1.3 million reasons to celebrate people with disability

3 December 2023

The NSW Government is celebrating the contributions and achievements of more than 1.3 million people with disability across NSW, as the state marks International Day of People with Disability.

The day promotes community awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability, who play a valuable role in society.

Whether through employment, sport, advocacy, or public life, people with disability continue to help NSW become a more accessible and inclusive state for all.

Organisations are removing barriers for people with disability to find work including the public sector, with NSW Government departments increasingly able to harness the skills and experience of people with diverse abilities.

The NSW Government is committed to improving accessible and inclusive communities by:

• Ensuring government websites and online services are easy to access, including through Easy Read.
• Providing children with disability learning support in school.
• Improving the recruitment and retention of the NSW Government workforce with disability.
• The NSW Government also provides programs to support people with disability, carers and service providers, including the Companion Card and Disability Advocacy Futures Program.

This is in addition to the $3.9 billion invested in 2022-23 to support the NDIS and $15.9 billion over four years to 2025-26. This funding is leveraged with Commonwealth contributions leading to record investment in specialist disability services across NSW.

The NSW Government recognises that there is still a lot of work to be done, however, and is committed to working to improve the lives of people with disability.

Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington said:

“More than 1.3 million people in NSW live with a disability and make a significant contribution to our state every day.

“International Day of People with Disability serves as an important reminder to the entire community to recognise and celebrate the diverse skills and experience of the people around us.”

“The NSW Government is committed to improving inclusion and accessibility across mainstream services.

“There’s still a lot of important work to do to make our schools, hospitals and transport systems more accessible, and as a new government, we take the task seriously.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion, Liesl Tesch said:

“Today is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of people with diverse strengths and abilities across NSW and the richness that provides to our communities.

“It’s also a chance to reflect on how inclusive we are as a state and where we can do better, whether that’s making essential services like healthcare and homes accessible for everyone or creating flexible education spaces to suit different learning styles.

“I am so excited to continue to work with Minister Washington to see people with disability empowered to live their dreams free from the barriers of exclusion that we too often face.”

Disability Council NSW Chair Jane Spring said:

“Happy International Day of People with Disability. As we celebrate progress and achievements, we also encourage all organisations to consult people with disability and accept their feedback to make sure there are no barriers to inclusion.

“The 12 members of the Disability Council are committed to sharing our insights and experience to create a community where everyone can participate fully.”