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Disability access and inclusion
The department is finalising its new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) in line with the National Disability Strategy 2010–2020. This is in consultation with the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) to ensure that the new plan will not only comply with legislated requirements but also closely align with community and industry needs. The AAC evolved from the department’s Transport Accessibility Advisory Group and now has a wider scope across the entire department while still performing an important role in advising on public transport matters.
The AAC consists of representatives of peak industry disability organisations and is acknowledged for the important role it has in the development of the department’s DAIP.
Along with development of the new DAIP, the department continues with a range of initiatives that progress our commitment to disability access and inclusion. These initiatives ensure accessibility to our services and facilities and recognise the rights of people with disabilities to have the same opportunities as others to all facets of community life.
The department has a well established induction program which includes disability awareness training and a range of resources for employees, with more targeted training and resources available to frontline staff, including training and development presentations by peak disability organisations.
Opportunities are provided to people with disabilities through the department’s recruitment processes, presenting all vacancies up to and including the ASO4 level to the Disability Employment Register. A partnership with Barkuma Inc., which is intended to increase workforce participation for people with intellectual disabilities, has seen the first two of five people commence work in the department.
The department’s intranet also provides a range of information about working with people with a disability and highlights the commitment to a diverse, discrimination free workplace. References are provided for managers and employees relating to recruitment, workplace modifications and other general support that is available through disability service providers.
The Office for Recreation and Sport continues to take a strong lead as demonstrated by its Disability Round-table – Opening the Conversations in Disability and Sport held on 9 December 2014. Over 70 participants attended, representing people with disabilities, state sporting organisations and sport service providers. The forum’s objective was to benchmark the current effectiveness of organisations and sports providers with their sports programs. It also sought to identify ways to better engage people with disabilities to ensure that further developments are guided by them and thereby provide the best outcomes for those people with disabilities wanting to participate in recreation and sport. The forum discussed the “best practice” inclusive sports organisation and established a working party to continue progress.
A video specifically designed for the disability sector was also launched at the opening conversations round-table. The video, developed in partnership with Inclusive Sport SA as part of Recreation and Sport’s Fair Enough campaign, was designed as both an educational and promotional tool.
Inclusive Sport SA was also a very important partner in the formulation of guidelines, undertaken over the 2014-15 year, for the development of fully inclusive sporting facilities.
Effort also went into local clubs and coaches to provide the skills and knowledge to create sustainable sport and active recreation environments that support inclusive participation opportunities. Specific effort went towards athletics, swimming and table tennis through the South Australian branch of the Australian Paralympic Committee to develop entry level opportunities and skill development sessions for people with disabilities.
In 2014-15 the department, through the Office for Recreation and Sport:
Provided:
- 17 sporting scholarships to elite athletes with a disability, through the South Australian Sports Institute; these scholarships support athletes to participate in the social, cultural, recreational and sporting life of the community and to excel on the world stage
- $191 000 to six state sporting organisations for people with a disability to provide leadership, policies and services to their membership.
Funded:
- an additional 15 disability-specific projects totalling $401 500 through the Sport and Recreation Development and Inclusion Program
- an additional six disability-specific projects totalling $20 165 through the Active Club Program
- one disability-specific project for $4 000 through the Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program.
Public transport has a very important place in the ongoing improvement in accessibility for the South Australian community. The department is committed to continually improving public transport services and infrastructure, making public transport more accessible and easier to use for people with disabilities. The bus fleet is now 87 per cent accessible (not including the rail substitute bus fleet made up of older buses kept in reserve for major rail works) compared to approximately 31 per cent in 2002.
The four year Bus Shelter Funding Program concluded during the reporting year with 750 accessible bus shelters financed by the department installed by local councils over the course of the program.
Work has continued to provide upgrades that focus on improving the accessibility of other public transport infrastructure. There have been refurbishments to railway stations such as Largs which had improved ramps installed and some of the platform was upgraded to better align with the level of train floors. Parafield and Broadmeadows railway stations were also upgraded, as was the Gawler bus interchange, all of which are now compliant with the Disability Standards for Accessible Transport. Millswood railway station was also made accessible for the twelve month trial opening which commenced in October 2014. Further improvements include upgrades to audio visual systems within the Adelaide Railway Station and upgrades at key railway stations and bus interchanges with large format screens replacing smaller LED signs along with voice annunciation and hearing induction loops.
The department was also represented at the 2014 Disability and Lifestyle Expo where hundreds of people had the opportunity to try out Adelaide Metro’s newest buses. Members of Adelaide Metro's Customer Contact Team provided information on the accessibility of the public transport network, available concessions, MetroCard and Real Time as well as demonstrating the best means of boarding and manoeuvring in the two fully accessible, CB80 and CB80 Euro6 City Connector buses on display.
The importance of accessible communication is recognised with the department continuing to make enhancements, with all online and printed material made available in a range of formats to ensure accessibility and inclusiveness. The department aims to have all publications, information and marketing material use inclusive language, correct symbols and access information (where relevant). Accessible design principles are applied when new publications are being developed.