Inclusive SA

Outcome Area 7 - Community Attitudes

Community attitudes support equality, inclusion and participation in society for people with disability.

Action 31

Provide updates and advice on the content of disability awareness and inclusion training packages available to State Government agencies to maintain best practice approaches and support inclusive workplaces and communities.

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment leads this action.

This action is considered completed and ongoing.

Progress throughout 2023

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, in partnership with the Department of Human Services and the Disability, Diversity and Inclusion Community of Practice, has committed to implementing contemporary best practice in disability awareness and inclusion training.

For example, the South Australian Leadership Academy provides senior level staff with information on disability inclusion and disability employment in the SA Public Sector through its course offering, including the Disability Employment Toolkit. The Executive Induction Program includes a session on public sector diversity, featuring representatives with disability.

Additionally, Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment shares information on training via the Disability, Diversity and Inclusion Community of Practice, which includes over 120 public sector employees.

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Action 32

Provide opportunities to arts organisations, cultural institutions, sporting organisations and community clubs to run disability training to promote active participation and inclusion of people with disability.

The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing and Department of the Premier and Cabinet lead this action.

This action is  in progress.

Progress throughout 2023

The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing has increased funding towards inclusion to deliver initiatives such as Activating Inclusion for Sporting Clubs training, which is a free workshop designed as a starting point to changing mindsets and building an inclusive culture within sporting clubs/organisations.

Additionally, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing offers the Active Inclusion Mentoring Program to support staff from state sport and recreation organisations to build their knowledge of best practice and help shape their inclusion and diversity programs and policies.

The South Australian Sports Institute ran a practical workshop for 16 sports science and sports health practitioners from 6 states and territories to foster excellence in the delivery of support for para-athletes.

The Art Gallery of South Australia partnered with Access2Arts artists to present a free activity studio called The Exquisite Familiar that used stylistic-art to promote access and inclusion for people with disability. The Studio was very well received by people with disability, as well as more broadly within schools and the community.

Case study: The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple way for individuals to voluntarily share that they have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent — and that they may need a helping hand, understanding, or more time in shops, at work, on transport, or in public spaces.

As a member of the program, the Metropolitan Fire Service wrapped one of its fire trucks with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to show support and bring awareness to disabilities that are not immediately obvious to others and to promote diversity, inclusion and belonging in communities.

The Sunflower Fire Truck led the 2023 Christmas Pageant through the streets of Adelaide and attended the VAILO Adelaide 500 for the community to enjoy.

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Action 33

Provide opportunities for active participation in decision-making for people living with disability, with particular focus on the identified priority groups:

  • Aboriginal people
  • culturally and linguistically diverse communities
  • women
  • children (and young people).

The State Government agencies and local councils lead this action.

This action is  in progress.

  • 37% completed and ongoing
  • 53% in progress
  • 10% not yet started.

Progress throughout 2023

The Office of the Public Advocate was awarded a grant through the Australian Department of Social Services to pilot a project titled Culturally Safe Supported Decision-Making. The project commenced on 1 April 2023 and will run until 30 June 2024.

The Lifetime Support Authority Participant Reference Group provides feedback on key operational and strategic work for the organisation. All participants are people with disability and the principles of supported decision making are embedded in the service planning, to ensure that all people with disability are involved with decision making as much as possible.

The Government of South Australia established South Australia's first ever Office for Autism within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Led by an Autistic Director and employing Autistic employees, the Office for Autism will promote positive change that is informed by lived experience and reflects community needs.

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Action 34

Work with the Commonwealth Government to develop data indicators that measure changes in community attitudes about the rights and needs of people living with disability.

The Department of Human Services leads this action.

This action is  in progress.

Progress throughout 2023

The Department of Human Services is continuing to represent South Australia to support the National Disability Data Asset (NDDA) becoming fully operational in 2026.

When the NDDA is fully operational, it will be able to provide data collected nation-wide relating to Australia’s Disability Strategy outcomes, including data relating to community attitude.

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Provided by:
Department of Human Services
URL:
https://inclusive.sa.gov.au/our-work/inclusive-sa-annual-report/outcome-area-7-community-attitudes
Last Updated:
26 Oct 2023
Printed on:
12 Nov 2024
The Inclusive SA website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. © Copyright 2016