The Disability and Inclusion Action Plan or DIAP is a public document developed in consultation with people with disability, their families and supporters, Council staff and those who are working towards more inclusion in the Disability Sector.
The plan outlines the practical steps that the City of Parramatta Council is committed to take over the subsequent four (4) years to create a more inclusive community for people with disability who are living, working, and accessing the Parramatta local government area. It outlines how Council proposes to address the key focus areas nominated by people with disability in previous community consultations as being of primary importance to them in creating an inclusive community.
The Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW) acknowledges human rights and promotes the independence and social and economic inclusion of people with disability. The Act requires NSW government departments, local Councils, and some other public authorities to develop and implement a Disability Inclusion Action Plan. The aims and objectives of the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW) align with the National Disability Strategy and the NSW Disability Inclusion Plan guidelines.
All NSW local governments are required to deliver rolling 4-year Disability Inclusion Action Plans (DIAPs) under the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW). Each DIAP is a key tool for Council to achieve its goal of making Parramatta an accessible and inclusive community.
The current DIAP was adopted by City of Parramatta in June 2022 and came into effect in August of the same year. This DIAP will run until 30 June 2026, after which a new DIAP will commence.
To ensure that Council has a new DIAP ready for delivery from 1 July 2026, we are running community consultations to gather feedback from people with disability, carers, service providers, as well as the general community.
Since the commencement of the first DIAP in 2017, Council has demonstrated commitment to creating meaningful change for people with disability and this has continued through the current Plan. Clear actions linked to meaningful outcomes have been developed, and progress is being made on delivering these actions according to the Plan.
Key achievements under the four focus areas through to December 2024 are listed below.
Focus Area 1: Developing Positive Community Attitudes and Behaviours
- Council is working with Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT) to increase understanding of Autism and to create Autism friendly spaces and services, with community and staff education sessions, and assistance with resource development.
- A disability graphics project has delivered over 115 high quality images containing people with disability, primarily from Western Sydney, participating in the local community intended for wide use across all Council communications to improve representation of our diverse community.
- Auslan interpreted Story Time sessions for children continue to be integrated into Library programming.
- Council has taken up Membership of the Hidden Disability Sunflower program, and key customer service sites are working towards becoming registered Sunflower-friendly sites through staff training and volunteering to be on-site Sunflower Supporters.
Focus Area 2: Creating Liveable Communities
- Three digital wayfinding kiosks have been installed in the Parramatta CBD, improving access for the sight impaired.
- An Access Audit has been completed for all playgrounds across the Parramatta LGA, and Council has created an Accessible Playground Framework that will inform labelling of accessible playgrounds on the Council website and planning of upgrade works and new playgrounds.
- Parramatta Aquatic Centre is working to raise knowledge and confidence in people with disability to access Centre facilities and programs by providing opportunities to participate in facilitated free trials and identifying quiet spaces and times for people who may experience sensory overload.
- A post-occupancy Access Audit was completed for PHIVE and progress is being made on the action plan created to address the resulting recommendations.
- ASPECT has conducted site assessments for PAC, PHIVE and Parramatta Library, with each site creating action plans to address the resulting recommendations.
Focus Area 3: Supporting Access to Meaningful Employment
- Membership of the Australian Network on Disability is being maintained to access resources, policy assistance and education opportunities for staff.
- Council is moving towards finalisation of a Workplace Adjustment Policy with the assistance of the Australian Network on Disability during the development phase.
- A partnership with Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT) has supported Council to provide work experience opportunities for people with Autism.
Focus Area 4: Improving Access to Information & Services through Improved Systems and Processes
- Council’s NDIS Coordination service has trialled a record keeping system structured around a best practice/rights-based framework, to track and demonstrate progress against clients’ personal goals and in addressing barriers in accessing supports.
- Council has created a Disability Consumer Rights Checklist for wide dissemination across the community and services, and delivered a Disability Consumer Rights Session with the National Disability Insurance Agency, NSW Fair Trading and the Health Care Complaints Commission, and has incorporated the Checklist into Council NDIS support coordination services.
- Council has made widely available the option for making verbal submissions across community consultation processes calling for public submissions.
City of Parramatta is a registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider able to offer a range of services for people that have an NDIS package. These services range from support coordination, individual or group support, meal preparation and delivery through Meals on Wheels, assistance to access the community, social and recreational activities, accompanied shopping, meals and capacity building.
You can call our Community Care team on (02) 9806 5121 to talk about Council’s disability services.
Learn more here: Disability Inclusion and Access Services
To develop the current Disability Inclusion Action Plan, Council undertook extensive community consultation in 2021 and 2022, both externally with the wider community and internally with Council staff and Councillors. These consultations identified community priorities in relation to the four focus areas, and assisted in defining actions Council could take to contribute to meaningful change in the community and organisation.
All feedback captured during the stage one community consultation relating to the Disability Inclusion Action Plan will be taken into consideration. All feedback will be reviewed and used to help in the drafting of the DIAP 2026 - 2030 ahead of a formal public exhibition period.
If you would you like information supplied in another language or format, please contact Council via phone on 1300 617 058 or you can email the team at ccb@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au
