State Plan (Easy Read)

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 6 August 2019 to 30 August 2019. Below is a record of this engagement.

Ideas for our first State Disability Inclusion Plan

We want to know what you think

Easy Read version

Download the State Plan (Easy Read version) on a PDF printable version

How to use this document

The South Australian Government Department of Human Services (DHS) wrote this document. When you see the word ‘we’, it means the South Australian Government.

We have written this information in an easy to read way.

We have written some words in bold. We explain what these words mean. There is a list of these words at the end of this page.

This Easy Read document is a summary of another document.

You can ask for help to read this document. A friend, family member or support person may be able to help you.

What’s on this page?

• About our State Disability Inclusion Plan
• Talking to the community about our State Plan
• Groups in our community
• Our vision for South Australia
• Important themes
• Theme 1
• Theme 2
• Theme 3
• Theme 4
• Other ideas
• What happens next?
• Word list

About our State Disability Inclusion Plan

In 2018, we wrote a new law – the Disability Inclusion Act 2018.

We call it the Act.

The Act explains how people with disability should be treated.

After we introduced the Act, we started writing our first State Disability Inclusion Plan (our State Plan).

Our State Plan is an important step we must take to make sure our community is:

• inclusive
• accessible.

If something is inclusive, everyone can take part.

If something is accessible, everyone can use it. This might be:

• a place or a building
• transport
• a service
• information
• a website.

Our State Plan talks about our goals for the next 4 years.

Other parts of the government have written plans too, including:

• state government departments
• local councils.

We call these plans Disability Access and Inclusion Plans (DAIP).

Talking to the community about our State Plan

It’s important for us to talk to the community about any plans we make.

We talked with the community about our State Plan in March and April 2019.

384 people told us what they think should be in our State Plan.

Over 130 of those were people with disability.

Some of the other people we talked to were:

• family members
• carers
• people who work with people with disability
• people who work for state and local governments
• researchers.

Groups in our community

There are many groups in our community who face extra barriers and challenges.

These groups include:

• women with disability
• children with disability
• people with disability from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
• people with disability who come from different cultures
• people with disability who speak languages other than English at home.

We are talking to these groups about our State Plan:

• in different ways
• at different times.

Our vision for South Australia

Our vision is what we want our state to be in the future.

We want our state to be a place where everyone:

• is treated fairly
• is treated with respect
• is safe
• is treated equally
• has the same opportunities.

Important themes

We heard about the issues that affect people with disability the most.

There are 4 areas we need to focus on.

We call these themes.

The themes are:

1. Give people a say before decisions are made.
2. Make our community inclusive.
3. Make more places accessible.
4. Help people get an education and find work.

We talk about each of these themes in more detail below.

We have included:

• our vision for each theme
• a list of the things we think we could all do
• ‘I’ statements.

‘I’ statements are like goals.

Theme 1

Give people a say before decisions are made

We are including people with disability more when we talk to the community.

But people with disability aren’t always included when we make decisions.

It’s important to include people with disability in decisions that affect them.

Our vision for this theme

People with disability tell us about their:

• lives
• experiences.

What they tell us is important.

We do something when they tell us about the issues they face.

People with disability have a say before decisions that affect their lives are made.

Our ideas about this theme

We could:

• write a list of people who can take part in meetings about disability issues with our state government and local councils
• try to create a group of people who can give us advice about disability issues
• help write rules for how to include people with disability in the decisions that affect them
• set goals for how many people with disability work for our state government
• only use the best ways to include people with disability when we talk to the community.

‘I’ statements

I can take action.

I am truly valued.

I can make my own life choices.

Questions to think about

Have we put good ideas in our vision for the theme Give people a say before decisions are made?

Is there anything else we need to think about for this theme?

Theme 2

Include people with disability

People with disability want to take part in:

• sport
• fun activities
• community life.

People with disability want to:

• meet different people
• make new friends.

Our community is learning what life is like for people with disability.

We still have a lot to learn.

People with disability need more information about:

• supports and services
• their rights
• what is happening in their community.

Websites aren’t always the best way for people with disability to get information.

Our vision for this theme

Our community values people with disability.

Our community understands people with disability.

We protect the rights of people with disability.

