Access and Inclusion

Uralla Shire Council is committed to making our community more accessible to people of all abilities and inclusive of all people with disability, their families and carers in the Uralla Shire Council area. We will do this by addressing four outcome areas:

• Community attitudes and behaviours
• Liveable communities
• Employment
• Systems and processes

Promoting positive community attitudes and behaviours

Uralla Shire Council recognises that reducing attitudes and behaviours towards people with disability breaks down one barrier to access and inclusion. We are committed to promoting positive attitudes and behaviours among staff and to working with others to promote positive attitudes and behaviours in the community.

Making our community easier to live in and get around

It is important for everyone to be able to get around their local community. A lot of work to improve access around the community has already taken place. Uralla is an old town, rich in historic relevance that is embraced by the community and visitors. Not all of our heritage buildings lend themselves to access, however, our friendly town business owners have made accommodations to ensure that no person misses out on their services.

Promoting Employment

Uralla Shire Council recognises the importance of employment for people’s financial security, as well as their feelings of self-worth, social inclusion and mental health. Helping to facilitate access to volunteering and work opportunities by people with disability and promoting the benefits to other employers is one way in which this can happen.

Systems and Processes

Uralla Shire Council recognises that people with disability often have difficulty navigating systems and processes to access services and supports in the community. We are committed to making information, events, services and consultation processes accessible to people of all abilities and to engage them to share their opinions and participate in our community and democratic processes.

To read more about Uralla Shire Council's commitment toward access and inclusion, please see our Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2022 - 2026 available for download on our Council Documents and Publications page.

Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW)

In the context of disability inclusion and action planning, ‘disability’ means a functional limitation or impairment, including cognitive, physical, mental, sensory and functional deficits, which may be present from birth, acquired by accident or illness or due to the process of ageing. The impairments or deficits may be temporary or permanent. The Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW) provides the legislative framework to guide state and local government disability inclusion action planning.

The Act supports people with disabilities to access:

• The same human rights as other members of the community;
• Independence and social and economic inclusion within the community; and
• Choice and control in the pursuit of their goals and the planning and delivery of their supports and services.

In meeting the requirements under the Act for disability inclusion and access planning, Council must:

1. Specify how it will incorporate United Nation human rights disability principles into its dealings with matters relating to people with disability
2. Include strategies to support people with disability
3. Include details of its consultation about the plan with people with disability
4. Explain how planning supports the goals of the NSW State Disability Inclusion Plan in the four key areas of:

• Attitudes and behaviours
• Liveable communities
• Employment
• Systems and processes Uralla Shire Council has included its disability inclusion action planning, in response to these priorities, into the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework.