Following the Council Meeting held on Tuesday 29 April 2025, Ararat Rural City Council has commenced a process to develop a Disability Action Plan for the municipality.
The Disability Action Plan will detail how Council will address access and inclusion barriers for people with disabilities, both when they access Council services and when they are employees of Council.
The process proposed for developing Council's Disability Action Plan is based on the Australian Human Rights Commission's Disability Action Plan Guide (2021) and will include establishing a Disability Action Plan Working Group with representatives from organisations with expertise in inclusive practices for people with disability.
To create this Plan, Council will examine its current services and operations to pinpoint successes and areas needing improvement. Community input will be gathered and shared with the Working Group for their review and deliberation.
Council will then develop and prioritise actions in response to the Working Group's review, taking into consideration budget and resources, and consulting with relevant disability organisations if needed. This stage will involve setting clear, measurable goals, assigning responsibilities, and establishing ways to track progress.
Following its preparation, a preliminary version of the Disability Action Plan will be released for public comment via Engage Ararat. Following this feedback, a final version will be presented to Council for approval. Once adopted, the Disability Action Plan will be submitted to the Australian Human Rights Commission for inclusion on their Register.
"We are deeply committed to creating a more accessible and inclusive community for everyone," says Ararat Rural City Council CEO, Dr Tim Harrison.
"The development of our Disability Action Plan is a crucial step in this journey, and the input of people with disabilities and the broader community will be invaluable as we work together to improve accessibility."
