Draft disability action plan 2018, 2019 and 2020Department of Health and Human ServicesEasy read summary

To receive this publication in an accessible format phone 1300 880 043, using the National Relay Service 13 36 77 if required, or email the Office for Disability at <ofd@dhhs.vic.gov.au>

Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.

© State of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health and Human Services June 2018.

In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Koori/Koorie’ is retained when part of the title of a report, program or quotation.

The department acknowledges the assistance of Design for Dignity, the Victorian Public Sector Enablers Network, self-advocates and department staff in developing this document. We acknowledge Reinforce for helping us write this document.

This document was made using Photosymbols <http://www.photosymbols.com>

ISBN 978-1-76069-452-4 (pdf/online/MS word)

Available from the department’s disability action plan 2018-2020 webpage <https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/publications/disability-action-plan-2018-2020>.

(1712003 cover)

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Hard words

This document has some hard words.

The first time we write a hard word it will be in blue.

Look at pages 21 to 26 to read what the hard words mean.

The words we and the department mean the Department of Health and Human Services.

The department provides services to help people with things like:

- health

- housing

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- disability services

- children and families

- sport and recreation

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About this booklet

This booklet is about the Department of Health and Human Services disability action plan.

In this book we call it the plan.

This book is an easy read summary of the plan.

The whole plan is on the internet. On the

department’s disability action plan 2018-2020 webpage <https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/publications/disability-action-plan-2018-2020>.

The plan will start in 2018 and end in 2020.

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The actions in this booklet will start now and end in 2019.

We will write a new book in 2019 and 2020.

The new books will have new actions.

The department will tell everyone how well the plan is working.

We will write reports about the plan every year.

The department asked people who work for us to help write this plan.

Some of the people who work for us have a disability.

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We also talked to self advocates with a disability.

What we will do

There are 2 important parts of the plan where we want to make things better.

1

Making the department a better workplace for people with disability.

2

Making services better for people with disability.

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The things we will do are called actions.

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Making the department a better workplace for people with disability

Actions we will do to make the department a better workplace for people with disability:

More help to get a job at the department

- We want more people with disability to work for the department.

- We will make it easier for people with

- disability to get a job at the department.

Managers will

- go to training

- learn more about employing people

with disability.

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More help when you start work at the department

- We will have information to help people with disability feel included when they start working at the department.

More help to be happy and feel important at work

- We will make sure workers at the department are kind to each other.

- We will make sure workers change their ideas about people with disability and the work they can do.

- We will help workers with disability to get a promotion.

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- We will help workers with disability to learn new things at work. For example to do training to learn a new task.

Better access to technology

- We will make our technology better for workers with disability.

Better access to buildings

- We will make our buildings easier to get into and use.

Better access to information

- We will make our information easy to read.

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- We will use easy words.

- We will use pictures to help you understand.

Making services better for people with disability

Actions we will do to help you feel included in the community:

Better services to help

- refugees with disability

- Aboriginal people with disability.

- We will help refugees with disability know where they can get help.

- We will help refugees with disability know about their new community.

- We will help Aboriginal services to learn about disability.

- We will help disability services to work with help Aboriginal people with disability.

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Better services for people who do not speak English

- We will use language interpreters to help people with disability who do not speak English.

- We will use Auslan interpreters to talk with people who are deaf.

- Staff will do training with Scope Victoria to be able to talk with people who use communication aids.

Better access to toilets

- We will build more Changing Places.

Better access to sports

- We will make sure sporting places and buildings are accessible.

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- We will help people with disability to join in and play sports.

Actions we will do to help you feel healthy and have a home:

- More accessible housing

- We will make supported disability accommodation more accessible.

- We will make public housing more accessible.

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More help to feel healthy and well

- We will ask health services to write disability action plans.

- We will help health services to employ people with disability.

- We will tell people with disability about more ways to be healthy. For example

- when you go to the dentist

- when you have babies

- having safe sex

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- checking if you have cancer

Actions we will do to help you feel safe:Better information to help you feel safe and know your rights

We will have information on the internet about:

- rights

- who you can talk to when you feel unsafe

- information about what abuse is

- where you can get help if you have been hurt

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Better services to help you if you have been hurt

For example

- if your family hurts you or makes you feel bad

- if you are a woman with a disability who has been hurt by another person.

- We will build family violence refuges that are accessible.

- We will train staff to provide better help to people with disability who have been hurt.

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More information to help children with disability

- We will help children with disability to know about the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Better support for parents with disability

- We will talk with parents with disability to learn about better ways to help them.

More help for people with disability in an emergency

- We will find out better ways to help people with disability in an emergency.

For example

- a fire

- a bad storm

- a flood

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Actions we will do to help you contribute to your community:

We will listen to people with disability

- We will get people with disability to help us make decisions about:

- things that happen in their community

- things that happen in the Victorian Government.

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Tell us what you think

We want to know what people with disability think about

- the disability action plan

- the actions.

There are questions you can answer about the disability action plan.

These are on the internet.

You can find the questions on the department’s disability action plan 2018-2020 webpage <https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/publications/disability-action-plan-2018-2020>.

You can get more information about this plan from the Office for Disability.

You can email us at the Office for Disability

ofd@dhhs.vic.gov.au

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You can phone us

1300 880 043

National Relay Service

133 36 77

Telephone Interpreter Service

131 450

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Hard words

Aboriginal

Aboriginal people are the first Australians.

Access / Accessible

Physical access means you can go inside buildings and get to places.

- For example, a person who uses a wheelchair can get into the building because there is a ramp. The building is accessible.

Access to information means you can get information in a way that is good for you.

- For example, a blind person can get information in Braille.

Actions

Actions are things we will do to help people with disability feel more included.

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Auslan interpreters

A person who uses their hands, arms and body movements to change a message into Auslan.

Auslan is short for Australian sign language. Auslan is a language used by Australians who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Changing Place

Is a large bathroom with

- a toilet with side hand rails

- a high bench

- a hoist to lift the person

- a place to sit down

Communication aids

Resources to help people with speech difficulties to get their message across.

For example

- an alphabet board

- a choice board

- a sensory book

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Contribute

To give something or help to make something happen. For example help the people you work with to finish a task or job.

Disability action plan

Help organisations to be more disability friendly. For example

make their buildings more accessible

employ more people with disability.

Emergency

Is when a bad thing happens suddenly and you need help. For example

- a fire

- a bad storm

- a flood

Employ / Employing

If you employ someone, you give them a job and pay them.

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Family violence refuge

Is a place where you can stay if you have been hurt by someone you live with and you cannot stay at your home anymore.

Inclusive / included

Is when everyone can join in. Nobody is left out.

Language interpreter

A person who changes your message from one language to another.

National Disability Insurance Scheme

It is also called the NDIS. The NDIS is for people with disability to get the care and supports they need.

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Promotion

When a person gets a promotion they can have more things to do in their job and get paid more money.

Refugee

Someone who needs to live in Australia because they are not safe in their own country.

Public housing

Housing for people on low pay or with particular needs. The person pays rent for the house. Public housing is provided by government agencies or non-profit organisations.

Self advocate

People with disability who stand up for their rights and have their say.

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Summary

A summary means the most important parts of a bigger plan.

Supported disability accommodation

Is a type of home where people live with other people with disability and get help from support workers. This type of home is sometime called a group home or a community residential unit or CRU.

Technology

Technology includes things like computer programs.

Workplace

Any place you can work. For example an office.

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