International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has strengthened its commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible venue with the launch of its inaugural Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) on World Autism Awareness Day.
The Disability Inclusion Action Plan covers four key pillars that were developed in consultation with Get Skilled Access through a lengthy discovery process, and includes outcomes across Culture, Built and Digital Environment, Employment, and Systems and Processes areas.
Consultant at Get Skilled Access, Bridie McKim said the venue’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan included initiatives that will support ICC Sydney’s event attendees and its workforce alike via their new commitments.
“Our mission at ICC Sydney is to make a difference for greater Sydney and for New South Wales residents, visitors and businesses and this means ensuring our services are as welcoming, inclusive and accessible as possible for everyone that arrives through our doors.
“Together with Get Skilled Access, we undertook consultation with our team to more deeply understand where our strengths are and where there is an opportunity to improve the overall accessibility of our venue services – from content presented across our digital channels to implementing training for our team to best support people with hidden disabilities, our new Disability Inclusion Action Plan is a blueprint for enhancing our services so that every visitor feels a sense of belonging and inclusion.
“In step with attendee expectations for accessible events outlined in our RESPECT: Shaping Events for Success report, we are cognisant of ensuring that every aspect of our visitors’ journey is considered, and appropriate adjustments are made to remove any barriers to a positive experience,” ICC Sydney CEO and group director – convention centres, ASM Global (APAC), Geoff Donaghy, elaborated.
Australia’s largest disability-related event is the Sydney Disability Connection Expo. Its founder River Night applauded ICC Sydney’s “commitment to inclusion”, and noted that it was “gratifying to see” the venue have a formal Disability Inclusion Action Plan to guide their practices from accessible and inclusive event management services to logistics and exhibitor services.
In 2023, ICC Sydney was the first Australian convention centre to develop an Accessible and Inclusive Events Guide for event organisers, and this next phase of work continues to build on the venue’s resources and plans to ensure it is readily accessible and welcoming to people with a disability.
