Our plan

We invited feedback from employees and customers through conversations, surveys and focus groups. Our consultation identified barriers and gathered solutions. This ensured that we considered a wide range of views, perspectives and lived experience. The honesty and insight shared through this engagement laid the foundation for the development of this plan.

Get Skilled Access (GSA)

To support the development of this DIAP, we partnered with Get Skilled Access (GSA), a majority disability owned and operated organisation. GSA reviewed the DCS DIAP 2020-2024 and other internal documents. They also led employee focus groups and community conversations and supported the design of our surveys. GSA provided us with a consultation findings report and recommended actions. Some of these actions have been included in this plan.

Employee survey and focus groups

As part of the consultation, we ran an employee survey and focus groups. Together these provided valuable insights into the experiences of disability inclusion and accessibility at DCS. Many employees described positive team cultures and recognised a strong foundation for disability inclusion. However, they also highlighted ongoing barriers. These included inconsistent or unclear processes, limited disability awareness, challenges with recruitment and career progression and accessibility issues across systems.

I think some staff don't always necessarily understand that inclusion for customers and staff with disabilities is not about special treatment, it's about leveling the playing field, so I'd like to see a lot of staff educated on that, taking that on board

Employee, DCS

Community survey

We also engaged with customers and community members through a community survey, a quick poll and submissions from peak bodies. Feedback highlighted positive experiences where employees were respectful, helpful and responsive to individual needs. Ongoing barriers accessing services were also identified. This included inconsistent accessibility across digital platforms and service centres, as well as challenges with communication and physical environments.

Co-design

Three co-design workshops brought together business leaders, ERG chairs and people with lived experience of disability. These workshops built on consultation findings and were collaborative and practical. They led to clear priorities to address identified barriers, aligned with existing business commitments and strategy.

There is still an attitude that disability inclusion is about "doing something for" people with disability, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to remove barriers so people with disability can contribute their valuable skills and perspectives.

Senior leader, DCS

The DCS Inclusion Steering Committee, chaired by the Secretary, oversees the development and implementation of DCS inclusion plans. The Committee applies an intersectional approach to ensure alignment across different areas of diversity. These include disability, gender, multicultural, LGBTIQA+SB, generational, and carer responsibilities.

The Committee meets quarterly to monitor progress, manage risks, and ensure inclusion initiatives align with broader DCS and sector-wide strategies. This includes the NSW Digital Strategy and the NSW Digital Inclusion Strategy. This work also supports our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, in line with legislative requirements and obligations.

We are committed to reporting on our DIAP implementation progress, quarterly to the Inclusion Steering Committee, and annually through the DCS Annual Report. Our DIAP progress report will also be provided to the Minister for Disability Inclusion to meet reporting requirements and contribute to whole-of-government efforts to improve disability inclusion.

The DCS Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is committed to improving disability inclusion across all divisions. The ELT holds final accountability for the implementation and reporting of this DIAP.

The DIAP will be delivered through targeted actions and key deliverables, aligned to our inclusion pillars. Each deliverable has assigned responsibility across the business and will be implemented using a project-based approach that will:

• Define clear scope and objectives 
• Identify key stakeholders and delivery partners 
• Establish measurable timeframes and milestones 
• Track progress and impact through specific metrics.

To support continuous improvement, deliverables will be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain fit for purpose and responsive to emerging needs, feedback and business priorities.

Delivery of this plan will be supported by strong governance, regular reporting and ongoing collaboration with employee networks and people with lived experience.

This structured and adaptive approach will ensure actions are implemented consistently and transparently, with a clear focus on outcomes that matter.

We will continue to refine our DIAP in collaboration with people with disability, and through our internal networks, sector partnerships, and accessibility forums. This ongoing engagement will ensure our work remains inclusive, informed and future‑focused.