About the State Disability Inclusion Plan

“Full acceptance is freedom”

- Consultation participant

Through the Act, all state government agencies and local councils (state authorities) affirmed their commitment to making significant and meaningful progress towards achieving an accessible and inclusive South Australia, where people with disability can actively participate in the world around them, without barriers or exclusion.

To support this commitment, the Act requires South Australia to develop and maintain a State Plan. The State Plan sets out a whole-of-government strategy to promote inclusion, improve access to services and support the rights and participation of people with disability.

South Australia’s first State Plan in 2019 was an important step forward for people with disability and recognition by the South Australian Government that access and inclusion for people with disability is a priority.

The first State Plan brought local and state government authorities together to foster inclusion and accessibility in new and innovative ways. This included enhancing the accessibility of public infrastructure and services, the implementation of consistent Disability Access and Inclusion Plans (DAIPs) across government and workforce training to build awareness and improve service delivery. The implementation of the first State Plan also reaffirmed the importance of collaborative planning and authentic engagement with people with disability, which we have continued and built on during the development of this State Plan.

The State Plan is also South Australia’s vehicle to respond to the principles enshrined in the UNCRPD and the outcomes of the Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031 (ADS).

Although meaningful progress has been made in advancing access and inclusion, there is still important work ahead to ensure that every South Australian can participate fully and equally in all areas of life. The State Plan continues to lead this effort, providing a clear framework of priorities and coordinated government action to drive long-term change and foster a more inclusive and equitable community for everyone. The way we will do this is set out further in this document.

The State Plan has been developed with and by the voices, inputs and perspectives of people with disability and is grounded in broader international and national disability frameworks to ensure that efforts in advancing disability inclusion in our community align.

The Act dictates what the State Plan needs to be responsible for and therefore not all aspects of disability reform are included in the State Plan. This includes operational and policy matters relating to the NDIS, My Aged Care or other programs that fall within the Australian Government’s responsibility.

Figure 1: The relationship between international, national and state disability legislation and policy instruments

Read a plain text description of figure 1

This does not mean the South Australian Government isn’t working on reform in this area; it means it is outside the core responsibility of the State Plan.