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Disability Inclusion Action Plan

Our Disability Inclusion Action Plan is our roadmap towards accessibility and inclusion for our people, customers, and stakeholders with disability. It sets out what we are going to do over the next four years to deliver our commitment.

On this page

Why we developed a Disability Inclusion Action Plan

The Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (the Act) commits the NSW Government to creating a more inclusive community in which mainstream services and community facilities are accessible to people with disability to help them achieve their full potential.

The Act requires public agencies in NSW to create and implement Disability Inclusion Action Plans. 

  1. Improving accessibility and inclusion are central to achieving the goals in our Strategic Plan 2020-2024 of increasing participation and ensuring everyone in NSW is participating in sport and active recreation throughout their whole life.
  2. It provides a public statement of our commitment to accessibility and inclusion.
  3. It puts our principles, values and intention into practice.
  4. It is a vehicle to engage with our internal and external stakeholders to deliver real improvements to accessibility and inclusion.
  5. It assists in addressing the barriers to participation and inclusion of people with disability in sport and recreation.
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Photo credit: Karen Watson

Our plan

Our approach

The key elements of our approach for our 2023-2026 Plan are outlined below.

Build on the evidence base to ensure our plan succeeds

Drawing on the lessons learnt from our 2017-2021 Disability Inclusion Action Plan, our DIAP will include aims and projects that are achievable, measurable and that
address identified barriers to participation and inclusion of people with disability both within our organisation and across the sport and recreation sectors.

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Actions and initiatives that are well designed and evaluated and reviewed annually

This will include established Office of Sport programs and initiatives with a greater focus on inclusion for people with disability. It is important that
our Plan is integrated as part of our organisational culture and core business. Evaluation and review will ensure that we monitor our progress and success.

Consultation and Engagement

Consultation and engagement help us better understand what is important to people with disability.

The Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2023-2026 has been developed with input from an internal Disability Inclusion Working Group which has representation from business units across the Office including people with lived experience of disabilities. Internal consultation with all Office of Sport staff was also undertaken. External stakeholders including sporting organisations and sporting peak organisations, disability support organisations and peaks and local Government/Local Councils were also consulted.

We are committed to ongoing consultation and engagement with internal and external stakeholders about our Disability Inclusion Action Plan throughout the life of the plan. This will ensure we can take deliberate steps to identify challenge areas and take planned actions to address them.

Each initiative will be required to have consultation built into its project design.

Governance and Accountability

The Disability Inclusion Action Plan is overseen by the Diversity and Inclusion Executive Committee which meets quarterly and is comprised of executive-level representatives from across the Office of Sport.

We will ensure our actions and initiatives stay on track by:

  • Requiring all initiatives to include objectives, expected outcomes, benefits and success measures
  • Requiring all initiatives to be supported by the relevant Director and other business unit managers who will report progress through the Diversity and Inclusion Executive Committee and Core Executive.

Progress reporting against the Disability Inclusion Action Plan will be reported each year as part of the Office of Sport Annual Report.

Measuring Our Success

All initiatives will be required to detail expected outcomes and success measures and will be reviewed on completion. The review will include evaluation, whether the initiative succeeded and what was learned that could inform improvements in future. 

Focus areas

Our plan is to implement the following commitments under the four focus areas set by the NSW Disability Inclusion Plan:

Focus Area 1: Attitudes and Behaviours

Attitudes and behaviours of the general community towards people with disability are one of the greatest barriers to full access and inclusion. Sport and recreation activities have a unique power to change attitudes and behaviours by encouraging participation, integration, and diversity.

Our commitment

  • We will create a workplace culture of inclusion
  • We will contribute to a society that values, respects and upholds the rights of people with disability
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How we will deliver on our commitment

  • Offering training to help create a workplace culture of inclusion, including unconscious bias training
  • Making the necessary adaptations to our programs to ensure that they can be readily accessed by people with disability
  • Offering reasonable adjustments to people with disability to ensure they can work optimally
  • Consult regularly, through the establishment of an internal consultation group, and draw upon the lived experience of our employees and/or respected experts to inform future policies and programs
  • Supporting activities and campaigns that foster and celebrate disability inclusion
  • Developing messages and campaigns that highlight disability inclusion through our policies, programs and venues

Focus Area 2: Liveable Communities

Creating liveable communities for people with disability is more than modifying the physical environment. It includes creating opportunities for people with disability to choose how they want to be active and participate in the community. 

Our commitment

  • Through our venues and programs, we will support and contribute to communities that are physically accessible and inclusive
  • We will enhance opportunities for the full participation and inclusion of people with disability in sport and recreation
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How we will deliver on our commitment

  • Understanding the current accessibility challenges at all of our venues and facilities
  • Making the necessary adaptations to our programs to ensure that they are readily accessible by people with disability
  • Applying universal design principles when the Office of Sport is upgrading or completing new works at our venues and facilities
  • Using our procurement activity to support disability inclusion
  • Assessing and evaluating grants based on the equitable provision of, and access to, facilities for people with disability
  • Supporting projects that use universal design and promote examples of best practice
  • Supporting the sport and active recreation sector to enhance participation and inclusion of people with disability in sport and active recreation

Focus Area 3: Employment

People with disability are underrepresented in employment across the NSW Public Sector. Increasing employment opportunities and improving employment experiences for people with disability will help to contribute to the NSW Public Sector goal of 10,000 staff with disability working in NSW Government by 2025 (5.6% of the total workforce).

Our commitment

  • We will ensure that people with disability have equal access to career development opportunities and opportunities to achieve their career aspirations
  • We will develop a workplace culture that attracts people with disability to choose to work at the Office of Sport
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How we will deliver on our commitment

  • Providing additional employment opportunities for people with disability, including through internships
  • Ensuring people with disability have opportunities to develop their capabilities and progress their careers at the Office of Sport
  • Reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure they reflect and are contributing to an inclusive and accessible workplace culture
  • Actively developing a respectful and welcoming workplace culture
  • Making disability inclusion a key consideration for strategic workforce planning

Focus Area 4: Systems and Processes

Accessible and inclusive systems and processes are key to ensuring that people with disability can get the services and supports they need in the workplace and the community.

Our commitment

  • We will apply the principles of universal design to shape all our systems and processes
  • We will ensure that everyone is able to access the information they need about our venues and services
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How we will deliver on our commitment

  • Understanding the current accessibility challenges across all of our internal and external systems and processes
  • Providing information in accessible formats
  • Ensuring feedback and complaint mechanisms are accessible
  • Ensuring information about our work to increase participation and inclusion of people with disability in sport and active recreation is easily accessible
  • Reviewing our internal systems and processes to ensure they are accessible to staff with disability

Actions

Create a workplace culture of inclusion

Value, respect and uphold the rights of people with disability

Through our venues and programs, support and contribute to communities that are physically accessible and inclusive

Enhance opportunities for the full participation and inclusion of people with disability in sport and active recreation

Ensure that people with disability have equal access to career development opportunities and opportunities to achieve their career aspirations

Develop a workplace culture that attracts people with disability to choose to work at the Office of Sport

Apply the principles of universal design to shape all our systems and processes

Documents

Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2023-2026 (PDF, 6.37 MB)
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