After months of public backlash, it seems like Dubbo Regional Council has listened to the community, and when September rolls around, people living with a disability will finally have a voice on council.
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Disability advocacy groups have thrown their support behind the council's latest motion to include a Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
Disability Advocacy NSW regional manager Western/Far West, Eveleen May said she was very pleased with the council's decision to have the advisory group.
"They may have missed the opportunity the first-time round, but it appears that they have listened to the community and are now taking action," she said.
"It is pleasing to hear that council are wanting to establish a working relationship with People with Disability, I imagine the benefits will be reciprocal."
Ms May said it was important that council consult with all groups and stakeholders in the community as part of their processes.
"When making decisions, the people that will be impacted should be consulted- why should this be any different to people with disability? Consulting with stakeholders builds trust and mutual respect," she said.
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According to the Australian Network on Disability, one in five residents in NSW have a disability.
"It just makes sense to hear the voices and perspectives of people with disability in policy making...this is not a minority group," she said.
"I believe that People with Disability, with lived experience, are the experts. They know first-hand the challenges and impacts of policies and how these challenges can be overcome."
Carolyn Hodge, Deputy CEO of People with Disability Australia said introducing this committee was a "great idea".
"People with disabilities are the users of local government services and so, as users, by extension their voices need to be heard," she said.
"I think in an equitable society we have to consider all of the users of services, and we have to listen to the experts."
People with disability are the experts on their experiences and we need to listen to them.
- Carolyn Hodge, Deputy CEO of People with Disability Australia
Ms Hodge said that what council can understand by listening to people with disabilities is how they may use the services, whether their disability impacts on the way they use the service and whether they experience any barriers to those services.
"Sometimes that's not immediately clear, and it's especially not clear to people who don't understand disability," she said.
"If you have a committee with people with a range of disabilities and you're considering making changes, the committee will be able to tell you the things you need to consider in terms of how people with disability use the space."
Ms Hodge said diversity was always a good thing.
"The more we understand people's experiences the more we can respond to them. It's important to have diversity on the committee," she said.
"It's a great start and I am happy to hear they're introducing the committee."
Council's decision
Dubbo Regional councillors Pam Wells and Shibli Chowdhury put up a notice of motion at the latest council meeting, that unanimously passed, asking the director of community culture and places to provide a report on the proposed Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee with councillor representatives and a draft terms of reference to be determined.
If this next motion passes at the August council meeting, the committee will be able to get underway.
Cr Wells said she was "uncertain" as to how this particular committee fell through the gaps.
"It is really important that a community in a region as large as the Dubbo Regional Council area consider going forward in any of our planning and whatever we do...the needs of the whole community," she said.
"People with a disability as well as people with access or mobility issues need to be able to navigate themselves around our community as easily as abled body people do, so it is really important that we consider this."
Cr Chowdhury said he hoped creating this committee would show council's commitment to people living with a disability.
"They will be able to provide guidance and advice to council in relation to making the Dubbo region a highly inclusive community," he said.
"This group will interest people with a disability, their parents, carers, disability service providers and all government areas can enjoy this committee."
Cr Joshua Black said it was "good" that council was "finally going to get the correct outcome" after months of deliberation.
"I have spoken to a lot of people, read lots of comments, and I thank those people who have helped make this decision happen," he said.
"Twenty per cent of people have a disability and the figures show we really need to include them."
Cr Black said there were committees listed for "pretty much everything" and this was a necessary committee.
"There might not be money to spend at the moment however we need to include people and listen to their voice, identify areas where they can be included more in the community," he said.
"Then when funding does become available we are ready to go with a committee in place, areas identified and we can pull the trigger and hopefully get grant funding from state and federal governments."
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