From 1 July, Bass Coast Shire Council’s Building Inclusive Communities’ RuralAccess Program will be replaced by the new Access and Healthy Ageing Program.
This comes as the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s funding for the RuralAccess Program, which has been running in Bass Coast since 2001, ends on 30 June.
The RuralAccess Program empowered people living with a disability to achieve their goals in inclusive communities across the state, including Bass Coast.
The new Program, which is funded by Council, will continue with a strategic emphasis on improving community access, inclusion, participation and well-being of people living with a disability and older people residing in, or visiting Bass Coast.
Bass Coast Shire Mayor, Cr Brett Tessari said the RuralAccess Program had seen number of achievements over its 19 years.
“These include funding local businesses, clubs and community groups to improve accessibility, co-ordinating leadership and capacity building for people with a disability, developing and delivering the Good Access is Good Business program and supporting the roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme across the Shire,” Cr Tessari said.
“Bass Coast Shire Council will continue the fantastic progress that the RuralAccess Program has made over the years for people with living with a disability in our community and will be extended to consider the access, inclusion and participation needs of our older community members too.”
