The Electoral Commission of South Australia acknowledges and respects Aboriginal people as the State’s first people and recognises their traditional relationship with Country.

We acknowledge that the spiritual, social, cultural and economic practices of Aboriginal people come from their traditional lands and waters, and that the cultural and heritage beliefs, languages and laws are still of importance today.

One of the great privileges and responsibilities of conducting state and council elections is supporting every eligible South Australian to vote, regardless of their location or personal circumstances. 

For most South Australians, voting is a relatively straight-forward exercise that is successfully done in a matter of minutes every four years. For South Australians living with disability, however, the act of voting can be much more challenging. 

As Commissioner, I am conscious of my responsibility in creating a culture of awareness, acceptance and celebration of diversity not only within the workplace, but also for elections. 

This Disability Access and Inclusion Plan sets out a range of tangible targets that will allow Electoral Commission SA (ECSA) to continue to deliver a range of inclusive and innovative measures to support all voters in our community. 

Following on from consultation with the Electoral Disability Advisory Committee, I am pleased to share with you ECSA’s Plan. This will help ECSA empower all South Australians to participate in elections with the respect and understanding that they deserve. I see this as a flexible and agile document that we will update as required, and we welcome any feedback or enquiries about the Plan.

I would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the members of our Electoral Disability Advisory Committee for their valued advice which has been integral to the development of the ECSA Plan.

I am optimistic that with ongoing guidance from the Committee as well as public feedback, ECSA is heading in the right direction to continue to improve how we engage with and support people living with disability to participate in democracy in South Australia.

Mick Sherry 

Electoral Commissioner 

The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) is an independent agency responsible for: 

• conducting and administering South Australian state and council elections
• ensuring electors are enrolled to vote
• registering political parties
• maintaining the electoral roll in conjunction with the Australian Electoral Commission.

In line with the Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA), ECSA is committed to tailoring these responsibilities to include access and inclusion planning for people living with disability. 

ECSA’s Strategic Priorities focus on providing high quality electoral services for South Australians, community and stakeholder engagement, investment in electoral research and cultivating a high performing organisation. 

To ensure that these priorities are applicable to people living with disability, ECSA has developed this draft Disability Access and Inclusion Plan framework in accordance with the State Disability Inclusion Plan 2019-2023 and the National Disability Strategy 2010–2020.

To provide accessible and inclusive electoral services to people living with disability, ensuring that all South Australians are respectfully included in the democratic process and their voices heard. 

As at June 2020 ECSA employed 28 people under the Public Sector Act 2009, with no employees identifying as having a disability.

ECSA also employees a number of people under the Electoral Act 1985, including 7,282 roles undertaken at the 2018 State Election. ECSA did not collect data on the disability status of these employees at the 2018 State Election. Employing people living with disability at the 2022 State Election and collecting relevant data is a major focus of this Plan, as detailed in actions 4.2.1, 4.2.2 and 4.3.3

Consultation process

ECSA, as a State Authority for the purpose of the Disability Inclusion Act, has committed to a four-year Disability Access and Inclusion Plan. This will allow for preparation for the state and council elections held every four years, as well as post-election evaluation and analysis (the results of which will be used for the next Disability Access and Inclusion Plan iteration).  

Development of the ECSA’s draft Disability Access and Inclusion Plan began late 2019. 

The first phase involved detailed consultation with the Electoral Disability Advisory Committee, an advisory group representing the disability sector. 

The role of Electoral Disability Advisory Committee was to determine potential barriers experienced by people living with disability throughout the election process, and in the ECSA workplace, and provide guidance and advice to develop strategies to address these challenges. 

The Electoral Disability Advisory Committee members are:

• Blind Citizens Australia SA
• Cara
• Catalyst Foundation
• City of Salisbury
• Deaf Can:Do
• JFA Purple Orange
• Life Without Barriers
• Mental Health Coalition of South Australia
• Multiple Sclerosis Society of SA/NT
• Office of the Public Advocate
• Orana
• Royal Society for the Blind.

The second phase involved public consultation, which was hosted on ECSA’s website from 6 August 2020 to 4 September 2020. 

The Disability Access and Inclusion Plan was available in the following formats:

• A draft online Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (Plan) was accessed 154 times.
• A draft PDF Plan was downloaded 82 times. 
• A PDF Easy Read Plan was downloaded 80 times. 
• A plain text Easy Read Plan was downloaded 12 times. 
• Multilingual and print alternative texts were also offered on request (no requests).

The consultation was promoted through: 

• The Electoral Disability Advisory Committee networks 
• ECSA’s Facebook and Twitter channels 
• Online paid advertisements
• The YourSAY network 
• An email campaign targeted at 153 additional organisations representing the following sectors was undertaken:
  • Aboriginal  
  • Carers networks 
  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities (CALD) 
  • Disability  
  • Homeless 
  • Youth.

