Disability Policy &
Action Plan 2012-2015
Year 3 Reporting (2014-2015)
This report outlines the progress achieved between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2015 against each
action in council’s Disability Policy & Action Plan 2012-2015.
1.
2.
Plan, design and implement a renewal
program for roads, footpaths, car parks
and lanes in the municipality following
an assessment of council’s public
infrastructure.
Complete a disability access audit to
improve the accessibility of a number of
council buildings and facilities.
3.
Commence progressively implementing
findings of the building accessibility
audit.
4.
Widely promote information about the
footpaths repaired and maintained in
the municipality each financial year.
5.
Continue to advocate to the State
Government on the provision of
accessible public transport services and
facilities in the municipality.
6.
Ensure sufficient accessible parking
spaces are located throughout the
municipality, including new
developments and off-street car parks.
7.
Ensure accessibility requirements are
included as part of the planning for the
new Braybrook Community Learning
Centre.
Continue to improve the accessibility of
sport and recreation facilities in the
municipality.
8.
 Completed in year 1.
Civil Design have a rolling plan for roads, footpaths
and have provided a list of identified footpaths for
2013.
 Completed in year 1.
Access audit request for tender issued in February
2013 by Asset Management & Construction and
Institute of Access Training Australia were
commissioned to conduct the audit of 20 Council
buildings by the end of June 2013.
  Completed in year 1.
The findings of the building audit conducted in
2013 is being progressively implemented.
 Completed in year 1.
Civil Design Team have sent the program of rolling
repairs and Communications Team prepared a
short article about this work in 2013.
 Completed in year 3.
MetroAccess Officer has an ongoing relationship
through direct advocacy with Public Transport
Victoria, Transdev, Sita Coaches and Westrans.
Representatives from these organisations attended
the February 2015 Disability Advisory Committee
meeting.
 Completed in year 2.
Regulatory Services Team conducted a walking
audit with members of the Disability Advisory
Committee and created a list of works to be
undertaken.
 Completed in year 1.
Asset Management & Construction reported that
plans for the Braybrook Hub comply with latest
Disability Discrimination Act standards.
 Completed in year 2.
Leisure Services have developed the Active
Maribyrnong guide in partnership with recreation
and sporting facilities within the municipality and
have also upgraded change rooms and toilet
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9.
Develop the first stage of an All Abilities
Playground at Footscray Park.
10.
Upgrade the change rooms and toilet
facilities at Johnson Reserve Pavilion,
West Footscray to increase accessibility.
11.
Assess council’s parks and gardens with
a view to developing an information
guide that identifies their accessible
features and facilities.
12.
Participate in work being undertaken by
Vic Roads in their review of the Disabled
Persons’ Parking Scheme to achieve
alignment with the national scheme.
Develop information about, and
undertake community education on the
use of Disabled Persons’ Parking
Permits, changes to the Disabled
Persons’ Parking Scheme, parking fees,
ticketing machines and the location of
accessible parking bays.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
facilities in some of the City’s recreation reserves.
 Funding of $100,000 from Sport and
Recreation Victoria had to be returned as Council
was not in a position to match the budget required
to complete the project.
 Completed in year 2.
The upgrade change rooms and toilet facilities at
Johnson Reserve Pavilion, West Footscray has been
completed.
 Completed in year 2.
The Positive Ageing team has developed the Older
Persons Guide to Maribyrnong which includes
accessible features of the municipality’s parks and
gardens.
  Completed in year 2.
Local Laws team report that this is underway.
 Completed in year 2.
The Disability Advisory Committee and Parking and
Local Laws Officers undertook a walking tour of
Footscray CBD to investigate disabled parking
options. Parking and Local Laws reported that
parking sensors and accessible ticket machines will
be installed in Paisley street car parks in 20142015.
Complete a revised street furniture plan  Completed in year 2.
for the municipality.
City Design Team are currently developing a street
furniture plan in consultation with both the
Disability Advisory Committee and the Older
Persons Reference Group.
Undertake community education with
 Completed in year 2.
traders and community members
City Design Team have undertaken consultation
following the completion of the revised
with the Disability Advisory Committee and the
street furniture plan.
Older Persons Reference Group and have
developed guideline documents for traders.
Ensure that planning staff are trained in  Completed in year 2.
practices that improve accessibility for
Human Resource Management Services and Aged &
people with a disability.
