Disability access and inclusion continues to be a priority for the City of Armadale after they approved the new 2021 to 2026 plan on Monday, June 14.
Earlier this year the city implemented new signs on the pavement in Armadale titled ‘This Bay is Someone’s Day’ as part of an initiative to support people with ACROD permits and help them access essential services and engage in activities.
At the Ordinary Council Meeting on Monday night, the new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan was approved by the council.
The demographic snapshot in the plan stated that 3.8 per cent of people in Armadale needed help in their day-to-day life due to disability.
The plan takes into consideration data from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on those who access the NDIS.
According to the data presented 1060 people in Armadale access the NDIS, this figure is projected to increase to 1786 people by 2023.
The total spent on NDIS services in Armadale from July 2018 to June 2019 was $20,410,000 according to the plan.
The plan also included a summary of the achievements the city had in regards to access and inclusion since 2016.
Some of these achievements included the creation of new accessible events, Armadale District Hall had accessible upgrades, Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre was built with accessible features and an internal diversity and inclusion strategy was developed.
The city consulted with various stakeholder groups to create the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan, including service providers working in the disability sector.
The plan outlines positive feedback and constructive improvement suggestions to enhance the lives of people with disability in the area.
Some of the feedback said the city should prioritise providing support and guidance to community organisations within the city to be more inclusive and increase opportunities for inclusion and community participation for people living with disability.
Other suggestions include that staff disability training should be conducted and lead by people with disability and the city should investigate alternative formats of information at public events such as braille and audio.
Feedback from the Department of Communities, who must approve Disability Access and Inclusion Plans prior to council endorsement, said the city complied with meeting the intent of the Disability Services Act and acknowledged it is a comprehensive document with educative merit.
The plan was passed with no objections.
The full plan will be made accessible to the public soon.
