|
A Disability Action Plan is a way for an organisation to plan the elimination, as far as possible, of disability discrimination from the provision of its goods, services and facilities. Although the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) defines action plans in terms of service provision, it makes sense to include employment policies and practices to more adequately address responsibilities under the DDA.
Developing and implementing an action plan is a voluntary, proactive approach to DDA compliance. It has benefits both for organisations and for people with disability. For organisations, the development and implementation of action plans enhances corporate image, delivers services more efficiently and accesses a wider market. The following examples of Disability Action Plans may be useful.
How Is a Plan Developed?
Key people who are responsible for delivering goods and services need to: review current practices to identify barriers develop policies and programs to eliminate barriers allocate responsibility devise evaluation strategies to monitor progress develop communication strategies. In a small business, this may be relatively straightforward and you may choose to implement changes rather than formally develop and lodge a DAP.
However, in large complex organisations with multiple outlets, the required changes may need to be planned over a period of years and should consider the following:
Each business unit manager needs to establish how accessible their goods and services currently are for people with disability. This can be done in consultation with people with disability stakeholder groups.
An Action Plan should:
eliminate discrimination in an active way improve services to existing consumers or customers enhance organisational image reduce the likelihood of complaints being made increase the likelihood of being able to successfully defend complaints increase the likelihood of avoiding costly legal action allow for a planned and managed change in business or services open up new markets and attract new consumers.
Actions need to be prioritised to eliminate the barriers that have the greatest impact first.
Action planning needs to allocate the financial and people resources required to implement the required changes. An action plan that is not supported by financial and people resources is destined to fail. Once developed, an action plan can be given to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. In the event of a complaint, the Commission is required by the DDA to consider the organisation's action plan.
Related hyperlinks:
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/action_plans/Effective_Plan/effective_plan.html Morris Goding Consulting www.mgac.com.au |
