Australia Council Arts and Disability Action Plan 2011-2013 Leadership Goal 1: To take a leadership role in increasing awareness

of arts and disability issues Key Actions Funding for arts and disability Performance Measure Include a budget line for access, assistance and transport costs in all new funding applications. Explore the establishment of dedicated funding for artists with a disability. Support artists and arts workers with a disability through opportunities at the Australia Council: mentorship opportunities; internships; and work. Ensure leadership; and management programs with arts organisations consider applicants with disability. Provide information regarding wage subsidy options and support services. Advertise Australia Council employment opportunities through arts and disability organisations and disability and mental health employment services. Timeframe Jun 2012 Responsibility Operations Division

Completed (Cultivate Arts Funding program) Division

Dec 2012 Australia Council disability and HR teams and Arts Access Australia

Career development and sustainability

Ongoing

Ongoing

Cultural Engagement Framework training and information

Together with State and Territory partners, offer disability awareness and arts and disability action plan training to key organisations and invite other non-Australia Council funded arts organisations to participate.1

Dec 2012 Australia Council disability and Key Organisations staff, Accessible Arts NSW Dec 2013

Facilitate mentor relationships between recently trained organisations and organisations that have experience implementing disability action plans and access strategies for business plans.2 Showcase achievements of leaders in the arts industry who experience a disability Showcase the value of arts and disability works Participate in National Arts and Disability Strategy
11

Showcase professional achievements of artists and arts workers with a disability through a series of programs. Deliver regular internal presentations and discussion Consider the development of an arts and disability showcase exhibition in Rover Thomas Auditorium.3 Work collaboratively with the Australian Government, State, Territory and Local

Ongoing

Australia Council Communications team Australia Council disability team Australia Council representative

Dec 2012

Ongoing

Encourage organisations to consider how they actively engage with people with disabilities as audiences, participants, artists and arts/cultural workers as part of their planning and reporting processes. 2 In addition, partner with arts and disability networks to provide online resources to assist arts organisations with arts and disability action planning and access techniques. 3 Partner with arts and cultural agencies working towards Focus Area 2, Goal 2 of the National Arts and Disability Strategy: Explore the feasibility of establishing a national touring circuit for art produced by people with a disability.

Governments and peak bodies to share information, resources and assist in implementation of the National Arts and Disability Strategy. Accessibility Goal 2: To improve access to the Australia Councils programs, services and the built environment for people with disabilities. Key Actions Performance Measure Ensure online system is compliant with Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA Success Criteria. Ensure that this is compatible with the website. Access to funding opportunities Facilitate assistance for people with a disability to apply for funding through partnership and exchange with the arts and disability network. Develop an arts and disability and disability sector marketing list to distribute information about funding opportunities.4 Continue to monitor and analyse coding to identify a baseline for the current level of engagement and funding for arts and disability projects or initiatives. Jun 2012 Timeframe Responsibility

Australia Council operations, disability and communications teams

Monitor funding for arts and disability

Ongoing until Dec 2013 (commenced in

Operations; Research and Strategic Analysis

Utilise CRM to establish the marketing list and include human rights, anti-discrimination and broader disability sector contacts.

In December 2013, analyse coding data to identify any changes or developments in funding for arts and disability projects and initiatives.5 Establish a list of accessible venues in each State and Territory to be utilised when planning client visits, advocacy sessions and events. Continue to include the access by-line and universal access symbols on all promotional materials for Australia Council events. Identify Access Audit recommendations that are the responsibility of the building owner; and the responsibility of Australia Council. Identify budgetary commitment to Access Audit recommendations that are the responsibility of Australia Council. Undertake further communication with the building owner to follow up on relevant Access Audit recommendations. Enable adjustable work stations for staff with access requirements.

early 2011)

Access to Australia Council events

Ongoing

Communications

Access to Australia Council premises

To be completed by Dec 2012

Australia Council disability team

Use results to inform the next iteration of the Arts and Disability Action Plan 2014-2016.

