SAPOL Disability Access & Inclusion Plan 2020-2024

Consultation Process

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 25 May to 15 June 2020. Below is a record of the engagement.

What’s being decided?

SAPOL is preparing a new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.

The new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan will guide SAPOL over the next four years to help improve the accessibility of our services and facilities for people with disability.

Whether you are:

• someone with lived experience of disability
• a family member of someone with disability
• a carer of someone with disability
• a service provider, supporter or an advocate for someone with disability
• or someone from the wider South Australian community with an interest in the topic

We would like to hear about your stories and lived experience.

We particularly want to hear your story if you are part of, or represent someone from, one of the below groups:

• Women
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds and
• People under the age of 21

Get involved

Below are some key areas that you might want to consider for sharing your story:

• Your experiences with SAPOL, positive or negative 
• Barriers you have encountered accessing or receiving services from SAPOL
• Opportunities for improvement

Have your say by :

• completing the online survey
• emailing us at SAPOL.diversityandinclusion@police.sa.gov.au
• Arranging a time to meet with us by emailing us with a name and phone number and we'll make contact with you to arrange a suitable time
  • We will adhere to social distancing to ensure your safety

You can give feedback yourself, or have someone give it on your behalf. You can also encourage your friends, family and people in your social media networks to have their say by sharing a link to this page.

Please note: We will treat contributions in strict confidence. However, confidential submissions may still be subject to Freedom of Information laws.

How can your input influence the decision?

Your input will inform the development of our new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2020-2024.

What are the next steps?

Once the consultation is closed, we will develop our draft Disability Access and Inclusion Plan which will be available for feedback on this site. 

Contact details

For general enquiries, please email us at SAPOL.diversityandinclusion@police.sa.gov.au.

Closing Date: 5pm, Monday 15th June 2020

Background

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 25 May to 15 June 2020. Below is a record of the engagement.

What do we already know?

In 2019 broad community consultation took place in preparing South Australia’s first Disability Inclusion Plan with the resulting key message being that people living with disability aspire to lead meaningful, fulfilling lives. They also want strong accountability and outcomes measures in Disability Access and Inclusion Plans.

The 2019 community consultation highlighted some things that work well and things that have improved across all areas of life, but also pointed to a number of frustrations. The most prominent of these were ongoing negative attitudes, discrimination, low recognition of the value of people living with disability and a general lack of understanding of disability. Also highlighted were physical access barriers and barriers to social inclusion, decision making, employment and education, services, information, transport, housing and health outcomes.

The 2019 community consultation noted that the legal framework for the protection of the rights of people living with disability is quite strong, however, many people living with disability do not know enough about their rights and where to seek advice and do not always receive the support they need. The general vulnerability of people living with disability was also raised as a concern.

What are we already doing?

SAPOL has been working hard to improve the accessibility of its services and facilities and to be inclusive in its delivery of services and in the protection of society’s most vulnerable people. But we know we can do more.

In recent years we have

• increased the level and quality of disability awareness training for all employees.
• increased paid and volunteer employment opportunities for people living with disability.
• improved facilities to enable greater access for people living with disability.
• worked collaboratively to improve law, processes and systems to provide greater accessibility and better outcomes for people living with disability.
• enhanced online systems, information and communication to provide greater accessibility and better outcomes for people living with disability.
• provided greater support to employees living with disability through increased flexible work options and employee assistance and wellbeing programs.
• established a new Diversity and Inclusion Branch with greater resourcing to support people from diverse backgrounds including those living with disability.

Why are we doing it?

• We are committed to providing services that are accessible to all South Australians.
• We are committed to being inclusive in our delivery of those services.
• We are undertaking this review as we prepare our new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (2020-2024).
• The new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan will help us take action to ensure our services and facilities are accessible and inclusive.