The public was able to provide feedback through four channels: 

• An online survey, with 18 responses received 
• Email, with 10 responses received 
• Phone, with five responses received 
• In person, with no requests received.

Thirty three comments and contributions were received in total. Twenty three of these were from individuals, and 10 were from organisations.

Of the survey responses:

• 61% were female, 33% were male and 6% identified as other 
• 5% were 12-25 years old 
• 89% were 26-65 years old 
• 6% were over 65 years old 
• 6% identified as Aboriginal 
• 12% identified as CALD 
• 65% identified as a person living with disability 
• 35% identified as a carer or a family member of a person living with disability 
• 84% said they had experienced barriers enrolling or voting. 

Main themes of feedback

Four main themes emerged through the public feedback: 

1. Accessibility of polling places 
2. Disability parking 
3. Sensory issues 
4. Unsound mind 

Finally, there was a small amount of feedback about:

• Telephone voting, and 
• More diversity on the Electoral Disability Advisory Committee. 

ECSA collaborated with the Electoral Disability Advisory Committee to review all feedback received and made numerous changes to the Plan.

ECSA has developed the draft Disability Access and Inclusion Plan framework in accordance with these State and Federal legislation, policies and documents:

• Disability Inclusion Act 2018
• The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Commonwealth)
• State Disability Inclusion Plan 2019-2023
• The South Australian Equal Opportunity Act 1984
• Code of Ethics for South Australian Public Sector Employees
• Public Sector Act 2009
• National Disability Strategy 2010–2020
• Electoral Act 1985
• Electoral Commission SA Strategic Plan 2017-2020.

In accordance with the State Disability Inclusion Plan, the focus areas of the ECSA Disability Access and Inclusion Plan are:

1. Inclusive communities for all
2. Leadership and collaboration
3. Accessible communities
4. Learning and employment.

2014 - ECSA publishes its State Election Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.

2014 - A dedicated polling booth for people with disability is used for the State Election. 

2014 - The Office of the Public Advocate and JFA Purple commend the efforts of ECSA for producing resources to assist people living with disability to vote at the State Election.

2017 - ECSA, Orana and the City of West Torrens are nominated for their collaboration in civic participation for the Community Excellence Award in the 2017 National Disability Awards.

2018 - ECSA publishes a new State Election Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.

2018 - The first unassisted voting system for blind and low vision electors is trialled during the State Election.

2019 - ECSA establishes an ongoing Electoral Disability Advisory Committee.

ECSA acknowledges the members of Electoral Disability Advisory Committee for their assistance in the development of the ECSA Disability Access and Inclusion Plan framework. 

Social inclusion is a priority for people living with disability as it affects all aspects of their lives. It is our aim that the contributions and rights of people living with disability are valued and understood by all South Australians and that their rights are promoted, upheld and protected. We want to ensure that people living with disability are supported to advocate for their own rights. 

Priority 1: Involvement in the community.
Priority 2: Improving community understanding and awareness.
Priority 3: Promoting the rights of people living with disability.

People living with disability need to have a greater role in leading and contributing to government and community decision-making. It is our aim that the perspectives of people living with disability are actively sought and that they are supported to participate meaningfully in government and community consultation and engagement activities.

Priority 4: Participation in decision-making.
Priority 5: Leadership and raising profile.
Priority 6: Engagement and consultation.

Universal access to the built environment, quality services and information is key to ensuring people living with disability are included and can equally participate in all aspects of community life. 

Priority 7: Universal Design across South Australia.
Priority 8: Accessible and available information.
Priority 9: Access to services.

Workforce participation is fundamental to social inclusion. It provides economic independence and choice, social connections and friendships, value, identity and belonging. It is our aim that people living with disability have access to inclusive places of study and that education and training provides pathways to meaningful and inclusive employment and volunteering opportunities.

Priority 10: Better supports within educational and training settings.
Priority 11: Skill development through volunteering and support in navigating the pathway between learning and earning.
Priority 12: Improved access to employment opportunities and better support within workplaces.

Ballot paper
Paper containing names used for voting in an election.

Best practice
A method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to any alternatives because it produces results that are better to those achieved by other means or because it has become a standard way of doing things.

Co-design
A range of activities and processes used in the design of services and products that involve people who use or are affected by that service or product.

ECSA
The Electoral Commission of South Australia.

Elector
A person who is entitled to vote at an election.

Electoral roll
A list of names of people who can vote in an election.

Polling booth
The physical location where a person can vote in private.

RDV
A list of names of people who are sent a postal vote at every election.

Silent elector
A person whose name and address is hidden on the electoral roll for safety reasons.