Access to Council services and information
COVID-19 Information and Resources
Below is a list of helpful resources and information about COVID-19 for people with disability, their families and carers. Many of the organsiations listed below update their information regularly.
Hotline and information for people with disability and carers
https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers/information-and-referrals-for-people-with-disability-and-their-supporters-about-coronavirus-covid-19
Department of Health (DHS)
General information and latest updates https://www.health.gov.au/
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Victoria Latest information about COVID19 and people with disability https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/information-people-disability-coronavirus-disease-covid-19
NDIS and COVID-19 https://www.ndis.gov.au/coronavirus
Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)
A list of resources for people with disability https://www.dana.org.au/covid-19-disability-resources/
First Peoples Disability Network Australia
Excellent videos, information and resources https://fpdn.org.au/covid19/
People with Disability COVID-19 Hub
https://pwd.org.au/covid-19-hub/
Every Australian Counts
A number of resources from grassroots NDIS campaign https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/emergency-information-for-ndis-participants-and-families-about-the-coronavirus/#other-sites
Autism
Community information https://www.amaze.org.au/2020/03/covid-19-coronavirus-amaze-community-information/
Blind Citizens Australia
Weekly updates https://www.bca.org.au/2020/03/12/information-on-coronavirus-covid-19/
Council for Intellectual Disability
https://cid.org.au/our-stories/staying-safe-from-coronavirus/
The Growing Space
Excellent information such as, how to keepyour wheelchair clean, how to use asupport worker and avoid COVID-19 https://www.thegrowingspace.com.au/covid19/
Easy Read Resources
https://www.afdo.org.au/easy-read-covid-19-resources/
https://accesseasyenglish.com.au/covid-19-resources/
Housing for People with Disability
https://thehousinghub.org.au/?utm_source=The+Housing+Hub&utm_campaign=67a522ae1e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_30_01_46&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_df36bcac6f-67a522ae1e-63288583
NDIS Priority Home Delivery Service
https://www.ndis.gov.au/coronavirus/priority-home-delivery-services
The Carer Gateway
https://www.carergateway.gov.au/covid-19
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Disability affects more than 20 per cent of people in Merri-bek.
Disability can be caused by illness, an accident or a genetic condition, or be a result of getting older.
In the future there will be more people with disability in Merri-bek. Disability increases with age, our population is growing older and life expectancies are higher.
How Council can help
Council supports people with disability to participate in the community by:
- providing home, personal and respite care and community transport services
- ensuring Active Merri-bek leisure centres and swimming pools are accessible to people with disability (some leisure centres have accessible gym equipment)
- helping local businesses be accessible
- running disability awareness training for Council staff
- consulting the community about disability access and inclusion, including through our Disability Policy and Working Group, and
- supporting International Day of People with Disability events in the first week of December each year to celebrate the contributions of people with disability in Merri-bek.
Opportunities
Bandmates
Are you a young person over 18 with a disability or mental health issue that wants to see live music?
Want to meet a person who has the same musical interest as you?
Bandmates Vic is the program for you!
Bandmates will meet and talk with you and match you with a volunteer of your choice.
Visit the Maribyrnong City Council Bandmates Victoria webpage.
For a person with disability, carer or family member
If you have a disability, Council’s MetroAccess Officer can tell you about:
- how to speak up about things you are concerned about
- projects happening in Merri-bek
- disability services in Merri-bek
- respite services, and
- what Council is doing to improve things for people with a disability.
For a community group, business or organisation
Council's Disability Planner can:
- provide information about communicating with people with a disability
- support you to make your group or organisation more inclusive and accessible.
If you are a business, industry or organisation in Merri-bek, see good access is good business guide.
This explains how to make your business or organisation more accessible to people with disabilities.
Access to Council information
Council wants to make sure people with disability can find and use all Council services and information.
Speak and listen
Phone 1300 555 727 then ask for (03) 9240 1111.
Internet relay users
Connect to the National Relay Service then ask for 9240 1111.
Council website
The Merri-bek City Council website has been designed to meet WCAG guidelines Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It also meets the requirements of the Victorian government and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The website's accessibility statement describes the accessibility features.
If you require information in alternative formats, for example, large font, please contact Council.