Diversity have developed a training program to be
held on the 24 June 2014.
Ensure council's commitment to
 Completed in year 2.
improving access and inclusion
The Maribyrnong City Councils Plan 2013-2017
continues to be reflected in the
vision states; A diverse and vibrant city dedicated
Municipal Strategic Statement, when it is to community wellbeing through democracy,
next reviewed in 2013.
sustainable growth and opportunity for all.
Explore funding opportunities to assist
 Completed in year 1.
people with disabilities attend
This is a constant activity but following discussions
community based activities, festivals
with Communications Team it was agreed that the
and events with the required carer
MetroAccess Officer will join the Maribyrnong
support.
TEAM (festivals team) for festival planning.
Ensure the Access for All Abilities
 Completed in year 1.
newsletter is provided in a variety of
This was completed by the Access All Abilities
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20.
21.
formats.
Explore additional opportunities for
people with a disability and carers at the
Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre (MAC)
including:
 participating in MATE (Making
Aquatics a Terrific Experience)
 a social swim night
 a disability swim squad
 dry side options for gym and day
classes
Discuss the possibilities for expanding
ten-pin bowling programs for people
with disabilities with Highpoint Bowling
Maribyrnong.
22.
Consult with local sporting clubs and
identify opportunities for creating more
inclusive environments.
23.
Work with the community and agencies
to facilitate walking groups in the
municipality.
24.
Provide brokerage, funding and
commissioning support for artists and
arts organisations in the municipality,
including artists with a disability.
25.
Ensure the development of community
gardens in Braybrook and Maribyrnong
are accessible for people with a
disability through the inclusion of raised
garden beds and accessible pathways.
26.
Promote the establishment of a new
Men’s Discussion Group to men with
disabilities to encourage their
participation in opportunities to discuss
issues of concern and interest.
Finalise a Community Engagement
Strategy and toolkit for use by council
staff, to actively promote and support
community participation in decisionmaking.
Continue to provide a range of inclusive
and accessible services and activities for
young people, including school holiday
programs.
27.
28.
Officer in 2013.
 Completed in year 1.
The Mate program has been run once during 2013
and a swim night was held with 20 participants.
Female only social swim nights are organised
throughout the year. MAC provides people with
disability a discounted membership to ensure
inclusion and access.
 Completed in year 1.
All Highpoint Bowling staff are required by their
Management to successfully complete a training
module on bowling for people with disability. There
is currently a program offered on Thursday
evenings.
 Completed in year 2.
Leisure Services have consulted with recreation
and sporting facilities within the municipality and
developed the Active Maribyrnong guide.
 Completed in year 1.
Braybrook Community Centre, Duke Street
Community House and Braybrook and Maidstone
Neighbourhood House all provide walking groups
supported by Recreation Services.
 Completed in year 1.
A representative from the Disability Advisory
Committee sits on Council’s Arts Advisory
Committee to advise on the range of inclusive
programs and events in the municipality.
 Completed in year 1.
MetroAccess consulted with both Braybrook
Community Centre and Raleigh Road Activity
Centre and raised garden beds and accessible
pathways have been developed in both community
garden locations.
 Completed in year 1.
Positive Ageing Team has initiated a Men’s
Discussion Group which meets on the 1st Monday
of the month at Raleigh Road Activity Centre.
Fifteen + men attend.
 Completed in year 3.
The Community Engagement Policy 2014-2017 and
online tool Your City, Your Voice were developed
and endorsed.
 Completed in year 1.
All Youth Services’ school holiday programs are
inclusive of young people that identify as having a
disability with low support needs. Young people
with high support needs can attend most activities
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29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
with carers. A significant proportion of young
people attending the school holiday program
identify as having a disability.
Run two events at Phoenix Youth Centre  Completed in year 1.
to provide social opportunities for
Youth Services holds all abilities discos during
young people with a disability.
National Youth Week and at other times throughout
the year as well as inclusive holiday programs and
other events and programs.
Continue to facilitate the MyTime
 Completed in year 1.
playgroups to provide support for
Early Years team developed MyTime inclusive
parents of children with disabilities.
playgroups and are offered in Braybrook and
Maribyrnong .
