Equal access

The City of Hobart is committed to building inclusive, strong and healthy communities through the celebration of diversity and participation in community life, by making services, programs and facilities accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

The City of Hobart aims to support and enhance everyone's capacity to participate fully in community life through:

recognising the fundamental right of all people in Hobart to have the opportunity to participate fully socially, culturally, economically, physically and politically in the life of their community

ensuring that the needs and aspirations of community members regardless of age, ability, identity or background are addressed in partnership with other key stakeholders

engaging the community to identify community needs and aspirations and to participate in the responses, through community capacity building

identifying and understanding the underlying causes of social exclusion and giving priority to supporting early intervention and prevention approaches

improving access to facilities, services, programs, activities, events, information and employment

ensuring the City of Hobart's practices, policies and procedures actively build social inclusion and do not contribute to social barriers

utilising a whole-of-organisation approach to address the barriers that exclude people from fully participating in community life through the implementation of the Community Inclusion and Equity Framework and the Equal Access Action plan

encouraging changes to physical and social environments that improve access and equity and enhance community participation.

Access Advisory Committee

The City of Hobart's Access Advisory Committee meets quarterly to discuss access issues around Hobart.

The committee is made up of representation from several community groups, people with lived experience and passionate individuals who provide advice and assistance to the City of Hobart on matters related to access.

To learn more about the Access Advisory Committee, please contact the Accessible City Coordinator on 03 6238 2413 or by email coh@hobartcity.com.au.

Disability in Tasmania

In Tasmania over one quarter (26.8 per cent) of people report having some type of disability. This is high compared to other states. People with disability are diverse – having different types and levels of disability, which means they have varying needs for assistance and support. Some people require support with self-care, mobility, communication, employment, and social support.

"People with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which - in interaction with various barriers - may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others".

- United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The proportion of the population living with disability increases considerably with age. Tasmania has the highest proportion of people aged 65 years and over with disability (55 per cent).