Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2025–2029

On this page

You can also download the print version: DIT Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2026-2031 (PDF, 301.3 KB)

Message from the Chief Executive

I am delighted to present the latest version of our Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.

This is an important document that reflects our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement towards achieving the highest standards of disability access and inclusion.

We deliver a vast range of services and activities, including essential transport services and building social infrastructure, that drives economic growth and connects people to the services they need.

These projects, delivered in partnership with industry, are key in the daily lives of South Australians. It is essential that they contribute to quality inclusion and participation outcomes across the state.

We have proudly delivered on initiatives arising from our previous Disability Access and Inclusion Plan – embedding its recommended procedures and practices into our everyday culture and service provision.

This includes ensuring all communications right across our business are available in an accessible format to ensure everyone can get the information they need.

The plan has also guided delivery in our building and infrastructure projects, including the Adelaide Aquatic Centre, Tram Grade Separation Projects and the Ovingham Level Crossing Removal.

The world-class Adelaide Aquatic Centre includes 10 wheelchair-accessible car parks, a reception centre with lowered desks, multiple Changing Places facilities and accessible bathrooms, a 50-metre pool with a fixed Aqua Creek hoist and ramp access, and a portable hoist that can be used anywhere throughout the facility.

The Tram Grade Separation Projects enhanced safety by installing continuous footpaths on some side streets and laneways to give pedestrians priority over vehicles and introduced improved accessibility to new tram stops. New passenger information totems have also been installed, featuring voice announcements to support people with vision impairment.

The Ovingham Level Crossing Removal project improved accessibility by replacing a level crossing with an elevated road overpass. The design enhanced safety for pedestrians, cyclists and mobility-impaired users through dedicated, safer and more accessible pedestrian pathways to the platform.

These are just a few examples of the many projects we have delivered that reflect our ongoing commitment to providing quality infrastructure and services that meet the needs of all South Australians.

It’s my privilege to endorse this Disability Access and Inclusion Plan, and I look forward to the positive changes it will deliver.

Jon Whelan
Chief Executive

Recognition and acknowledgement

Recognising the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

We recognise and support the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). We commit to promoting, protecting and ensuring the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and the promotion of respect for their inherent dignity.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge and respect Aboriginal people as the state’s first people and recognise their traditional relationship with Country.

We acknowledge that the spiritual, social, cultural and economic practices of Aboriginal people come from their traditional lands and waters, and that the cultural and heritage beliefs, languages and laws are still of importance today.

About us

We work as part of the community to deliver safe and efficient transport solutions and valuable social and economic state infrastructure that will improve the lives of all South Australians every day.

Learn more about our team.

Our vision

Our strategic objectives focus on outcomes that support the vision and purpose of the organisation and commit to delivering the social and economic benefits of a more accessible and inclusive South Australia.

They are:

  • best practice and continuous improvement when providing infrastructure and services
  • genuine and collaborative engagement with community and industry stakeholders to deliver shared outcomes
  • work with our customers, industry and stakeholders to deliver improved outcomes and services for our community, our economy and our state
  • maintain a safe and healthy working environment for all staff and support inclusiveness and diversity
  • encourage innovative thinking to improve outcomes for our community.

We continue to cultivate a culture of acceptance where the value of diversity is acknowledged by a workforce that is reflective of the wider South Australian community.

With leadership and staff commitment, we adopt an inclusive and equitable approach to plan and drive our programs across all staff levels.

We will work together with honesty, respect and enjoyment to grow in excellence.

Our priorities

  • Reflect the diverse communities that we serve.
  • Build diversity and inclusion capability and knowledge.
  • Be accountable for diversity and inclusion.

Our Diversity and Inclusion Program is focused on six diversity areas, including age, culture and language, disability, domestic and family violence, LGBTIQ+ (rainbow allies) and gender.

We value and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the First Australians. We are committed to creating a culturally competent and respectful workforce that advocates for mutually respectful relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples.

Our workplace and staff

We have undertaken initiatives to improve workplace supports for people with disability and increase the number of people with disability in the workforce.

As at 30 June 2025, 1.49% of our workforce was made up of people who declared a disability. Note that declaration is voluntary, and this statistic does not necessarily reflect the total number of employees living with disability. This number has fluctuated between 1.3% and 2% over the last 20 years.

Strategic context

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was ratified by the Australian Government in 2008, reflecting Australia’s commitment to promoting and supporting equal and active participation by people with disability in economic and social life.

The convention affirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms and identifies where adaptations must be made for people with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights.

Disability Inclusion Act

The South Australian Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (the Act) supports the UNCRPD, requiring that the operation, administration and enforcement of the Act supports and furthers the principles and purposes of the UNCRPD as much as reasonably practicable. It provides a legislative framework to support equal access and inclusion for people living with disability in community activities and services, including recreation, education, health and public transport.

The Act sets out a number of principles aligned to the UNCRPD and requires the creation of the State Disability Inclusion Plan (State Plan). South Australia's first State Plan came into effect on 31 October 2019, and the latest State Plan came into effect on 28 August 2025.

The Act also requires all state authorities to develop and implement a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) in accordance with published guidelines, which demonstrates how the state authority intends to give effect to the objects and principles of the Act and the State Plan.

