Local government has traditionally prepared disability access plans centered on physical access to Councilowned buildings. There is now broader appreciation that access and inclusion is to the diverse range of Council functions and services for all abilities and communities.
Holmes Dyer was engaged by the Yorke Peninsula Alliance comprising Yorke Peninsula Council, Barunga West Council and Copper Coast Council to prepare a regional Disability Access and Inclusion Plan. The approach by Holmes Dyer was to:
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- Establish the regional community context including statistical information about people living with disability and current service providers in the region;
- Assess populations of interest such as:
- An ageing population;
- People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders;
- Women and children;
- Youth; and
- Culturally and linguistically diverse people (CALD communities).
- Document information about Council employment of people with a disability and existing Council services, facilities and information;
- Review current practices to identify possible barriers to access and inclusion, and strategies to overcome barriers;
- Prepare and deliver a targeted consultation program in accord with statutory requirements;
- Deliver a regional planning framework aligned with the State Plan that facilitates partnership across the region; and
- Deliver individual action plans for each Alliance Council that show alignment of State and Regional priorities for access and inclusion with individual Council strategic management plans.
