Water and Environmental Regulation Disability Access and Inclusion Plan

I am pleased to present the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2024–29.

We recognise that people with disabilities, their families and carers have the same rights as other community members to access employment, services, information and facilities, and to participate in community consultation processes. This plan is designed to help us meet our access and inclusion obligations under the Western Australian Disability Services Act 1993 and Equal Opportunity Act 1984, and the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

According to the Diversity Council of Australia’s Inclusion@Work Index 2017–2018, inclusion “fuels team performance and employee satisfaction, success and security, while minimising the risk of harassment and discrimination. And it benefits everyone, not only the intended targets of diversity and inclusion strategies and initiatives”.

Diversity and inclusion must be integrated into the way we do business, in our managerial capabilities, and in the employee experience. This creates sustainable change. To enable this, the access and inclusion strategies and objectives in this plan will inform the development of our Strategic Workforce Plan.

My executive team is committed to monitoring the implementation process to determine its progress towards meeting employees’ needs and the needs of our wider community.

I commend our staff for their ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive workplace. They do this by helping to attract, retain and engage a diverse workforce who deliver our important work and continue to serve our diverse community 

Alistair Jones

Director General 

The Western Australian Disability Services Act 1993 requires all public authorities to develop and implement a DAIP. The plan must outline the ways in which the department will ensure that all people have equal access to its facilities and services.

The Disability Services Regulations 2004 provide for seven outcome areas. These also form the basis of our department’s implementation plan.

The Western Australian Equal Opportunity Act 1984 recognises that people with disabilities require and are entitled to the same level of service available to other community members. This Act also makes it unlawful for a person to discriminate against any person on the grounds of impairment.

The plan outlines the strategic framework of how we will ensure we provide equitable access to our services, information and facilities over seven key outcomes:

• Services

• Facilities

• Information

• Service quality

• Complaints

• Consultation

• Employment 

Our diversity and inclusion vision statement

Every day we support and inspire each other to be our whole selves and best selves to thrive and reach our full potential. 

We celebrate, acknowledge, respect and embrace differences; because we know when people from different backgrounds and with different points of view work together, we create the most value and reflect the community that we serve. 

The department’s Human Resources Branch has oversight of the development of the DAIP, its delivery and implementation, and reporting on progress.

All strategies outlined have been developed in consultation with key internal stakeholders, including business areas that will ensure responsibility for the outcomes in their work.

Community consultation process

The DAIP has been finalised by the internal human resources project team after considering feedback. Feedback was sought from our internal and external stakeholders and members of the public, particularly those in the community who use our services or engage with the work of the department.

As per the legislative requirement under the Disability Services Act 1993, the draft DAIP was put out for an eight-week consultation period both externally via the department’s external Consultation Hub website and internally via staff communications.

Key external stakeholders from the disability sector that our department has engaged with were also invited via email to provide feedback.

The opportunity to contribute was also promoted through the department’s social media channels and on our external and internal websites. The consultation period closed at 5pm on Wednesday, 4 September 2024.  

Review and monitoring

The department will review the plan every five years in accordance with the Disability Services Act 1993. A progress report will be made on 30 June of each interim year in which the department will document outcomes of the annual implementation plan against the seven outcomes of the plan.  

In addition, the department is committed to reporting key achievements to support and enhance access and inclusion for people with disability in the department’s annual report.

An implementation plan will be developed for internal use, to outline the actions, timeframes and responsibilities for key stakeholders, responsible for delivering on actions to achieve the DAIP outcomes.

Communicating

The plan is available to all department employees and members of the Western Australian community, including people with disability, and their families and carers. The documents are available on the public website at www.wa.gov.au/dwer and for employees on the department’s intranet. 

Strategies

1.1 All department events, community consultation processes and services are accessible to people with disability.

1.2 We seek feedback on improving the accessibility of department events, community consultation and services.

1.3 Our policies and processes consider access for people with disability to ensure we are providing the same opportunities to engage with and receive our services. 

Outcome 2: People with disabilities have the same opportunities as others to access the buildings and facilities of a public authority. 

