New plan aims to break down barriers
Friday 2 February, 2024
Being mindful of the needs of people with a disability and increasing opportunities for inclusion are the principles driving efforts to create a new Tamworth Regional Council Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
The project is about to get underway with an online survey and of community workshops at Tamworth, Nundle, Barraba and Manilla next week to engage with people with disabilities, carers, service providers and the wider community.
The survey, which will be open until 11 March, can be found here
Council’s Team Leader – Inclusive Community, Katey Allwell, said all councils in NSW are required to have a Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
“The plan will provide Council with clear direction, and a list of actions to deliver over the next four years to remove barriers to access and increase opportunities for inclusion for people with disability,” she said. “At the centre of the plan is the understanding that everyone across the Tamworth Local Government area should enjoy the same opportunities to participate in all aspects of community life.”
Ms Allwell said the project team wants to learn about the lived experiences of community members to help make the new plan true-to-life.
“We are looking to talk with and listen to people across our region,” she said. “There will be opportunities to share ideas in person at a workshop or complete the online survey. Anyone who may need an Auslan interpreter to allow them to participate in a workshop is encouraged to let us know in advance and we have some alternative ways to access the survey – please call us on 6767 5555 or email trc@tamworth.nsw.gov.au
“We want to provide as many options as possible for community members to be able to share their experiences so we can ensure our plan is relevant and meaningful.”
Feedback from the workshops and the survey will be used to draft the new 2024-2028 Disability Inclusion Action Plan. The community will have the opportunity to review and comment on the draft before Councillors consider its formal adoption.