Upper Lachlan Shire Council is seeking to create a more inclusive community for people of all abilities with the implementation of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2017-2020.
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The Plan, endorsed by Councillors at Thursday’s Council Meeting, sets out Council’s actions and strategies over the next three years to enable people with disability to have greater access to our facilities, services and information.
Upper Lachlan Shire Council’s General Manager John Bell said the Plan was developed in consultation with the community to determine the needs and expectations of people with disability, their families and carers.
“To help inform the Plan, Council conducted a community survey of individuals and community groups and sought feedback through a series of community outreach meetings held in Crookwell, Taralga, Gunning and Bigga,” Mr Bell said.
“The survey found fifty-four percent of respondents did not believe buildings across the community were welcoming for people with disability and fifty-five percent did not feel Council facilities were accessible.
“The Plan will seek to address these issues through the creation of additional disabled parking spaces and options to improve access to community facilities for people with vision and other physical impairments.
“It will also aim to increase participation of people with disability in the Council’s Access Committee and promote employment opportunities for people with disability in the Shire.”
Council staff were also surveyed to determine how inclusive the organisation is for people with disability.
It found eighty-five percent of respondents felt everyone benefits from a workplace that is inclusive of people with disabilities and ninety-one percent believed people with disability had the same rights to work as others.
The Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2017-2020 is available on Council’s website: www.upperlachlan.nsw.gov.au/planning/strategies-plans-policies.
Councillors also voted to endorse the development of a Regional Economic Development Strategy, which incorporates the Upper Lachlan Shire, Goulburn Mulwaree and Yass Valley local government areas. The Department of Premier and Cabinet has engaged a panel of expert contractors to work in collaboration with all three Councils and relevant stakeholders to develop the Strategy.
