City of Newcastle is making live performance more inclusive for people who are hard of hearing thanks to new assisted listening technology at the Civic Theatre and Playhouse.
The new system transmits performance audio directly into hearing aids via Bluetooth and headphone jacks, with several options available to cater for a range of audio devices used by people in the community.
The upgrade is among dozens of actions being delivered under City of Newcastle's Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2022-2026 (DIAP), which guides practical improvements to access and inclusion across Council services, facilities and public spaces.
City of Newcastle is now asking the community to share their experiences with disability, access, and inclusion to help shape an updated DIAP for 2027 - 2031.
Co-chair of City of Newcastle's Access Inclusion Standing Committee, Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk, said community feedback is crucial to make sure we understand how the city can continue to become more welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
"For someone who is hard of hearing, this new assisted listening technology can help make live performances fun, engaging, and more accessible, and it represents meaningful progress towards a more inclusive Newcastle," Cr Adamczyk said.
"Some other examples of actions being carried out as part of the current DIAP include delivering more inclusive programming, like Low Sensory Days at Newcastle Museum and Auslan Storytime at Newcastle Libraries.
"To see actions from our current DIAP coming off the pages and into the real world as tangible outcomes is fantastic and shows how important it is that we get strong feedback from our community to continue improving accessibility across Newcastle.
"City of Newcastle staff have worked with Community Disability Hunter Alliance (CDAH) to co-design the engagement process, to ensure every person in our community can meaningfully participate and have their say.
"I encourage anyone who has experience with disability to get involved, give feedback on what you love, what we need more of, and where we can work together to continue making our city more inclusive and accessible."
Newcastle mother-of-two Amanda Robertson is a community representative on the Access Inclusion Standing Committee, and said her family is experiencing firsthand how the DIAP can change the city for the better.
"I'm proud to have been working with City of Newcastle and seeing up close how the current DIAP is implemented has shown me how important it is to share my experiences as a mother to twins with mobility disabilities," Ms Robertson said.
"For families like ours, things like the Foreshore Park playground, which opens later in the year, and more improvements to Newcastle's footpaths through the Pedestrian Mobility and Access Plan will genuinely make our lives better.
"These actions are included in the current DIAP and are clear examples of how feedback from people in the community with lived experience can make a real difference."
Minister for Families and Communities and Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington, said local government plays an important role in making communities better for everyone.
"In December, the Minns Labor Government launched our ambitious four-year plan to build a more inclusive and accessible NSW. Local councils have the task of reflecting that ambition, working within communities to develop their new Disability Inclusion Action Plans," Ms Washington said.
"I congratulate the City of Newcastle on its work done to date to improve inclusion across the city and encourage Novocastrians to have their say about the next steps needed to build an even more inclusive Newy."
A mix of online and in-person workshops, high-visibility pop-up events across Newcastle, and a comprehensive online campaign will capture the experiences, opinions, and input that guides the DIAP for 2027 - 2031.
Through a partnership with Community Disability Alliance Hunter there will be a focus on learning directly from people with lived experience, carers and other stakeholders to ensure the perspectives of under-represented and marginalised people are included.
Community members can find out more and make a submission via the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle's website, before Monday 15 June.
