Westerners with a disability are being urged to make their voice heard in Mission Australia’s fourth annual Community Access and Inclusion Survey.

Officials say the survey data will be shared with community groups and local councils, and help Mission staff work with people with disabilities.

Submissions are open until 28 March and are also for people who know, live with or know someone with a disability.

Coonamble’s Kim Peters has a 20-year-old son Harry with Cerebral Palsy and took the survey.

“It was an easy survey to do, it doesn’t take much time,” Ms Peters said.

“It means that there is data generated, and unfortunately in this day and age, without data things are easily ignored.

“People only know they need to funnel money there if someone tells them it’s an issue.”

The Mission survey is online and has easy-read versions, as well as in Braille and Auslan. IMAGE: River McCrossen

Ms Peters said that Coonamble community members were largely inclusive when it comes to disability.

However, she said main street access was a problem given a number of buildings have a step to enter. She also said it is hard to find the right carers.

“We’ve got one support worker for Harry, but if something happens to him, we have issues,” Ms Peters said.

The survey asks if participants live in metropolitan, regional or remote areas, and how they feel about access and inclusion to work, education, support and buildings in their community.

Mission Australia Early Intervention Community Engagement Facilitator, Ashley Cowie, encouraged community members to complete the survey, with results aimed at supporting a better understanding of community need and helping inform future projects.

“I love data,” Dubbo-based Ms Cowie said.

“We want to hear real-life experiences or examples of what is happening for people. We want to hear their voice because it does matter.

“It’s really good to be able to have the data so we’re able to compare over the years and look at whether we are moving in the right way.”

The survey had over 1200 respondents last year, with many participants reporting poor access to employment opportunities.