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Objective: To explore the characteristics of allied health professionals (AHPs) working with people with disabilities in western New South Wales. Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire. Setting: Rural western NSW. Participants: AHPs including physiotherapists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and psychologists (“therapists”) working with people with disabilities. Main outcome measure: Questionnaire Results: The majority of respondents were female (94%), with a mean age of 39 years; average time since qualification was 14 years; mean years in current position was 6. Most worked with people with a lifelong disability. Two-thirds reported family ties kept them in rural areas; 71% grew up in a rural/remote area. Most participants (94%) enjoyed the rural lifestyle and 84% reported opportunities for social interaction as good or very good. Participants with dependent children were less likely to cease working in western NSW within 5 years than those without dependent children (p

Throughout their lives, all people, including those who have a disability, use a broad range of community services. Community services are important in assisting people with a range of impairments to participate in their communities. Vast geographic distances and a lack of therapists in rural and remote regions of Australia pose significant barriers for implementing policy aimed at supporting people with a disability. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which metropolitan-formulated policy encompassed the unique geographic, demographic, and sociocultural challenges experienced by rural therapists and people with a disability in New South Wales (NSW). Twenty-seven policy documents were reviewed and categorized into tier 1 (higher level strategic policies) and tier 2 (specific operational policies). Tier 1 policy documents provided consistent messages about the need to develop strategies and service delivery options to address geographic, cultural, and age-related barriers facing all people in NSW including those who have a disability. Tier 2 documents revealed a lack of attention to the practical differences between implementing the policy principles in metropolitan compared with rural areas. Study findings identify that the implementation of metropolitan-formulated policy does not always encompass the unique challenges experienced by therapists providing services to rural people with a disability and their carers. This study highlights the importance of “rural proofing” policy to consider people who live and work in rural areas.