Your Story Disability Legal Support is holding some online events in early December including, a webinar for Queensland community workers, a conversation about LGBTIQA+ communities and the Disability Royal Commission and ‘Fearless and fabulous: Celebrating the disability community’ (on International Day of People with Disability)
DANA is extremely pleased that after a request from the DRC Chair and much coordinated advocacy and campaigning, the Australian Government has finally fulfilled their commitment to amend the legislation to extend full confidentiality protections to all forms of submission.
Read more about Legal amendment finally makes it safe to speak
DANA is very pleased the requested 17-month extension to the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability has been granted, as we have heard from many advocates the urgency for additional time needed for people with disability to tell their stories. The Final Report (from the DRC to the Governor-General) will now be due on 29 September 2023.
Read more about More time for the Disability Royal Commission to listen
The Disability Royal Commission has been asked to investigate the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with all kinds of disability in all settings within an Australian context.
This is a truly enormous task, and the Hon. Ronald Sackville, Chair of the Disability Royal Commission, has requested a 17-month extension.
Along with our fellow disability representative organisations, DANA supports this call, and we ask you to do the same by writing to the Attorney-General Michaelia Cash.
Read more about #WeNeedMoreTime! Join the campaign to extend the Disability Royal Commission!
To truly reap the benefits of the substantial public investment in this historic Royal Commission, granting the requested 17 month extension is essential. This extension must include extended funding of DRC support services including individual and systemic advocacy and counselling (through DSS) and legal support (through the Attorney-General’s Department) for people who have experienced disability violence, abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.
We urge the Commonwealth Government to ensure that Australians with disability have the opportunity to have their voices heard.
Read more about Time needed for people with disability to tell their stories
The Disability Royal Commission has been running for almost two years (of a three-year Royal Commission) without proper protections in place for survivors and witnesses to tell their stories. As it stands, people who provide information in a private session can have their privacy protected, but anyone providing written submissions to the Disability Royal Commission is only guaranteed confidentiality until the Royal Commission concludes in April next year. For many survivors and witnesses, this a barrier to telling their story.
Read more about #MakeItSafeToSpeak – DRC confidentiality still not protected
