Disability Inclusion Action Plan
Council's Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2022-2025(PDF, 3MB) aims to make Kempsey Shire an accessible and inclusive place to live, visit, work and play.
What's it all about?
At Council we want to create a more inclusive and accessible community.
Everyone has a right to feel included in our community and access information.
Our focus is on working for and with our entire community. We want to remove or reduce barriers for people with disability so they can easily access services and facilities.
Adopted at the 17 May Council meeting, the Disability Inclusion Action Plan explains what Council will do in the next three years to improve the lives of people with disability in our community, along with their carers and families.
How we developed the plan
In 2021-22, Council sought feedback from people with disability, their friends and family, and service providers.
We made sure we heard from people from Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, as well as people with different ages, experiences and types of disability.
We heard from more than 400 community members at community events and local markets, on the Your Say Macleay website and across social media. Community members told us what was working well and what needed improvement.
We also collected the personal stories of five people with disability who call Kempsey Shire home: Clayton, Gavin, Sally, Jacoba and Jake. These stories are included in our Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
What are our focus areas?
The Disability Inclusion Action Plan has been developed around four focus areas which reflect what's important to the community.
Under each focus area, we explain the approach that Council will take as we work to make our plan a reality.
1. Increasing positive attitudes and behaviours towards people with disability
- We will promote positive attitudes in the community towards people with disability, while attempting to challenge assumptions.
- We will increase community understanding about invisible disabilities and remind people of the importance of having accessible facilities for people with disability.
- We will educate Council staff and local businesses about people with disability and the importance of access and inclusion.
2. Making Kempsey Shire more accessible, inclusive and liveable
- We will work towards applying 'universal design' principles to ensure places and activities are inclusive and accessible.
- We will continue to improve our built environment.
- We will make our events, programs and activities more accessible and inclusive.
3. Increasing meaningful education and employment for those with disability
- We will support people with disability to undertake employment opportunities.
- We will ensure that Council staff with disability are included, get the adjustments they need and have career development opportunities.
- We will provide training to leadership and staff to increase awareness and understanding.
4. Improving access to Council's services through better systems and processes
- We will make sure that Council information is accessible in various formats.
- We will make sure customer services are more accessible.
- We will ensure participation in community engagement is inclusive and accessible.
A full list of the actions Council will take in the next three years is available on page 30 of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan(PDF, 3MB)
How can I get involved?
Visit our People with disability page for information on local services, groups and activities.
How can I contact Council?
We are always working to improve our information and services, and we welcome and value your feedback.
If you would like to raise an issue with Council, you can contact us in a number of ways.