Council is committed to support our residents with disability by having a stand-alone disability action plan.

Disability action plans are based on the 4 outcomes in the Victorian Disability Act 2006 for people with disability:

• Reducing barriers to people with a disability in accessing goods, services, and facilities.
• Reducing barriers to people with a disability in obtaining and maintaining employment.
• Promoting inclusion and participation of people with a disability in the community.
• Achieving tangible changes in attitudes and practices which discriminate against people with a disability.

Some of the highlights are:

• Partnering with Job Access, expanding employment opportunities at Cardinia Shire Council to people with disability.
• The development of four access keys selected by the Cardinia Shire Access and Inclusion Committee. The Keys showcase our premier locations and associated accessible features, increasing access and inclusion for everyone.
• Securing land for the Cumberland Drive development, increasing the local supply of housing to people with disability and psychosocial mental health.
• Achieving and maintaining our Scope communication accreditation at the Civic Centre, the first council to achieve this in 2018.
• Training Council staff and committee members in Universal Design principles.
• Assisting the community transition into the NDIS and ongoing advice and support to our NDIS partners and residents.
• Mandatory disability awareness training for all Cardinia Shire staff.
• Engaging universal design consultants for major capital works.
• Dedicated early intervention spaces at children’s community centres.
• Development of evacuation kits for vulnerable groups including people with disability.

The disability population is diverse. It encompasses people with various types of disability across all age groups, socioeconomic and demographic groups. The experience of disability is also diverse, people with the same disability do not experience their disability in the same way. In 2019, Cardinia Shire is home to almost 4,000 residents who have disability.

• The NDIS was rolled out in Cardinia Shire in 2018.
• Cardinia Shire has around 2000 residents with NDIS plans.

NDIS access and information, linkages and capacity building (ILC framework) is out of scope for Councils disability action plan. Council liaise with our Local area coordinators Latrobe Community Health and Link (Early childhood, early intervention). The Local area coordinators are responsible for NDIS access, and information linkages and capacity building.