The Client Service Charter specifies the Museum’s role as both provider and consumer, and defines the service standards for meeting the needs of people with a disability. In keeping with Australian Standard AS ISO10002-2006 Customer satisfaction — Guidelines for complaint handling in organisations.The Client Service Charter also provides a mechanism for feedback and complaints.
In 2014–15, the Museum maintained its key affiliations with bodies such as the National Relay Service, which provides phone solutions for deaf, hearing and speech-impaired people, and the National Companion Card Scheme, which allows carers to enter all events and exhibitions free of charge. The Museum continued to improve its performance as a popular and safe destination for people with disabilities, particularly in the provision of physical aids and the scheduling of tailored programs. Highlights included:
- successful implementation of a range of onsite and offsite programming delivered to access audiences, specifically children with disability, people living with dementia, visual impairment and people in assisted living
- events to celebrate and acknowledge International Museums Day and International Day for People with Disability, which focused on the Museum as an accessible and engaging cultural space for all visitors
- staff contribution of a monthly segment on Radio 1RPH — the radio reading service, sharing stories from the Museum’s objects, exhibitions or themes
- delivery of music and art programs catering for people with a range of disabilities
- maintenance of a fleet of mobility scooters for use by the general public
- hosting of guided tours for groups with disabilities
- provision of information to our staff, via the Museum intranet, on running tours for visually impaired visitors
- maintenance of hearing induction loops throughout the Museum, including in the Visions and Circa theatres, and three countertop hearing induction loops at the Information Desk and cloakroom
- maintenance of an evacuation stair chair (Evacu-Trac CD7), and provision of relevant staff training, to assist in safely evacuating mobility-impaired visitors in an emergency
- offering of equipment for guided tours, with optional headphones that provide clearer reception and include T-switch functionality for people with hearing aids
- provision of braille and large-print versions of the Museum map and the guide to the Garden of Australian Dreams
- provision of a braille guide for the exhibition Australian of the Year Awards 2015
- revision of the guidelines for access of assistance animals, in recognition of the growing variety of disability aids and to ensure the safety of the Museum’s workers, visitors, building and operations
- modification of the information desk to provide assistance for a range of impairments, including wheelchair access for staff and visitors, and reducing the desk width to minimise stretching and reach for people with a range of impairments and disabilities
- engagement of an independent and accredited disability access consultant to audit the Museum’s Acton buildings for required disability access for employees and visitors
- provision of online resources for employees on the whys and hows of good disability access
- launching of the Museum’s Diversity Action Plan 2014–18.
In its role as a purchaser, the Museum continued to adhere to the requirements of Australian Government legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. This included:
- making tender information available in accessible formats (both electronic and paper)
- providing specifications for goods and services that, where appropriate, are consistent with the requirements of the Act ensuring that contractors and service providers comply with legislation applicable to the performance of the contract.