Today is International Day of People with Disability, and to mark the occasion, Lismore City Council Mayor Steve Krieg was joined by two long-standing members of Lismore City Council’s Disability and Inclusion Advisory Group (DIAG) at the Lismore Memorial Baths to call on the community to help formulate a plan for greater inclusion of those living with a disability.

“According to a recent study, more than 3000 people are living with a disability in the Lismore community, making up 7.1% of our population, which is higher than the state average of 5.8%,” Mayor Krieg said.

“That makes getting Council’s next Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) right so important, and we need community input to achieve that.

“This year’s theme for International Day of People with Disability is ‘Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress’, and that’s exactly what we want our DIAP to do”.

Council is seeking community feedback to support the third iteration of our DIAP 2026-2030.

"Now is the time that we are calling for submissions from our community for actions that they want to see Lismore City Council put forward as part of their Disability Inclusion Action Plan. Things that you will notice that are already being worked on around the CBD in particular, and out at Nimbin and in our villages are the new tactiles that are going in and around our footpaths.

"I've learned a lot being on this committee and other members who are visually impaired have taught me a lot about how critical the direction of those tactiles are. So it's really important for people that aren't living with a disability to understand how important these things are for some 3000 people in our LGA that are living with a disability in some form."

The new DIAP will outline the key actions to be delivered by Council in its continued commitment to break down barriers to inclusive participation and protect the rights of people with disability in our communities.

Council is engaging people living with a disability and their family, friends and carers, along with support services and advocacy groups, to inform the development of our new DIAP by providing feedback during the consultation period.

Jenny London, who has been a member of the DIAG for over 15 years, said Lismore City Council was one of the few councils in the area to have a dedicated advisory group.

“I’m incredibly proud of the role the DIAG has played in promoting a culture of access and advocating on behalf of the people with disability in our community to continue to deliver progress across Lismore.

"Our achievements are many and include initiatives like installing two mobile lifts at the Lismore Memorial Baths to allow people with impaired mobility to get in the water with dignity,” she said.

"We're very keen for the community to be involved in advising the council on anything that they would like to about access and the people with disability in the community. This is an opportunity for people with disability and their families, carers, and support workers to have a voice to the council. It's really critical that we get information from the people that live this every day."

Community consultation has led to many facility improvements in the Lismore LGA. Another example was the introduction of an adult change table at GSAC.

"A lot of people don't realise that adults also need a change table when they have mobility problems, and people just think about a baby change table, so you've got to get one that's made for the weight. And that was a bit of challenge," Brad Lancaster explained, another person who has been on the DIAP for eight years.

Mayor Krieg said Council is committed to delivering the actions outlined in the existing DIAP.

Over the past four years Council’s achievements include:

• Lismore Regional Gallery staff undertaking regular accessibility training through Accessible Arts.
• Seeking feedback from the Disability Inclusion Advisory Group to identify key spaces for accessibility upgrades around the Lismore CBD.
• Organising major community events that were accessible to all members of the community. These events included Legends of Cricket, the Lismore Lantern Parade and the Jets versus Roar Soccer game.
• Consulting the Disability Inclusion Advisory Group before publishing the updated Lismore City Council website.
• Improving accessibility and connectivity through Heritage Park.
• Updating the recruitment process to include unconscious bias training for all panel members.
• Recruiting staff for attitudes towards diversity and inclusion.
• Supporting staff with assessment and provision of accessible workplace equipment/modifications for each employee at induction.
• Providing accessible destination and tourism resources to ensure residents and visitors can easily plan region-wide accessible experiences.
• Consulting the Disability Inclusion Advisory Group for feedback on the Nimbin Rainbow Walk.
• Transitioning from text-heavy signage to iconography-based signage on public facilities across the LGA.
• Lismore Regional Gallery receiving the IMAGinE Award for Innovation and Resilience 2022 for Collage Club.
• Lismore Regional Gallery receiving Highly Commended for The Future of Toys Youth Program in 2024.
• To provide feedback and support the development of our next DIAP, go to Your Say Lismore. Submissions close on Wednesday, 10 December.

If you would like to have input into the Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2026-2030, you have one more week to do so through the Your Say area on Council's website. The survey will close next Wednesday, December 10.

If people have further thoughts post the DIAP survey closure, you are encouraged to contact a Lismore City Councillor. The full list can be found by clicking here.

Today, the NSW Government launched its four-year plan to build a more accessible, inclusive New South Wales.

Consistent with the theme of this year’s International Day of People with Disability, the plan will foster more disability-inclusive communities for the benefit of everyone. The plan is a whole-of-government commitment to improving the lives of the more than 1.5 million people with disability in NSW.

Designed and developed alongside people with lived experience and disability advocacy organisations, the plan sets targets to promote the abilities and contributions of people with disability. Importantly, it empowers people with disability to exercise their rights through the government’s $29 million investment in the Disability Advocacy Futures Program.

The plan will see increased accessible social housing, new research into domestic, family and sexual violence, and improved accessible point-to-point transport services for people with disability.

Increasing the employment of people with disability is a priority, so the plan demands more public sector employment of people with disability and backs a disability inclusive private sector through improving government procurement from disability enterprises.

To make more government services more accessible, the plan expands information in Easy Read, explores emerging technologies and increases opportunities for students with disability to learn at their local schools.

To learn more, visit the NSW Disability Inclusion Plan 2026-2029 website.