News

Selected category: General

Open Letter calling for amendments to Royal Commission Act to protect confidentiality

Published date | Disability Royal Commission, General

Logos of PWDA, CYDA, WWDA. FPDN, NEDA, AFDO, Inclusion Australia and DANA

In a joint letter to the Hon. Christian Porter MP, we have called upon the Attorney-General to introduce legislation into the Australian Parliament to protect the confidentiality of information given to Disability Royal Commission. As it stands, a person providing information can only be guaranteed confidentiality after the Royal Commission concludes if their information was provided in a private session. If people make a written submission, it will currently only be confidential until the end of the Royal Commission.

DRC hears stories from the pandemic

Published date | Disability Royal Commission, General

The Royal Commission held a public hearing in Sydney from Tuesday 18 to Friday 21 August 2020. The four days of hearings included appearances by advocates and representatives of advocacy organisations, and National peak disability representative organisations. 

National Disability Strategy for beyond 2020

Published date | General

People with an without disability hanging out by the pool

The Australian Government is leading the development of a new National Disability Strategy for beyond 2020. Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments across Australia are working together in consultation with people with disability, their families and carers, advocacy organisations, and peak bodies to develop the new Strategy.

Safeguarding Task Force recommends funding advocacy

Published date | General

Pictures of Ann Marie Smith and Co-Chairs of Safeguarding Task Force, David Caudrey and Kelly Vincent

Following the suffering and death of Ann Marie Smith, the South Australian Government Minister for Human Services established the Safeguarding Task Force.

Recommendation 7 of the Safeguarding Task Force report is that “the State government invests in individual advocacy to assist individuals with accessing what they need from the NDIS and from the community.”

Joint Media Statement on Victorian restrictions

Published date | General

The NDIA and Victorian Government must prioritise people with disability so they do not suffer in Stage 4 lockdowns. As the Victorian COVID-19 situation worsens and ‘a state of disaster’ is declared, children and adults with disability need to be a primary focus of government. We have already seen infections in group homes for people with disability, and significant impacts on their access to services and children’s right to education.

DANA’s COVID-19 Advocacy Snapshot survey

Published date | General

graph - breakdown of what info calls are about

DANA recently conducted an online survey to capture the demand, issues and experiences of advocacy organisations as they work within the challenging COVID-19 environment.

So far survey results have indicated that just over half of the responding organistions have experienced increased demand because of COVID-19, while a quarter of organisations indicate their capacity to take on new advocacy clients has decreased during the pandemic.