Making Mosman more accessible and inclusive

I have been a community member of the Mosman Council Access Committee since 2012.

The Access Committee seeks ideas from the community and assists the Council in developing policy and plans. I am proud to have been a member of the Mosman Community Access Committee under the always inclusive leadership of both Mayor Peter Abelson (2012-2016) and currently, Mayor Carolyn Corrigan, supported always by the truly exceptional Council staff.

With the introduction of the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW), the State Government mandated the development of Disability Inclusion Action Plans (DIAPs) for all Councils. The DIAP is a statement of commitment to actions that will improve access and inclusion for people with disability with progress reports lodged with the state government and results published annually. A human rights approach is at the core of the DIAP.

The current plan 2017-2021 is a robust working document and consultation has already informed the development of the next 4 year DIAP. An example of Mosman Council staff always looking to remove barriers and increase inclusion, the DIAP on the Council website can be accessed with ‘read aloud’ also known as ‘text to speech’ assistive technology.

A great example of community team work is evident with the construction of the Raglan St West Accessible toilet block. Council engineers became aware during the construction that the surface of the adjacent carpark was in poor repair and difficult to navigate for people using a mobility aid or pram and had trip hazards, particularly challenging for people with low vision. With no additional State funding, Council agreed to level and resurface the carpark to ensure that the surface is easy to navigate and that the accessible parking spaces are in accordance with the new code.

by Pip Friedrich