Council plays a key role in supporting people with disability to live full and active lives.
The Access and Inclusion Strategy and relevant Action Plans guide this work.
The vision within the Strategy is for an inclusive and accessible Yarra led by a strategic approach to supporting people with disability. This comes through:
Tell us what you think.
The most recent Access and Inclusion Strategy 2018-24 is expiring next year and must be renewed for another six years to match the community's needs.
We want to understand community expectations of Council within the accessibility space to inform the development of the new Access and Inclusion Strategy 2024-30 and Action Plan 2024/26. We are seeking ideas from the community to make Yarra a more inclusive and accessible place for all.
Tell us your ideas to make Yarra a more inclusive and accessible place for all our residents before the consultation closes at 9am Monday 11 December 2023.
Key outcomes of the Access and Inclusion Strategy 2018-2024 include:
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Building accessible infrastructure
We've constructed improvements such as the Richmond Town Hall entrance, level pedestrian crossings and several accessible tram stops.
We've also improved the southern ramp and other access points at the Djerring Centre with the support of the Universal Design Grants program from the Department Families Fairness and Housing.
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Supporting the Disability Advisory Committee
We've continued to support and resource the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) who have played a key advisory role to Council on some of the following items:
- strategy reviews
- program and policy reviews
- capital works and operational improvements
- advocacy needs
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Improving transport
We supported the design and planning of the accessible tram stop upgrades conducted by the Victorian Government through route 86 on Smith Street and Gertrude Street.
We also supported the adoption on Yarra’s ten-year Transport Strategy with several considerations geared explicitly towards people with disability including road safety, public transport accessibility and the New Deal for Cycling.
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Helping carers
We've created our Walks for Carers program, an accessible stroll followed by complimentary morning tea at the Convent Bakery in Abbotsford to foster community and connection amongst carers in Yarra.
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Marking parking more accessible
We've conducted a parking audit of 197 accessible parking spots across Yarra.
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Making music events more accessible
We've delivered the Live Music Accessibility project in partnership with the City of Melbourne.
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Creating inclusive events
We supported and funded Groove Tunes, an all-accessible music event that took place at The Corner Hotel in Richmond that was attended by over 100 people.
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Celebrating our community with a disability
We ran an event at Edinburgh Gardens to celebrate International Day of People with Disability 2023 and engage younger members of the community.
