Priority 5
Information on this page:
- Promoting inclusive education.
- Access to public transport and buildings.
- Improving health and wellbeing.
- Increasing employment opportunities.
- Working together.
- What the Government will do.
- What the Government has already achieved.
- Demonstrating future progress.
The Victorian Government believes that people with a disability, like all members of the community, should have access to a range of services that support quality of life – including education, public transport and health services –and access to employment opportunities, as well as access to buildings and other venues.
The Government will make public services more accessible and more inclusive so that people with a disability can participate in the social, economic, cultural, political and spiritual life of their local communities.
Promoting inclusive education
The Government is committed to promoting the inclusion of people with a disability in education environments. The Government will do this by making sure that schools, higher education settings (TAFEs and universities) and adult community education work to support and include children, young people and adults with a disability.
More inclusive education environments will be achieved for children and young people with a disability by enhancing support for teachers and other school staff through ongoing learning and development opportunities.
The Government will also make sure that children and young people with a disability and their families are supported when they make the transition from preschool to school, and from school to higher education, training and employment.
Access to public transport and buildings
The Government recognises the important role that public transport and taxi services play in the lives of all Victorians.
Faster, better and more accessible public transport and taxi systems will be built, in line with the Government’s detailed 20-year plan for trams, trains and buses – the 21st Century Accessible Action Plan.
The Government will also improve access to buildings and other venues in communities, by assessing existing building standards and their impact on people with a disability.
Improving health and wellbeing
The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that all people have access to high quality health and community services in their local communities.
Access to heath services for people with a disability will be improved by ensuring that doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are better placed to respond to the health needs of people with a disability, at all stages of life.
The Government will also improve access to important health screening programs (such as breast, bowel, PAP and prostate screening tests), and to sexual and reproductive health services for women with a disability.
The Government will also promote mental health and wellbeing for people with a disability through Community Arts Participation projects, and VicHealth sport and recreation projects.
Increasing employment opportunities
Having a job (paid, voluntary, part-time, full-time, professional or not) is one of the highest aspirations of people with a disability in Victoria.
The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that people with a disability have the same employment opportunities as all other Victorians, particularly in public services and in local government.
The Government will work with all sectors to promote employment opportunities. This includes government organisations, private businesses, local governments and industry peak bodies. The Government will also support State Government Departments, statutory authorities and local governments to improve employment opportunities for people with a disability.
For people with a disability who want to work in Business Services (formerly known as supported employment programs), the Victorian Government will work with the Commonwealth Government to enhance access to supported employment that fits with people's own personal interests..
Working together
If we are to build a better future for all Victorians, including people with a disability, services across Government and across the community need to work together to make their programs, services and facilities more accessible.
The Department of Human Services will take a lead role in supporting government organisations to make their programs, services and facilities more accessible and more inclusive. One of the ways that the Department of Human Services can do this is by providing advice to other government organisations on how to develop and implement their own Disability Action Plans.
In doing so, the Government will be providing leadership to the Victorian community, to ensure that over time, people with a disability have the same opportunities as other Victorians to participate in all aspects of Victorian life – socially, economically, culturally, politically and spiritually.
What the Government will do
- Support Government Departments to develop and implement Disability Action Plans
- Make sure that government information is accessible to people with a disability
- Promote inclusive education for children, young people and adults with a disability in education environments
- Promote employment opportunities in the public sector for people with a disability
- Improve access to public infrastructure (public transport, taxis and buildings)
- Improve access for people with a disability to a range of health services.
What the Government has already achieved
- Listened to the issues that are important to Victorians with a disability, their parents, families and carers
- Improved access to public transport, for example, by introducing low-floor trams to Melbourne and state-of-the-art Superstops for trams
- Developed a Women’s Health and Well-being Strategy to continue to improve the health and well-being of Victorian women, particularly those most disadvantaged
- Announced the expansion of the Communication Aids and Equipment Program to school-aged children
- Undertaken a review of education services for students with special needs
- Begun a review of multi-purpose taxi services, with the aim of improving taxi services to Victorians who have a disability.
Demonstrating future progress
- There will be an increase in the range of options to support children and young people with a disability to participate in education environments
- Access to public transport (trains, trams, buses and taxis) will improve
- Access to health screening programs (including breast, bowel, PAP and prostate screening) will improve.
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