The Act defines disability in relation to a person as including long-term physical, psycho-social, intellectual, cognitive, neurological or sensory impairment, or a combination of any of these impairments, which in interaction with various barriers may hinder the person’s full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

This DAIP and our general strategic approach to improving accessibility will be informed by the social model of disability. This model views disability as the result of the interaction between people living with impairments and barriers in the physical, attitudinal, communication and social environments.

This DAIP is aligned to and will support the following legislation, strategies and frameworks:

Disability Access and Inclusion Plan development

Consultation

The consultation process undertaken for the development of the 2025–2029 State Plan captured extensive feedback from people with disability, their families and carers, service providers, advocacy groups and the broader community. This feedback informed the development of the domains, priority areas and mandatory measures that underpin both the State Plan and our DAIP.

Extensive community consultation was undertaken in the development of our first DAIP 2020–2026, and this continues to underpin this updated five-year plan.

Relationship to other policies, strategies or frameworks

Our related strategies and policies include the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy and Working Action Plan 2024–2026.

Achievements

We are proud to have achieved a range of improvements in the delivery of our infrastructure, the services we deliver and our workplaces, to be more inclusive and accessible for all.

Many of the priorities outlined in our previous DAIP were not only achieved but have been embedded in our everyday operations as standard. For example, ensuring our websites are accessible was a previous target. Now it is day-to-day business to ensure we follow the Online Accessibility Policy with continuous maintenance and improvements.

Similarly, we ensure all communications are available in an accessible format, whether they are from Service SA or our community engagement teams or departmental project information. There was a point in time when providing communications in this way was ad hoc. However, now it is standard.

Both infrastructure and building projects have delivered on our commitments to inclusivity with the Ovingham Level Crossing Removal, the Adelaide Aquatic Centre and Tram Grade Separation Projects as examples of excellence.

These projects address our previous DAIP targets of:

  • Continue to progressively improve the accessibility of public transport services and infrastructure.
  • Contract specifications and technical requirements identify that transport infrastructure will meet all relevant access and inclusion standards.

We continue to improve in all areas in response to feedback from the community and particularly persons with disabilities.

Plan implementation

We will monitor progress and outcomes against each of the actions and measures in the DAIP Action Plan.

We have reviewed the priority areas and actions in the State Plan. We focused on priorities that align with our core business and greatest potential for community impact.

In line with the Disability Inclusion Act 2018, an annual report on the operation of the DAIP over the previous financial year will be provided to the Chief Executive, Department of Human Services each year.

Once approved, we publish the DAIP on our website and intranet for all staff.

We recognise the importance of genuine community engagement, greater communication of our services and changes to service delivery, and timely responsiveness to customer feedback. We always strive to communicate clearly and keep our customers and the community informed.

We are committed to providing the below actions embedded in our day-to-day operations and interactions with the community:

  • Communications are available in a range of accessible formats.
  • Our websites and online services are fully compliant with the State Government’s Online Accessibility Policy.
  • Staff have tools and resources to ensure that community engagement, consultation and communications are inclusive and accessible to all.
  • Complaints and feedback systems are accessible, responsive and consistent, and feedback is reaching the right people and informing the development and review of our policy, programs and services.

Plan actions

Our work focuses on Priority Areas 3 and 6 in Domain 1.

Domain 1: Inclusive environments and communities

Outcome statement: A South Australia where all people with disability can participate as equal citizens and feel connected to their communities

Objective: To influence community attitudes to remove discrimination and build a South Australian community that values difference and respects the contributions people with disability make to our communities. This includes ensuring the community itself is fully accessible.

Priority areas for Domain 1 include:

  1. Active participation
  2. Inclusive communities and attitudes
  3. Universal design
  4. Accessible facilities
  5. Communications and information
  6. Transportation
  7. Collaboration, consultation and innovation
  8. Housing

Priority area 3: Universal design

Outcome: Everyone in South Australia can access and enjoy inclusive and accessible natural and built environments.

Action 1

Continue to upgrade existing public transport infrastructure to meet accessibility standards.

  • State plan measure: 1.3.4
  • Measure: The number and proportion of public transport infrastructure built or modified to include enhanced accessibility features
  • Timeframe: Ongoing
  • Responsibility and data source: Public Transport South Australia

Priority area 6: Transportation

Outcome: People with disability can get to where they need to go safely.

Action 1

Maintain 100% of the regular Adelaide Metro fleet (buses, trains, trams) as accessible.

  • State plan measure: 1.6.2
  • Measure: The number and proportion of government-owned public transport fleets (buses, trains and trams) adhering to accessibility standards.
  • Timeframe: Ongoing
  • Responsibility and data source: Public Transport South Australia
Action 2

Maintain the average of 96 accessible taxis available in metro areas and the average of 27 accessible taxis available in country areas.

  • State plan measure: 1.6.3
  • Measure: The number of Access Taxis available in South Australia adhering to accessibility standards.
  • Timeframe: Ongoing
  • Responsibility and data source: Transport Policy and Regulation
Action 3

Upgrade projects such as station upgrades and accessible passenger information to enhance public transport accessibility.

  • State plan measure: 1.6.4
  • Measure: The number of initiatives undertaken to promote enhanced access and safety for people with disability while using public transport.
  • Timeframe: Ongoing
  • Responsibility and data source: Public Transport South Australia

Appendix A: Autism Strategy Action Plan

Read our Autism Strategy Action Plan.