December 3 marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities - a day to encourage understanding and increase awareness of the need to be inclusive of people with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
This year’s theme is ‘Inclusion Matters: Access and Empowerment for People of All Abilities’, and here at Auckland Council we are working in many areas to do just that.
Disability Advisory Panel
The council’s Disability Advisory Panel, which was established by the mayor in June 2011, is one of six demographic advisory panels providing knowledge and advice to the council regarding the interests and needs of their respective communities.
The role of the Disability Advisory Panel is to:
- provide knowledge on issues that are important to people with disabilities in Auckland in relation to council’s regional strategies, policies, plans and bylaws. This includes initiating and contributing to the 'big picture’ conversations about Auckland’s development now and in the future.
- advise the council on how to engage effectively with people with disabilities.
The panel meets approximately every six weeks on a Monday at 10am at the Auckland Town Hall, City Centre.
More information about the panel, including the names of members, dates of scheduled meetings and panel publications please click here.
Disability Operational Action Plan
The council’s commitment to creating a strong, inclusive and equitable society and a well-designed built environment is set out in the Auckland Plan. To help deliver on those commitments the council, council controlled organisations (CCOs) and the Disability Advisory Panel have teamed up to deliver an internal Disability Operational Action Plan.
It is underpinned by the principles of universal design, builds on previous work and creates opportunities for new actions that will help the council and CCOs deliver our strategies and policies, ultimately improving outcomes for people with disabilities in Auckland as well as families, older people and visitors.
Teena Abbey, a principal analyst in council’s Community and Social Policy team, says the plan shows that the Auckland Council family has a strong commitment to supporting people with disabilities – both in the community and in the council workplace.
The first draft of the Disability Operational Action Plan will be reported to the Disability Advisory Panel on 14 December.