Communication Goal 3: To improve the Australia Councils communications and promotions relating to arts and disability. Key Actions Performance Measure Work with arts media to promote arts and disability achievements including those of artists with a disability funded by Australia Council. CEF achievements promoted across all areas of Council eg feature arts and disability stories in a more prominent location on the Australia Council website and publications; and Access Champions to consider arts and disability stories for artform web stories and case studies. Ensure regular cross Council updates regarding the CEF including arts and disability initiative highlights.6 Timeframe Responsibility

Promote arts and disability

Ongoing

Communications and Community Partnerships

Promote Artist in Residence (AIR) programs that have delivered quality arts education and experiences for students with a disability. Access Champions are promoted on the intranet (Buzz). Access Champions will be Ongoing. identified within their individual profiles and will be searchable as a group. Australia Council disability team and Access Champions

Raise the profile of Access Champions

Use a range of communication formats including email and All Staff meetings.

Ensure communications are accessible

Access to online content

Review Access Champions and introduce new members where spaces become available. Link new Access Champions with experienced Access Champions to exchange skills and knowledge. Ensure that communications plans (such as the Style Guide) of Australia Council include guidelines for accessible communication.7 Ongoing Continue to offer Auslan, phonic ear system, TTY, Braille and audio description upon request for events, programs and funding processes. Ensure that the new Australia Council website is in line with Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA Success Criteria. Ongoing Investigate use of alternative formats for communication eg videos with captions as well as text content.

Australia Council disability team

Communications

This will address all contractual work, reports and online communications.
6

Workplace Culture Goal 4: To foster a workplace culture that is responsive and inclusive of people with disabilities. Key Actions Performance Measure All sections of Council actively contribute to the implementation of arts and disability initiatives including the actions in this Plan. Access Champions facilitate improved knowledge and involvement of their area of Council. Australia Council is open to staff undertake secondments and exchange opportunities with arts and cultural organisations that work towards the goals of people who identify with CEF strategies. 8 Also open to external personnel being seconded into the Australia Council. Explore online training for all CEF areas (including disability) as part of staff induction. Training is delivered as part of induction to teach new and existing staff about practical access services such as TTY and the Phonic Ear System as well as accessible communication guidelines as provided in the Australia Council Style Guide. Publish the Arts and Disability Action Plan 2011-2013 on Australia Councils website. Distribute the Arts and Disability Action Plan 2011-2013 to the arts and disability sector. Timeframe Responsibility

Enable whole of organisation responsibility for arts and disability

Ongoing

All staff, Access Champions

Ensure all staff are informed of arts and disability issues and access initiatives

Dec 2012

Human Resources Property Services

Distribute and facilitate implementation of the Arts and Disability Action Plan 2011-2013

Ongoing

Australia Council disability team

This will assist Australia Council to build networks in sector and improve Australia Council understanding of industry matters.

Develop an access how to fact sheet to be distributed with the Arts and Disability Action Plan to all staff. Publish annual progress reports on Australia Councils website. A full review is undertaken upon completion of the Action Plan. Consultation and reports are exchanged with the Executive Group and the arts and disability sector. Continue to promote peer registry to the arts and disability sector and draw an arts and disability list from the peer registry to provide to all areas of Council annually. Representation of artists, arts workers and industry Include people with a disability as a target leaders with a disability on area in the Nominations and Governance Council, boards, committees Committees Matrix for the selection of board and assessment panels members and peers. Continue to ensure that nominations for Council and board positions are reflective of all CEF areas. Continue a dedicated position for a person with a disability at Australia Council to work across all areas of Council. Working towards Australia Councils recruitment process to ensure that interview Increase employment of panels are well informed of equal opportunity people with a disability at the employer responsibilities. Australia Council Ensure all advertising for employment opportunities includes a statement identifying Australia Council as an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from people who identify with CEF areas (including

Ongoing

Australia Council disability team

Ongoing

Human Resources

disability).9

Refer to the Australian Human Rights Commission for guidance and information regarding equitable employment practices.