Main Roads Western Australia

Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2012 – 2016

The Main Roads Disability Access and Inclusion Plan was produced in recognition that people with disabilities, their families and carers have the same rights to access our products and services as any other member of the community.

Contents

Managing Director’s Message

Introduction

Improving Service to Customers

Main Roads Disability Access Policy

Why do we have a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP)

How will we monitor our progress in implementing the DAIP?

How will we communicate the DAIP to our employees and the community?

How was this DAIP developed?

What has Main Roads done to improve access?

How are we making our services more accessible?

Outcome 1

Outcome 2

Outcome 3

Outcome 4

Outcome 5

Outcome 6

Outcome 7

Acknowledgments

Feedback

Managing Director’s Message

I am pleased to present Main Roads WA’s updated Disability Access and Inclusion Plan for 2012-2016.

The new plan replaces that produced for 2007-2011 and follows a review which encompassed the views of people with a disability, their families and carers.

Main Roads has a key role in ensuring the road network links communities and provides efficient access to other modes of transport for ALL road users, and the recent review provided an opportunity for Main Roads to fine-tune its policy.

The Main Roads Disability Access and Inclusion Plan was produced in recognition that people with disabilities, their families and carers have the same rights to access our products and services as any member of the community.

This updated Plan will continue to progress the work Main Roads is doing in addressing the needs of people with disabilities and ensure we provide improved service to our customers.

Menno Henneveld

Managing Director, Main Roads WA

Introduction

Main Roads Western Australia is one of the largest geographically spread road agencies in the world, covering 2.5 million square kilometers, with a matching diversity in climate and road user needs. The organization is responsible for Western Australia’s highways and main roads under the State Government’s Transport portfolio.

Main Roads Western Australia aims to achieve a safe and efficient road network as part of an integrated transport system for all road users. This includes pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities.

Main Roads is responsible for the management of:

Construction and maintenance including:

Freeways
Major roads
Bridges
Roadside rest areas
Principal shared paths

Environmental including:

Roadside vegetation
Construction impacts

Traffic including:

Traffic signals
Road signs
School zones
Road markings
Speed zoning
Traffic data

Improving Service to Customers

Everyone who relies on, or uses the road network is by definition a customer of Main Roads. Examples of customers include Main Roads employees, motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, people with disabilities, adjacent landowners, professional road users such as truck drivers, couriers, taxi and the emergency services.

To meet the diverse needs of these groups Main Roads understands the importance of integrating ‘excellence in customer service’ throughout the organisation. Main Roads ensures that all staff are familiar with our customer service philosophies through customer service training for all staff.

Main Roads strives to develop relationships to better understand our customer requirements by involving our customers in the consultation process. 2k12, our strategic plan, has a strong focus on driving excellence through strong collaborative relationships and includes an Enhancing Relationships strategy.

To ensure the strategy is effective Main Roads has identified a number of key indicators to measure its success including:

Community Engagement Key Performance Indicators;
Community Perceptions Surveys;
Stakeholder Satisfaction Surveys; and
A Customer Service Index.

In addition, Main Roads continues to obtain input and feedback from specific sections of the community through advisory groups such as the Disability Advisory Group.

Disability awareness training sessions, introduced in 2000, continue today to provide employees with an awareness of customers with special needs and to ensure that any specific requirements of this customer segment is considered in every part of the business.

Main Roads Disability Access Policy

Main Roads wants to:

Make changes to what we do, to better meet the needs of people with disabilities, their families and carers.

We will:

Make sure that Main Roads follows the Disability Access Policy.
Ensure that agents and contractors doing work on behalf of Main Roads follow the Main Roads Disability Access Policy.
Plan and conduct any events according to the State Government Access Guidelines.

Make changes to Main Roads buildings so more people with disabilities can use the buildings more easily.

We will:

Have all our public buildings checked using Australian Standards on Access to see if people with disabilities can easily use them.
Consider the needs of people with disabilities who apply to become tenants of buildings purchased by Main Roads.

Make sure people with disabilities are aware of what Main Roads does.

We will:

Develop all our public information to be in line with State Government Access Guidelines.
Provide information about what Main Roads is doing or planning in ways that as many people as possible can understand. We will let people know that we will give them information in other ways if they ask. Examples of other formats are electronic, large print, audio and Braille.
Ensure that what Main Roads wants to say can be seen or heard by everyone including people with disabilities.
Use radio, newspapers, our website and other ways to get our messages across.
Ensure Main Roads website meets web access guidelines so that people can easily access information about Main Roads.

Make sure that Main Roads employees take the needs of people with disabilities into account.

