Description of imageThe Disability Services Act 1993 requires all local government and selected State Government agencies to develop a plan to assist in the promotion of access and inclusion of people with a disability. The Shire under this legislation is required to directly report on the progress of the implementation of its Plan to the Department of Communities annually and update the Narrogin community on its progress in the Annual Report. A full review of the DAIP must be conducted every five years.

The Narrogin Shire is committed to ensuring equitable and inclusive access for people with a disability to its facilities, services and events.

The Shire of Narrogin

  • Recognises that people with disability are valued members of the community who make a range of contributions to local, social, economic and cultural life
  • Believes that a community that recognises it’s diversity and supports the participation and inclusion of all its members makes for a richer community life
  • Believes that people with disability, their families and carers should be supported to remain living and participating in the community
  • Is committed to consulting with people with disability, their families and carers, and the community in general, to ensure that barriers to access and inclusion are appropriately addressed
  • Is committed to supporting local community groups and other relevant organisations to facilitate the inclusion of people with disability through access to information, services and facilities in the community
  • Is committed to ensuring that its agents and contractors work towards the desired outcomes in the Shire’s DAIP

The Shire’s DAIP 2018-2023 sets out the following seven strategies:

  1. People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access the services of, and any events organised by, the Shire.
  2. People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access the buildings and other facilities of the Shire.
  3. People with disability receive information from the Shire in a format that will enable them to access the information as readily as other people are able to access it.
  4. People with disability receive the same level and quality of service from the staff of the Shire as other people receive from the staff of the Shire.
  5. People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to make complaints to the Shire.
  6. People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to participate in any public consultation by the Shire.
  7. People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to obtain and maintain employment with the Shire.

You can access the full DAIP here.

The Shire’s progress in implementing its DAIP is reported annually to the Department of Communities. In 2018/19 and 2019/20 the Shire’s report included the following updates:

 

Library Landscape Project

In 2018/19 landscaping adjacent to the library was designed and developed to create an accessible sensory garden. It involved a redesign of the garden site on the east side of the library to incorporate flat accessible areas.  A five square metre gazebo was installed with a 1.8 metre entry, seating on three sides and room for wheel chairs. Handrails were installed to assist access from the library to the gazebo entry. The walk way entry from Fortune Street to the library door has a new ramp that meets accessibility regulaton and a footpath width of 1.2 metres which is well over legal disability access requirements. A new concrete footpath with a non-slip finish replaced the old unlevelled and cracked concrete paved footpath.

Footpath Program

The Shire continues to undertake a range of footpath works in accordance with its  adopted Ten Year Footpath Program 2017-27. A range of works to assist with pedestrian mobility and access in the CBD in 2019/20 were undertaken and include:

  • Earl and Park Street intersection – six new kerb ramps and pedestrian hand rails which assist with pedestrian traffic to aged care facilities and the medical centre
  • McKenzie Park – installation of new park shelter inclusive of a new accessible picnic setting
  • Ensign, Federal and Egerton Streets - additional public seating installed to a provide rest points for pedestrians.
  • Memorial Park - the installation of two  new paths with ramps  allowing access to a new accessible toilet block  as well as  a park shelter inclusive of a  BBQ and bubbler.
  • A 300 metre stretch of path between  Doney and Homer streets inclusive of kerb ramps and pedestrian hand rails was installed.
  • A new 190 metre section of footpath on Ensign Street from Daglish to Johnson Street  was laid, inclusive of kerb ramps and pedestrian hand rails. This  assists pedestrian to  connect with the CBD, shops, hospital, schools and medical facilities.
  • Felspar Street footpath outside Karinya Cottage Homes - replaced old bitumen footpath;
  • Earl Street/ABC Learning carpark footpath surrounding carpark bollards to prevent slipping when entering the pre-school;
  • Doney Street footpath to replace old bitumen and gravel footpath - 340 metres including kerb ramps at intersections with grab rails; Kerb ramp/entry to Anglican Church on Park Street)
  • Mackie Park footpath - replaced old and uneven concrete pavers and incorporate a nonslip finish.
  • Footpath repairs at Gnarojin Park - removed raised and cracked concrete due to tree roots causing potential trip hazards. Replaced with new non slip finished concrete.
  • Dawson's Funerals - removed old and cracked concrete entry and replaced with new non slip concrete enabling smooth entry from road to footpath removing potential trip hazard.

The footpath program has attracted comments from seniors and been reported as much appreciated, by those in gophers and wheelchairs.

 

Council Allocation to Annual Budget or Wheelchair Accessibility

In 2019/20, All Council owned buildings were subjected to an access audit and the Council has allocated $50, 000 to works for the 2019/20 year to ensure Council owned buildings in the CBD are wheelchair accessible.

 The Shire undertook work to alter the entrance to six Shire owned buildings to improve wheelchair access or allow for access for the first time. These alterations included the Town Hall door, Arts Narrogin administration office entrance, the Railway Institute building main door and Shire owned premises rented by local businesses. The Shire's administration building's reception area was renovated and wheelchair accessibility greatly improved at the front desk.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

An MOU was developed in liaison with local employment agency Forrest Personnel and the Shire of Narrogin. The intent of this executed MOU is to increase the opportunities and prospects for people with disability to gain employment within the Shire and/or to gain work experience that will increase the opportunities and prospects for people with disability to gain employment within local government.

 

Website Access

Information of the outcomes of Ordinary Council Meetings became more accessible with a monthly captioned video with audio produced to report the main outcomes of these meetings. In addition an option for high contrast viewing and text enlargement has been included in the Shire's website's design and text descriptors for images have been retrospectively fitted.

 

Workshops

In 2018, Inclusion Solutions delivered a disability awareness and social inclusion training for Shire officers, members of the disability sector and general community members. The session received extremely positive feedback from the 20+ attendees.

This Shire also hosted an Inclusive Events workshop in 2019 again run by Inclusion Solutions. This workshop aimed to help event organisers ensure that all people feel included, valued and celebrated at community events. The workshop was attended by 12 Shire officers, as well as Narrogin community members and community development officers from other Shires.