to council services for people with disability; and it seeks to continually improve access and inclusion in the built environment and at events for people with disability.

It seeks to provide meaningful opportunities for people with disability to participate in the workforce, such as reviewing recruitment processes to ensure they are inclusive and unbiased and supporting businesses to become more inclusive by considering their physical access, communication and awareness.

Cr Les Power called for such planning documents to apply for a longer term.

“I would like to see us, as a council, be very progressive, and when we do our plans – especially for such an important service – to do a 10-year plan for disability and inclusion. Include everybody in it, but to give a direction from now, into the next council and the council after that,” he said.

Cr David Bowe encouraged people – particularly those with a disability, and their families, carers and service provides – to have their say.

The plan is a requirement of the Victorian Disability Act 2006. People can read a copy online via www.hrcc.vic.gov.au