We will:

Ensure Main Roads employees undertake disability awareness training to make them aware of the needs of people with disabilities.
Ensure employees who do the planning and design of roads know that just following certain standards is often not good enough for people with disabilities. We will give them a real understanding of what is needed.
Ensure employees who develop policies understand the needs of people with disabilities.
Ensure employees who meet the public or send out information to the public are aware of the needs of people with disabilities.
Ensure agents and contractors who do paid work for us follow the Main Roads Disability Access Policy and meet the requirements of the legislation

Make sure people with disabilities can make complaints.

We will:

Provide complaints mechanisms which are customer friendly and flexible to meet the needs of all customers.
Provide information about how to make complaints in a range of ways and formats so that as many people as possible can understand.
Make sure that people with disabilities, their families and carers get any support they need to help them make a complaint.

Make sure people with disabilities can have their say regarding Main Roads services, buildings, facilities and information.

We will:

Ensure we include people with disabilities when we try to find out what people think about plans for new roads or how Main Roads is doing its job e.g. customer surveys, public meetings. We will make sure that people with disabilities, their families and carers who want to have a say get the help they need to be involved.
Aim for at least one person with a disability, a carer or person with professional knowledge of disability on appropriate customer service councils and consultative groups.
Ensure that the Main Roads Disability Advisory Group and other people with disabilities, their families and carers can have a say about standards of roads and other designs that will affect them.

Make sure people with disabilities can be employed by Main Roads.

We will:

Ensure the job application process is accessible to all people
Ensure our workplaces are accessible and inclusive.
Ensure staff with disabilities get the support they need to be successful in their jobs.

Why do we have a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP)

The Disability Services Act (1993, amended in 2004) requires all State and Local Government authorities to develop and implement a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP). This is so people with disabilities can access services provided by West Australian public authorities in ways that increase independence and opportunities for inclusion within the community.

How will we monitor our progress in implementing the DAIP?

Review

Main Roads will be reviewing the DAIP every five (5) years and will report to the Disability Services Commission by 31 July each year about its progress in implementing the Plan.

In addition, the Main Roads Annual Report will detail the implementation of the Plan.

Monitoring

The Main Roads Disability Access and Inclusion Plan Steering Group will meet regularly to ensure that Main Roads delivers on its commitment to the DAIP. The Group consists of employees representing various business areas that are directly responsible for the strategies in the DAIP and are required to report on an as required basis.

Terms of Reference have also been developed to guide the Group through the Plan and ensure each strategy is auctioned according to the DAIP’s internal Implementation Plan.

The Main Roads Disability Advisory Group, consisting of external community members, will be involved in supporting Main Roads WA meet its commitment to then DAIP.

How will we communicate the DAIP to our employees and the community?

Main Roads will make the DAIP available to its employees and the community including people with disabilities, their families and carers. The plan will be available in alternative formats on request either at Main Roads offices or by email and will also be available on the Main Roads website.

Availability of the DAIP will be promoted in the following ways:

A notice in The West Australian newspaper;
Information on the Main Roads website;
Broadcast via Information Radio and other community radio stations;
Copies mailed to key organisations and Main Roads stakeholders on request; and
Presented to Corporate Executive and available to Main Roads employees on the Main Roads intranet as well as being promoted via internal communication channels.

How was this DAIP developed?

The issues and strategies that are included in this Plan weredetermined through an extensive internal and external consultationprocess.

E-QUAL Disability Consultants were engaged to undertake the consultationprocess and received a substantial response from employees (171 completedsurveys). All Main Roads employees were encouraged to contribute to this Planand were emailed a confidential survey to identify their level of awareness andunderstanding of access issues and encourage feedback. The internal DisabilityAccess and Inclusion Plan Steering Group and Main Roads Disability AdvisoryGroup (comprising external members), were also consulted and identified a number of issues for inclusion in the DAIP.

The public consultation process includeda survey which was available on the MainRoads website. The options to complete the survey face to face or via phone werealso available.

The consultation was promoted widelyand included:

An advertisement in The WestAustralian newspaper seekingfeedback;
A notice on the Main Roads website;
Direct approaches to key disabilityand community service organisations including information radio.

The results of the public consultation were generally positive. Most responses indicated that Main Roads is steadily working to improve access for people with disabilities but many people felt that more could still be achieved. Important issues for the public include:

Safe road crossings and the provision of audible and tactile signals;
Easy access to information provided by Main Roads;
Easy access to all Main Roads offices; and
Access and safety around work sites during construction.

What has Main Roads done to improve access?

Since the first Main Roads Disability Services Plan, a number of achievementshave been implemented to improve access to Main Roads services and facilities.

