Building better communities

Building better communities, where all people feel safe and welcome to participate as valued citizens, means making communities more inclusive of people with disabilities.

Strengthening local communities

Disability Services supports inclusive local communities by working with local government and communities to improve access to local resources and supports. Initiatives have been put in place to support local communities to plan and develop strategies that increase community membership and participation for people with disabilities.

Initiatives such as RuralAccess and MetroAccess, deaf access Victoria give people with a disability more opportunity to join in the life of their community through a range of arts, cultural, sport, tourism and leisure activities, as well as by improving access to education, health and other services in local communities.

The Victorian State Disability Plan Innovation Grants aims to inspire and encourage people and organisations to change the way they think, work and live, by funding grants and PhD scholarships for projects which offer new thought on disability issues.

The Disability and Health Self-Help Funding Programs increase the capacity of people who are affected by a disability, chronic health condition and/or mental illness to live independently and fully in their own community.

People planning participating is a project that explores experiences and approaches to individualised and community planning through a series of community forums to be presented across the state and led by people with a disability.

Better government

Disability Services has developed a Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CALD) Strategy, which provides practical advice about how to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of people with a disability, their family and carers. The CALD initiative is a response to Victoria's rich cultural diversity.

Projects initiated by Disability Services are Active participation in policy making and Voices on board. The main objective of Active Participation in Policy Making is to strengthen the active participation of people with a disability in policy making and planning activities undertaken across the Disability Services Division. Voices on Board aims to support increased participation by people with a disability on Department of Human Services steering committees, boards and advisory groups.