Ensure issues of interest and concern for  Completed in year 2.
young people with disabilities are
The Maribyrnong Alliance for Young People has
represented in key strategic processes
representation from the local disability sector and
including Council’s Maribyrnong
young people with disabilities and their carers.
Alliance for Young People.
Ensure that disability support agencies
 Completed in year 2.
are engaged as part of the Council’s
MetroAccess support the Early Years team in
Maribyrnong Early Years Alliance, a key ongoing engagement of disability services in
group involved in strategic planning for relation to the Maribyrnong Early Years Alliance.
early years services in the municipality.
Continue to support parents with a
 Completed in year 1.
disability and parents of children with a MetroAccess support the Early Years team in
disability through referrals to services
ongoing engagement of disability services and have
as part of the Enhanced Maternal and
identified the need to refresh referral processes.
Child Health Service.
Assist in information-sharing about, and  Completed in year 2.
community awareness of, the National
Ongoing- updates emailed and regular updates are
Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
provided at staff meetings.
Participate in consultation activities
 Completed in year 2.
undertaken in the development of the
Two written submissions from Council were made
State Disability Plan 2013.
to the State Government in July 2012 and February
2014.
Undertake usability testing of council’s
 Completed in year 2.
website ‘refresh’ to identify any
Diversity Team consults with Council’s Web
outstanding accessibility issues and any Manager on an ongoing basis. A comprehensive
additional opportunities to increase
report has been prepared.
accessibility of the website.
Develop and roll-out Communication
 Completed in year 2.
Boards in council customer service
Diversity team have worked with other Council
points. Communication Boards enable
departments to develop department specific
people with complex communication
communication boards for customer service points.
needs to communicate with council staff  Footscray Community Arts Centre
using pictures.
 Town hall Customer Service
 Community Wellbeing Customer Service
 Phoenix Youth Centre Customer Service
 Positive Ageing (Raleigh road activity centre)
Comprehensively review and update
 Completed in year 2.
information for people with a disability, MetroAccess consult with other Council
their families and carers in council’s
departments to identify directory updates and
Community Directory.
include this directory in the annual update.
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39. Ensure information on services,
activities and events of relevance and
interest to people with disability is
promoted in local newspapers and
council publications and distributed to
networks.
40. Establish regular meetings between the
Metro Access Officer and council’s home
care workers to provide targeted
information, advice and assistance to
support people with a disability.
41. Continue to support the Disability
Advisory Committee (DAC) as it
provides advice on issues of importance
for people with a disability, their
families and carers.
42. Promote and prioritize the use of local
social enterprises, particularly those that
employ people with a disability.
43. Investigate ways to better deliver
council information to people with a
disability (including through new
technologies), taking into account
Council’s ongoing responsibility to
effectively respond to information
requests about its services and
programs.
44. Progressively implement the selected
technologies to deliver Council
information in relevant formats for
people with a disability and review the
effectiveness of these measures
45. Encourage staff to advertise council
employment vacancies on the JobSearch,
disAbility Connections and JobSeeker
(InfoXchange) websites.
46. Include a statement on Council’s
employment web page and other
relevant documents that Council
supports employment opportunities for
people with a disability, and is a
disability friendly employer.
47. Investigate options for developing
council traineeship opportunities to
enable people with a disability to obtain
work experience and develop skills.
 Completed in year 1.
Communications team to update current
information and have an ongoing processes to
evaluate distribution of information to people with
disability and disability networks.
 Completed in year 2.
MetroAccess meets on a regular basis with home
care workers and provides information and advise.
 Completed in year 3.
The Disability Advisory Committee meets every six
weeks at Council. Meetings have an agenda and are
minuted. A DAC Open Day was held in March 2014
to plan for future direction.
 Completed in year 2.
Council has added a clause about social enterprise
in the Procurement Policy. The identified local
social enterprises that employ people with
disability are registered with Council as providers.
This information is shared with relevant
departments and included in the staff bulletin.
 Completed in year 2.
The use of Facebook and Twitter have been
included as tools of communication and the
Diversity team has set up a Facebook page.
 Completed in year 2.
The use of Facebook and Twitter have been
included as tools of communication and advertising
via Facebook as an alternative advertising method.
 Completed in year 1.
Employment vacancies are advertised on Job
Seeker and Job Search. Disability Connections no
longer operational.
 Completed in year 2.
