About our Disability Action Plan (DAP)

Our DAP lays a foundation for our organisational approach to all disability related improvement work.

The plan draws together our existing and future activities under three priority areas, provides targeted strategies and actions to guide our work and key performance indicators to measure our success.

Our actions were shaped by consumers, workforce and partner knowledge and aligned with relevant legislation and the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards 2nd edition.

Disability Action Plan 2023 to 2026

Alternative formats

The DAP is available in a range of alternative formats. 

Audio format

To access our DAP in audio format, including an Easy Read audio version, see: Audio - Disability Action Plan.

Easy read and e-text

Priority areas

Priority Area 1: Inclusive

We create an inclusive culture by ensuring representation of people with disability.

Strategies

• Increase the visibility, voice and representation of staff and consumers with disability.
• Increase the number of people with disability across the workforce.
• Deliver disability education and training to build workforce awareness, knowledge and capabilities.

Commitments

Austin Health will establish the Disability Inclusion Committee to govern the Disability Action Plan. It will work in close partnership with the Disability Liaison Officer Program to implement key strategies of the plan.

By increasing the voice of people with disability, we will challenge outmoded attitudes and ensure our care is inclusive. Greater representation of people with lived experience will enable us to influence the planning, design and evaluation of care.

The Disability Inclusion Committee will also support the implementation of Austin Health’s first workforce Diversity and Inclusion Plan.

Priority Area 2: Accessible

Our built environments, information and communication are accessible to people with disability.

Strategies

• Identify and address barriers to the built environment.
• Improve the accessibility of information.

Commitments

Austin Health will identify areas where improved accessibility is feasible within existing infrastructure and all future built environment initiatives will be guided by universal design principles.

We will work to improve the accessibility of information by educating our workforce and ensuring communication platforms including telehealth are aligned to information accessibility standards and have a strong continuous improvement focus.

Priority Area 3: Effective

Our actions provide effective and safe patient centred care.

Strategies

• Strengthen partnerships to inform improvements and address intersectional and systemic issues.
• Improve health outcomes and patient experiences.
• Improve the health service and NDIS interface.

Commitments

Austin Health will continue to work with existing partners to focus on improved health outcomes and consumer experience. We will develop a shared definition of disability and in collaboration with other health services will improve medical record identifiers and meaningful data collection.

Improved care initiatives for NDIS participants, Autistic people and physical, intellectual, sensory or psychosocial disability will be prioritised.

The DLO program will engage with all parts of the organisation and community to establish the program as a centralised point of support and information to ensure health workers and consumers have the information they need to deliver and access high quality care.

Our progess

For an overview of some of the progress made in the last 6 months and some of the key priorities for the next 6 months, see our progress.

Related services

• Disability liaison

  We support people with disability to use hospital services and access the care and treatment they need.

• Specialist Disability Service

  We care for and treat people living with disability.