WSLHD Allied Health Disability Inclusion Action Plan

Our community and staff

Western Sydney LHD

Western Sydney LHD spans Blacktown, The Hills Shire, Cumberland and Parramatta local government areas (LGAs) [5] and is one of the state’s most economically, socially and culturally diverse areas. The western Sydney community is one of NSW’s fastest-growing areas, with more than 1.3 million residents forecast to call the area home by 2031 [6] . “According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly 1 in 5 Australians have a disability, with older Australians more likely to have a disability as they age. [7] ” Around 18% of people living in western Sydney are estimated to be people with disability. [8] Based on this figure, it is estimated that more than 180,000 people with disability are living within Western Sydney LHD. According to the 2016 census, 4.7% of the population, or more than 43,000 people, in the Western Sydney LHD indicated that they had a profound or severe disability, requiring assistance with a core activity (e.g. self-care, mobility, and communication). [9] It is vital then, that Western Sydney LHD is prepared and able to support the changing health needs of the local community and to provide accessible, equitable and respectful healthcare to people with disability, from diverse backgrounds.

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1. Mount Druitt Hospital 2. Blacktown Hospital 3. Westmead Hospital 4. Cumberland Hospital 5. Auburn Hospital

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1,000,000

people live within the LHD

44% of residents were born overseas

13,000+

residents identify as Aboriginal

50%

By 2026, people aged 70+ are expected to increase by

59%

of residents speak a language other than English at home

[2,3,4]

Western Sydney Local Health District–Disability Inclusion Action Plan

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