Disability Action Plan 2019–2021

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CEO’s Message

Film, TV, videogames, digital culture and art. Unique in the museum landscape in Australia, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) celebrates the moving image and its profound impact over the last 120 years as it transports, challenges and entertains people of all ages and backgrounds, right across the globe.

As ACMI embarks on a visionary redevelopment that will transform our institution for our visitor I am pleased to introduce the ACMI 2019-2022 Disability Action Plan. This plan has been created in the spirit of our organisational Values which capture our commitment to inclusion and diversity. It strives to create space for and welcome people with disabilities into our organisation. It calls upon ACMI to confront unconscious biases and exclusionary practices through embracing ambitious goals and exploring new ways of working in our pursuit of equality.

ACMI's vision is to be the leading global museum of the moving image. We aim to connect makers, thinkers, viewers and players in a vibrant physical and digital space; embracing the future, understanding the past and unlocking new types of creativity. We strive to enable dynamic access to our collections, resources and stories, fostering participation and collaboration for both the creative industries and the public at large. We work to empower our communities to become creative and critical consumers and producers of the moving image.

For ACMI to achieve this vision we need to identify and remove the barriers that prevent people with disability engaging with our rich cultural offer. We want ACMI to be recognised as a public space that invites and welcomes everyone. The ACMI 2019-2022 Disability Action Plan is our call to action for our newly imagined museum. I look forward to working with our Board, staff, stakeholders and partners to bring it to fruition.

Situated at the very heart of Melbourne in Federation Square, ACMI explores the rapid evolution and astonishing creativity of the moving image with a vibrant, multilayered program of exhibitions, screenings, installations and commissions, festivals, and public, industry & education programs. ACMI is the most successful museum of its kind in the world. It plays a vital part in establishing Melbourne as a global cultural destination. In 2017/18, ACMI attracted 1.55 million visitors to its Federation Square site, and 556,000 visitors to its national and international exhibition touring program.

– Katrina Sedgwick, CEO & Director

Introduction

This plan outlines the activities that ACMI will undertake towards constantly improving accessibility.

This plan has been developed in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) and the Victorian Disability Act 2006 (Vic) (VDA). The DDA strives to eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against people with disabilities in a range of areas, including access to employment, access to education, access to premises, and access to the provision of goods and services. The DDA also applies to family, support workers and other associates of any person with a disability. Section 38 of the VDA requires Victorian public-sector bodies to prepare disability action plans.

The principles behind this plan originate from the Social Model of Disability which proposes that people are not disabled by a medical condition but by physical, attitudinal, communication and social barriers. At ACMI we believe it is everyone’s responsibility to help break down these barriers. This plan focuses on the action ACMI is taking to identify and remove barriers in relation to:

1. Access
2. Employment Opportunities
3. Inclusion and Participation
4. Attitudes and Behaviours

Against each of these principles ACMI has articulated a goal and series of actions, identified responsibilities, measures, progress and a timeline for achieving those goals.

Access

Goal: Identify and reduce barriers for people living with a disability accessing our physical and digital space, our Collection, programs and our services.

See actions, responsibilities, measures and timeframes in the DAP document (page 4).

Employment opportunities

Goal:  Reduce barriers for people living with a disability obtaining and maintaining employment.

See actions, responsibilities, measures and timeframes in the DAP document (page 5).

Inclusion and participation

Goal: Invite and welcome people with disabilities to ACMI.

See actions, responsibilities, measures and timeframes in the DAP document (page 5–6).

Attitudes and behaviours

Goal:  Develop positive attitudes through increasing awareness and revising policy and practice.

See actions, responsibilities, measures and timeframes in the DAP document (page 7).

Managing this plan

The Director of Public Education and Industry Programs is the Executive accountable for this plan and the Head of Human Resources is responsible for the overall delivery of this Disability Action Plan. Responsibility for individual actions rests with the nominated manager. The Plan will be referenced in the Business Plan, Department Plans, and individual performance plans as appropriate and will be considered as part of ACMI’s budgetary planning. ACMI’s commitment to Disability Action is shared by all its staff and volunteers. To support this ACMI has a range of mechanisms to ensure that awareness of and action towards meeting the goals of this plan are met through:

1. A Disability Advisory Group, convened by the Director Public, Education and Industry Programming – a consultative committee representing the diverse needs of people with disabilities through peak bodies (Arts Access Victoria, AMAZE, Description Victoria, etc …) that meets bi annually to review ACMI programming and planning and provide advice towards improving accessibility across our work.
2. The Universal Access Steering Group, chaired by the Head of Human Resources – a staff committee comprising representatives of ACMI’s key business areas charged with bringing the Disability Action Plan to life across all areas of our work and undertaking status and progress reporting against the objectives and goals of this plan. The Universal Access Steering Group, will undertake a half-yearly and end of year status report of progress to the objectives and goals of the Plan. The status report will be presented to the ACMI Executive and the Board.