Accessibility and Inclusion Plan Moving together 2023–2024

Message from the Director-General

As the Director-General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), I am pleased to present the first TMR Accessibility and Inclusion Plan 2023–2024 also referred to as ‘Moving together’. 

This plan sits under our Accessibility and Inclusion Strategy which outlines our commitment to becoming a leader in the provision of accessible transport products, services, information, and infrastructure, as well as workplaces and work practices. 

We are already delivering on a number of initiatives to support our accessibility and inclusion journey, and this plan outlines our key areas of focus for the 2023–2024 period.

We believe accessibility is about being able to use the full range of services and products, for example asking the question ‘Can I get on the bus?’. While inclusion is feeling confident and safe when accessing services and products, for example asking, ‘Do I feel welcome on the bus?’. These two elements are critical to delivering our vision of a ‘single integrated transport network accessible to everyone’. 

And when we say ‘everyone’ we really mean ‘everyone’—people from all backgrounds, no matter their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or abilities.

TMR advocates that all people have the right to be treated equally, and we embody our accessibility and inclusion principles everyday:  

1. Design with me
2. Make me feel welcome and independent
3. Listen and improve
4. Inclusion is our culture. 

Neil Scales OBE
Director-General
Department of Transport and Main Roads

Strategy actions

Leadership commitment 

1. Key performance indicators – Develop and embed a set of accessibility and inclusion key performance indicators into executive and senior managers’ performance agreements. To be delivered 2023 quarter one.
2. Leader training – Develop and conduct annual training for all executive and senior managers around cultural awareness, inclusive mindsets, and development opportunities relating to accessibility and inclusion. To be delivered 2023 quarter 2. 
3. Leader toolkit – Develop a guide/toolkit for executives and senior managers to consider accessibility and inclusion within their everyday roles. To be delivered 2023 quarter 4. 
4. Leader champions – Empower and build engagement activities of the Champion of Accessibility and Champion of Inclusion and Diversity leaders. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4. 
   

   Planning and policy

5. Policy – Develop a TMR Accessibility and Inclusion Policy. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.
6. Change plan – Develop an internal TMR Accessibility and Inclusion Change Plan. To be delivered 2023 quarter 2.
7. Access and Inclusion Index – Conduct evaluation and benchmarking of TMR against the Australian Network on Disability Access and Inclusion Index every 18 months. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4. 
8. Surveys – Conduct the Accessibility and Inclusion Survey for employees, customers and partners every 18 months. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.

   Culture

   Customer experience

9. Social change media campaign – Develop and deliver a multi-year social change media campaign focused on improving the public transport experience for vulnerable users. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.
10. Communication channels – Evaluate TMR communication channels against accessibility and inclusion standards and best practice research to develop a prioritised plan to improve communications over a 3, 5 and 8+ year timeframe. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4. 
11. Customer engagement – Increase the diversity of customers participating in TMR customer consultation, user testing and co-design activities. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4. 
12. Customer initiatives – Conduct a series of customer trials and pilots focused on accessibility and inclusion innovations. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.
13. Customer research – Conduct a range of customer research focussed on accessibility and inclusion. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4. 
14. Customer premises - Conduct ongoing review of the accessibility and inclusiveness of TMR customer premises and make improvements. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.

    Employee lifecycle

15. Employee workplaces – Conduct ongoing review of the accessibility and inclusiveness of TMR workplaces and make improvements. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4. 
16. Recruitment practices – Review recruitment practices and develop resources and tools to improve accessibility and inclusiveness of recruitment. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.
17. Entry pathways – Establish entry pathways for people who have been traditionally disadvantaged when accessing meaningful employment. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.
18. Training – Refresh and deliver annual mandatory training to all TMR staff around legislation, standards and guidelines relating to accessibility and inclusion. To be delivered 2023 quarter 2.
19. Communications training – Develop and deliver accessible communications training to communications/general staff across the department. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4.
20. Employee networks - Engage members of the Accessibility and Inclusion Advocacy Network, Gender Equity Group, Pride Network and Indigenous Employee Network through new engagement activities and initiatives. To be delivered 2024 quarter 4. 

    Process

    Design

21. Design guide – Develop a guide around universal design and co-design for staff and delivery partners. To be delivered 2023 quarter one.
22. Micro-accessible infrastructure – Deliver a series of videos explaining the use and design of accessible micro-infrastructure for staff and delivery partners. To be delivered 2023 quarter 4.
23. Communication guidelines – Develop accessible and inclusive communication guidelines for staff and delivery partners. To be delivered 2023 quarter one.
24. Technical resources portal – Develop a portal of key accessibility and inclusion technical resources for staff and delivery partners. To be delivered 2023 quarter one.

    Practices

25. Project management practices – Embed accessibility and inclusion principles and practices into the stages of program and project lifecycle. To be delivered 2023 quarter one.
26. Finance and Procurement – Review and develop accessibility and inclusion criteria to be included within finance and procurement documentation. To be delivered 2023 quarter 4.
27. Information Communication Technology – Conduct an accessibility audit of TMR Information Communication Technology (software and hardware) and develop a prioritised plan to improve accessibility over a 3, 5 and 8+ year timeframe. To be delivered 2024 quarter 2.