Image: Members of the Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel at City of Sydney. Image: City of Sydney website
by ABHA HAVAL
The City of Sydney is ramping up efforts to implement the recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission’s Final Report, completed earlier this year in September.
The Commission’s report included 222 recommendations on how to improve laws, policies, structures and practices that support people with disability, but many domains were left out, including mental health and transport.
The City of Sydney has had an Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel since 2012, when it was first endorsed. The council’s Inclusion (Disability) Action Plan 2021-2025 has four key directions for the City, including developing positive community attitudes and behaviours towards people with disability, creating more liveable cities, higher rates of meaningful employment, and equitable access to services.
The advisory panel’s main goal is providing expertise, strategies, and impartial advice to the City for the development, implementation, monitoring and reviewing City’s policies to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities.
The motion, brought forward by Labor Councillor Linda Scott, notes that a new action plan won’t be in place until June 2025, and updates to the existing plan with consideration of the Commission’s recommendations won’t begin until 2024.
Passed unanimously by Council with amendments, the motion essentially sets in motion the planning for the City’s next action plan, but with consideration of the Panel’s suggestions about how the recommendations of the Royal Commission might be reflected in the new plan.
Cr Scott said to City Hub, “As a result of my motion, the City will now have some of the strongest planning controls to support people living with disability on public exhibition for adoption.”
“My motion will ensure City will feature authentic stories of people with disability, ensure the City doesn’t procure from, create, fund or participate or award new grants for organisations that participate in segregated services or employment, or engage in restrictive practices,” she continued.
Part of the motion requested that the CEO prioritise the use of authentic videos, images, articles etc. of people with disability and the everyday stories of people with disability in City publications, digital platforms, and media channels.
The motion was seconded by Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore, who expressed her full support to City Hub.
“I think this is fantastic and very important because it’s such a comprehensive piece of advice from such an important Advisory Panel,” said Cr Ellsmore.
Some of the suggestions from the Panel for the next action plan included continuing to promote the City’s accessible features, phasing out segregated schools and employment, as well as a complaint mechanism through the City of Sydney’s website that is specifically for abuse, violence and neglect against people with disabilities rather than the City of Sydney’s general complaint link.
But there’s still a greater need for accessible housing.
Gaps for people with disability
Cr Ellsmore said, “The motion acknowledges something that the City is moving on but an area where over time, given the gap in accessible housing for people with disabilities, and a whole range of ways, in the way our city is built, we should be discussing housing.”
“The gap of retrofitting our existing housing as well as ensuring standards for new housing, we have so far to go.”
Cr Scott similarly pointed out the long road ahead for a truly inclusive city.
Talking about the passed motion, she said, “These are big wins for the City of Sydney residents living with disability, and I’m so proud to have secured them. However, there’s much more to do.”
“In order to create more and continue support for members of our community with a disability, the city needs to continue open dialogue with people living with disabilities to understand the wants and needs direct from the community and implement their ideas.”
“Ensuring the Panel has the representation and expertise of the disability sector is imperative to providing the opportunity for those with intersectional identities have a voice within the City of Sydney,” she said.
Council has also called for the Lord Mayor to write to the Federal Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the NSW Minister for Disability Inclusion to advocate for Australian and NSW Governments to adopt the recommendations of the Royal Commission, including:
• Creating a Disability Rights Act
• A new complaints mechanism to be co-designed by the National Disability Commission
• A new Disability Agreement, and
• A new Federal Department of Disability Equality and Inclusion
In addition, the CEO has been advised to meet with Housing for All Working Group and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel to make further recommendations to ensure that people with disabilities have access to City’s communications.
