Pillar 1: Inclusive communities – 31 actions

Community attitudes – 5 actions

The Victorian Government is working with people with disability, along with disability sector providers and agencies, to co-design campaigns that change perceptions about inclusive employment, challenge views on family violence, and profile positive representation of LGBTIQA+, First Peoples, multicultural and multi-faith communities.

All 5 actions are on track.

Transport – 8 actions

The Department of Transport and Planning has appointed the Chief Accessibility Advocate. Since the appointment, the department has progressed strategies including a tram-stop rollout strategy and expansion of the Multi-Purpose Taxi program.

We are also considering ways to make sure National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants who transition out of the Multi-Purpose Taxi Program can maintain appropriate access to wheelchair accessible vehicle services.

The department is also applying universal design principles to the planning of future infrastructure projects across the network. Co-design with people with disability will occur at the design and manufacturing stages for Next Generation Trams.

The implemented and planned upgrades to the transport network aim to improve whole-of-journey experiences for people with disability.

We have completed 3 actions. A further 5 actions are on track.

Digital inclusion – 3 actions

We have completed research on digital inclusion issues across Victoria. This work focused on people with disability, people living in regional and remote areas and other intersecting factors.

Improving digital inclusion is an ongoing action. Victoria is participating in various stakeholder forums to identify opportunities and priority areas to progress this action.

We continue to advocate to the Commonwealth to assist in addressing digital inclusion to foster more inclusive communities.

We have completed 1 action. A further 2 actions are on track.

Assistance animals – 2 actions

Victoria has endorsed the national guiding principles for the recognition of assistance animals. The guiding principles were co-designed with people with disability.

Victoria continues to advocate to all states and territories to support the national guiding principles.

1 action is on track. 1 action is still to be progressed. This is because we are continuing work to reach national agreement on the guiding principles.

Sport and recreation – 3 actions

Sport and Recreation Victoria’s Together More Active 2023–2027 secured program investment of $1.74 million to support 15 inclusive participation or workforce development projects. The funding has 4 streams:

• stream 1: foundation funding – to support the operations of 34 organisations and assist with planning, policy, and business development
• stream 2: sector capability funding – prioritise initiatives that support the capability of the sport and active recreation sector to create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments and increase inclusive participation opportunities
• stream 3: inclusive participation project funding – supports the development and delivery of programs that encourage inclusive participation for targeted groups
• stream 4: workforce development funding – will support the development and delivery of programs and initiatives that build an inclusive and diverse workforce, and its capability by recruiting, engaging, supporting and retaining volunteers and paid staff.

Sport and Recreation is also funding programs that are driving inclusion of people with disability by implementing systemic reforms:

• The Access for All Abilities (AAA) Play service 2023–2025 website is currently being redeveloped and co-designed with people with disability, delivering on the principles of accessible communication and universal design
• The Change Our Game Ambassador Program 2023–2024 aims to build greater visibility for women and girls in sport and active recreation, including those who have a broad range of lived experiences. Three ambassadors are people with disability. They use their platforms to influence social change so that women with disability have more opportunities through sport and active recreation.

All 3 actions are on track.

Parks and tourism – 10 actions

Parks Victoria co-designed a number of nature-based and infrastructure programs with people with disability. These programs incorporated universal design principles. They will support more Victorians with disability to experience nature and the outdoor environment.

Parks Victoria partnered with Traditional Owners (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation). This project used the Managing Country Together Framework to design the physical accessibility of seating and picnic shelters. It incorporated cultural designs reflecting nature into amenities at several locations.

Accessible tourism reporting includes co-design, accessible communications and universal design. Visit Victoria works with businesses to help them cater for people with disability and their access requirements.

Visit Victoria’s Marketing Excellence Program and International Mentoring Program include a module on accessible tourism. The module covers:

• the importance of the accessible tourism market
• an explanation of all the accessible tourism markets (for example, sighted, hearing, physical accessibility et cetera)
• what businesses can do to become accessible tourism ready.

The objective is to raise awareness of opportunities associated with being accessible and increase the number of accessible products available in Victoria.

The Experience Victoria 2033 strategic plan has guiding principles. These include accessible and inclusive tourism. This will be a key focus of the Regional Tourism and Events Fund Industry Uplift programs.

Victoria is hosting the 2024 Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Conference.

All 10 actions are on track.