Strategies

2.1 Accessibility of our buildings and facilities (both regional and metropolitan) is a priority consideration, especially where we can influence design changes and accommodations during office refit or relocation activities.

2.2 Our buildings have appropriate signage that meets the needs of people with disabilities.

2.3 Our meeting rooms are equipped with accessible technology and equipment to provide inclusive participation options.

2.4 Our emergency evacuation procedures (training and fire drills) ensure people with disabilities are treated safely.  

Outcome 3: People with disabilities receive information from a public authority in formats that enable them to access it as readily as others. 

Strategies

3.1 We will continue to ensure our website contains information in inclusive language, and that content is checked, reviewed, and updated to meet current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards.

3.2 We provide publications, forms, media, and information in alternative formats upon request.

3.3 We provide access to interpreter services such as Teletypewriter Relay Service (TTY) and Auslan upon request.

3.4 Through ongoing reviews and feedback, we seek to continuously improve the experience of accessing information for people with disabilities. 

Outcome 4: People with disabilities receive the same level and quality of service from the staff of a public authority as others. 

Strategies

4.1 Our staff are trained to provide inclusive and accessible services for people with disabilities, including any specific support requirements.

4.2 We will continue to educate our staff and raise awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities and any accessibility and inclusion barriers. This will be achieved through targeted learning and engagement activities in the workplace. 

Outcome 5: People with disabilities have the same opportunities as others to make complaints to a public authority. 

Strategies

5.1 All avenues for receiving and managing complaints from our customers, stakeholders and employees are accessible to people with disabilities, or an alternative option will be made available on request.

5.2 Complaints are monitored to identify and resolve systemic issues.

Outcome 6: People with disabilities have the same opportunities as others to participate in any public consultation by a public authority. 

Strategies

6.1 Community and stakeholder consultation is encouraged and accessible for people with disabilities.

6.2 When we invite the community to provide their feedback as part of any public consultation process, we provide accessibility options to enable their participation.

6.3 When we invite stakeholders to complete the annual survey, we provide accessible options to enable their participation.

6.4 We ensure that internal consultations provide accessible options to remove any barriers to employee participation.

6.5 We will continue to provide, where possible, extended notification timeframes for meetings and longer consultation periods.

6.6 We regularly review our policies and checklists to ensure we maintain best practice for accessibility. 

Outcome 7: People with disabilities have the same opportunities as others to obtain and maintain employment with a public authority. 

Strategies

7.1 We foster a workplace culture that welcomes people of all backgrounds and abilities, reflecting the diverse community we serve.

7.2 We aim to embed access and inclusion practices through educational and awareness raising activities for managers.

7.3 We ensure our policies and procedures allow us to consider and provide suitable workplace adjustments for staff with disabilities, including accommodating flexible work options.

7.4 We use best practice, inclusive recruitment processes that remove barriers and recognise and value diversity, ensuring equal employment opportunity as an accredited Disability Confident Recruiter.

7.5 Our Corporate Executive will continue to monitor our workforce data against Public Sector Commission employment targets for people with disabilities.

7.6 We promote policies, codes of conduct, and strategies that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of employees with disabilities, providing various opportunities for employees to safely provide feedback on their inclusive experience. 

This plan is available upon request in alternative formats, including large print, electronic format, or audio file.

You can download the plan's Easy Read booklet at the bottom of this page.

To obtain the plan in another format, please contact the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation by: 

• Email: hr@dwer.wa.gov.au

• Telephone: 08 6364 7000 (Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm)

• National Relay Service on 13 36 77

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation values your comments about its Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.

Your feedback is welcome at any time and will be treated with the strictest confidence. 

Access our feedback form  

Feedback can also be sent in writing to:

Manager, Talent and Culture
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
Locked Bag 10
JOONDALUP WA 6027

Email: hr@dwer.wa.gov.au 

Alternatively, you can provide feedback by:

• Telephone: 08 6364 7000

(Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm)

• National Relay Service on 13 36 77.