For example:

The widespread and responsive installation of audible and tactile traffic signals;
The placement of tactile ground surface indicators to assist people with visionimpairment;
The progressive upgrade of roadside rest areas to be more accessible. This includestoilets, tables and benches;
Main Roads liaises with the Association for the Blind of WA to arrange informationin alternative formats including Braille;
The use of the National Relay Service (NRS) at Main Roads head office in EastPerth to facilitate communication for people with a hearing impairment;
Main Roads has undertaken a comprehensive program of disability awareness training. In the consultation with staff about progress and issues in implementingthe DAIP, 87% of staff reported moderate to high awareness of the access needsof people with disability;
Main Roads remains committed to supporting its Disability Advisory Group and ensures they are able to provide valuable ongoing input to help guide accessimprovements;
Main Roads employs people with disabilities in various capacities throughout theorganisation;
The development of the 2007 Customer Service Charter communicates ourhigh level of commitment in providing excellent service to all customers.

In the previous Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 92% of the strategieswere successfully completed.

How are we making our services moreaccessible?

Our customers expect convenient and easy access to accurate andup to date information and, in order to achieve this, Main Roads isin the process of making significant improvements to the website.

As an integral part of the improvement, the new website will be mademore accessible for people with disabilities. Main Roads has developed an Internal Implementation Plan which contains specific strategies, tasks, timelines and responsibilities to guide its progress towards meetingthe outcomes of its DAIP.

When Main Roads receivesfeedback on issues that are not the responsibility of Main Roads WA,it will refer the issues to the appropriate parties as part of its commitment to enhancingaccess and inclusion throughoutthe community.

Outcome 1

People with disabilities have the same opportunities as other people to access the services of, and any events organised by Main Roads.

STRATEGIES

Ensure that all events organised by Main Roads are planned in accordance withthe Disability Services Commission’s Creating Accessible Events checklist.
Ensure tender documentation for Main Roads contracts includes informationabout disability access requirements1.
Include disability access as an item in relevant Main Roads audit processes.
Continue to progressively upgrade safety through the installation of audible signalsand tactile paving at appropriate intersections.
Continue to recommend to Local Government that they provide audible signalsand tactile paving at appropriate intersections under their control.

1 See the DSC brochure A guide to Disability Access and Inclusion Plans for State Government contract managers for suggested wording.

Outcome 2

People with disabilities have the same opportunitiesas other people to access the buildings and otherfacilities of Main Roads.

STRATEGIES

Implement rolling program of access audits of Main Roads public buildings toensure that they are assessed against the latest disability requirements.
Schedule any remedial works to ensure the accessibility of Main Roadspublic buildings.
Ensure that the construction of any new Main Roads public building or majorrefurbishments to existing Main Roads public buildings comply with the requireduniversal access standards.
Undertake a review of Main Roads Roadside Stopping Places Policy to ensureit includes disability requirements.
Continue the program of upgrading the accessibility of roadside rest areas.
Undertake annual review of Main Roads roadside stopping places and updatewebsite content (including links) annually.
Continue to work with the relevant transport bodies to ensure seamless access totransport infrastructure.

Outcome 3

People with disabilities receive information fromMain Roads in a format that will enable them toaccess the information as readily as other peopleare able to access it.

STRATEGIES

Continue to ensure all public information, including information about theaccessibility of facilities and services, is available on the website and in alternativeformats on request and its availability is promoted to staff and customers.
Develop a process to ensure relevant staff are able to provide information inalternative formats on request in a timely manner.
Ensure the Main Roads Style Guide is aligned with the State Government AccessGuidelines for Information, Services and Facilities.
Ensure all printed and digital information is developed in accordance with theState Government Access Guidelines for Information, Services and Facilities.
Continue to utilise the National Relay Service to meet the communication needs ofpeople with hearing impairments and ensure staff know how to use this service.
Ensure the Main Roads website continues to comply with W3C Guidelines anddocuments are available on the website in accessible formats.

Outcome 4

People with disabilities receive the same level andquality of service from the staff of Main Roads asother people receive.

STRATEGIES

Collate relevant access resources (e.g. Accessible Information guidelines,Access Resource Kit, Accessible Events checklists, Access to premises updates,List of Access consultants) and ensure these are readily available to staff andagents and contractors.
Continue to conduct regular Disability Awareness Training for staff across theorganisation.
Identify and provide specific disability related training according to requirementsin different areas of MRWA.
Include a disability awareness section in the induction for new staff.
Develop a staff skills register, for example staff who understand sign languageor other languages, and use these skills and competencies to enhancecustomer service.
Continue to promote Main Roads’ achievements to staff and the wider communitye.g. through the State Government’s Accessible Communities Awards and internalnewsletters.

Outcome 5