Project Purpose
Development of Sydney Olympic Park Authority's Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019 – 22 (DIAP) aimed at improving participation and inclusion opportunities in Sydney Olympic Park for people with a disability and access needs.
Project background
Access and inclusion have been integral to the planning, design and delivery of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct and its hosting of the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Post-games the Sydney Olympic Park Authority was established to manage Sydney Olympic Park and it continued the access guidelines setup for the Sydney Olympics. Accessibility was given a significant importance in the Sydney Olympic Park Authority Act 2001 No 57. “Ensure that any new development carried out under or in accordance with this Act accords with best practice accessibility standards and environmental and town planning standards”
This Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) follows on from the access and inclusion foundations laid in the initial development of Sydney Olympic Park and provides the framework for Sydney Olympic Park to continue to be a leader in access and inclusion best practice. This requires going beyond the minimum regulatory compliance requirements as set in the Building Code of Australia (BCA), Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and Universal Design requirements.Community consultation overview
In developing this plan, the Authority has sought community feedback and input on access and inclusion through surveys, workshops and event activations. The Authority has engaged with a number of community service organisations and with our venues and businesses based in Sydney Olympic Park to develop the strategies in this plan.
Internal consultation
- Review of the Authority’s disability access programs and initiatives;
- Liaison with senior management and operational line managers on access strategies;
- Feedback on access initiatives by the Access Advisory Committee; and
- Input and endorsement by the Chief Executive Officer.
- An online survey
- Stakeholder consultation Workshop
- Live on-site community feedback gained during the Invictus Games
- Live on-site community feedback gained during International Day of Persons with Disability Activation
Project outcome
The Authority developed a comprehensive Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019-22 (DIAP) that sets out to improve participation and inclusion opportunities opportunities for people with disabilities.
This includes goals across the four years of:
- Positive community attitudes and behaviours.
- Liveable communities.
- Supporting access to meaningful employment.
- Accessible systems and processes
Feedback from community consultation indicated that overall Sydney Olympic Park was a stand out location for accessibility, where people with a disability are generally able to do what they want, feel safe and also included as part of the community. In this plan we have also identified a number of goals and strategies which will allow us to build on our existing strengths.
Download the SOPA Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019-22.