People with disability can speak up about their own rights.

Our ideas about this theme

We could:

• try to find the best ways to teach people what life is like for people with disability
• help people know where to get good information about how to be:
  • accessible
  • inclusive
• teach people why it’s important to share information in accessible formats, such as:
  • easy to read versions
  • large print versions
  • audio versions
  • braille
  • using subtitles
• help make sure our government’s websites are accessible
• develop a website called Inclusive SA that gives people lots of good information about disability in our state
• create a guide that helps people run events that are:
  • accessible
  • inclusive.

‘I’ statements

I am part of the community.

I am understood.

I am valued.

I know what my rights are.

I can find and use the information I need.

Questions to think about

Have we put good ideas in our vision for the theme Include people with disability?

Is there anything else we need to think about for this theme?

Theme 3

Make more places accessible

The places we go and the ways we use to get there need to be accessible so people with disability can take part in our community.

We have some accessible:

• beaches
• playgrounds.

We need to:

• fix roads, crossings and footpaths that aren’t safe
• make more car parking spaces accessible use Universal Design ideas.

Universal Design means we think about what everybody needs when we plan or start new projects and services.

If we use Universal Design when we make plans, everyone can use every place, space and service from the start.

Support the health and wellbeing of people with disability

People with disability need good care and services for their:

• health
• wellbeing.

People with disability must be able to:

• take part in their community
• connect with other people.

Our vision for this theme

Our community is accessible.

Our community is inclusive.

People with disability can find and use the services they need for their health and wellbeing.

Our ideas about this theme

We could:

• write a guide for our government about using Universal Design
• include ideas about using Universal Design when we hire people to work on big projects for us
• include ideas about using Universal Design in our laws about planning and building
• work with the Australian Government to make sure people with disability in SA have the services they need
• clearly show the community:
  • which services are accessible
  • how services are accessible
• help government workers understand the best ways to support people with disability.

‘I’ statements

My community offers me what I need so I can live the life I want.

I am included.

I can find and use the supports and services I need.

I have choice.

Questions to think about

Have we put good ideas in our vision for the theme Make more places accessible?

Is there anything else we need to think about for this theme?

Theme 4

Help people get an education and find work

Places where people with disability learn or work need to be:

• accessible
• inclusive.

People with disability need to learn more about:

• becoming leaders
• their rights
• speaking up for themselves and their rights.

We need to make it easier for students with disability to start work after they leave school.

Some workplaces are becoming:

• accessible
• inclusive.

Workplaces are any place you might work, such as:

• an office
• a factory
• a shop.

Other workplaces still have a lot to learn about what life is like for people with disability.

Our vision for this theme

We understand and value what people with disability can offer in our workplaces.

We make the ways we use to find people who can work for us:

• accessible
• inclusive.

We support people with disability in their work.

We know about the good work people with disability do.

Our ideas about this theme

We will:

• make places where people with disability go to study and learn:
  • accessible
  • inclusive
• make it easier for students with disability to start work after they leave school
• teach people with disability:
  • how to be leaders
  • what their rights are
  • how to speak up for themselves
• set new goals for how many people with disability work for us.

‘I’ statements

I can make the most of the skills I have learned.

I am valued for what I can do.

I get a fair go.

Questions to think about

Have we put good ideas in our vision for the theme Help people get an education and find work?

Is there anything else we need to think about for this theme?

Other ideas

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

What happens next?

We want to thank everyone who shared their ideas with us.

We will use what people have said to develop our State Plan.

We will share our final plan with everyone in October 2019.

We will look at how well our State Plan is going every 4 years.

Because this is our first State Plan, we will look at how well it is going in 2 years.

We will always talk to our community about:

• the issues that affect people with disability
• making our community
  • accessible
  • inclusive.

Word list

Accessible

If something is accessible, everyone can use it. This might be:

• a place or a building
• transport
• a service
• information
• a website.

Inclusive

If something is inclusive, everyone can take part.

Universal Design

Universal Design means we think about what everybody needs when we plan or start new projects and services.

Vision

Our vision is what we want South Australia to be in the future.

Workplaces

Workplaces are any place you might work, such as:

• an office
• a factory
• a shop.

The Information Access Group created this Easy Read document.