Council’s employment page contains the statement
"We encourage people with a community focus and
values of respect, courage and integrity to come
and join us". The website also notes that Council
will be respectful and treat with dignity all people,
ideas, beliefs and lifestyles.
  Completed in year 3.
A work experience program will run in 2015 with
20 participants from Victoria University. The
program includes work experience opportunities in
general office based skills.
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48. Explore opportunities to increase
reading aids available at library
branches (e.g. CCTV, iPads, magnifying
sheets).
49. Develop an IT Access Guide for all
library branches.
50. Continue to provide work experience
opportunities for people with a
disability at Footscray Library.
51. Review guidelines for council provision
of respite services for children with a
disability.
52. Ensure that issues of interest to young
people with disabilities are included in
the work of council’s Youth Leadership
Advisory Committee.
53. Develop and implement the SCRAM
(Social Club Recreation at Maribyrnong)
initiative; a calendar of monthly social
and recreational group activities for
people with a disability.
54. Explore opportunities to support young
people with disabilities and young
carers of people with disabilities in
partnership with other organisations.
55. Deliver activities to celebrate Carers
Week.
56. Continue to ensure Children’s Week
activities are inclusive of, and accessible
to, children with a disability and their
families.
57. Continue to provide inclusive Youth
Week activities.
58. Celebrate International Day for People
with a Disability with a range of
inclusive activities.
59.
Provide general disability awareness
training each year for council staff.
60.
Arrange for the provision of targeted
access/inclusion training for council
departments on request.
 Completed in year 3.
All public PCs in the four library branches have
inbuilt reading aids including large text format
options and voice control.
 Completed in year 2.
Libraries and Communications Teams have
developed an IT Access Guide for all library
branches.
 Completed in year 2.
The Footscray library continues to provide work
experience opportunities for people with disability.
 Completed in year 2.
The guidelines were reviewed in 2013 and will be
reviewed again as part of a re structure of respite
services.
 Completed in year 2.
Young people with disability are actively involved
in the Youth Leadership Advisory Council.
 Completed in year 1.
The Social Club Recreation at Maribyrnong
calendar of events was developed and
implemented.
 Completed in year 3.
MetroAccess consults with external organisations
including supported employment and day services
to ensure people with disability are aware of
Council services and programs.
 Completed in year 2.
MetroAccess consults regularly with Carers Victoria
and participates in yearly events and programs.
 Completed in year 2.
MetroAccess continues to work closely with Early
Years team to provide engaging activity in
Children’s Week.
 Completed in year 2.
Youth Services team holds an all abilities dance
party during National Youth Week that is targeted
and promoted to young people with disabilities as
well as other young people.
 Completed in year 3.
Activities for this day include a 3CR radio
broadcast, diner dance and the Maribyrnong
Inclusive Recognition Awards.
 Completed in year 2.
Human Resource Management Services include
relevant training in Councils learning and
development calendar each year.
 Completed in year 3.
Human Resource Management Services provided
targeted training for Community Care, Positive
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61.
Develop a range of disability-related
information resources for staff (e.g.
managers toolkit and guidelines).
62.
Review Council’s Code of Conduct and
identify any other opportunities to
further develop council’s access and
inclusion policies.
63.
Ensure accessibility for people with a
disability is reflected in the new Council
Plan 2013-2017.
64.
Develop guidelines to ensure that
Business Planning and Service Review
processes incorporate actions stated in
the Disability Action Plan, and where
relevant, address issues relating to
people with a disability.
Ageing and Early Years staff.
 Completed in year 2.
Fact sheets and resource information is reviewed
and updated on an ongoing basis and distributed
through the intranet and targeted staff meetings.
 Completed in year 3.
Included in Council’s Code of Conduct is the
following statement;
Council will pursue equal rights and equal
opportunity for all people, ensuring no one is
discriminated against regardless of age, gender,
sexuality, ability, faith, social and economic status,
cultural background or beliefs and will promote
equitable access to the municipality’s services and
public places.
 Completed in year 1.
Aged & Diversity contributed to the Council Plan
through the working group and had input into the
draft policy.
 Completed in year 3.
As part of business planning and the best value
service review processes, managers and
coordinators make reference to relevant Council
policies and strategies including the Disability
Policy & Action Plan, Multicultural Policy & Action
Plan, the Community Engagement Strategy and the
Human Rights and Social Justice Framework.
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