Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council
Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council (the Advisory Council) was established in December 2021 when Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 (ADS) was launched.
All members of the Advisory Council are people with disability.
The Advisory Council’s role and work
The Advisory Council’s role is to advise Australian governments and disability ministers on the implementation of the ADS. It is responsible for reviewing and advising on progress of ADS features that aim to drive actions and improvements for people with disability, including:
- Targeted Action Plans
- Outcomes Framework
- Associated Plans
- ADS reports and reviews
The Advisory Council provides its advice to all levels of government including the Australian, state, territory and local governments. This is because all governments signed up to the ADS and are involved in implementing it.
The Advisory Council has a direct connection to disability ministers, with the Council Chair to attend at least one disability ministers meeting each year.
Over time, the Advisory Council will establish connections with other disability advisory groups such as state and territory disability advisory councils and the Independent Advisory Council to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The Advisory Council are scheduled to meet five times in 2023, with out-of-session meetings as required. It has started reviewing the ADS Targeted Action Plans, and the first Targeted Action Plan progress report.
The Advisory Council provided input into the ADS inaugural National Forum held in November 2022, with the report due to be published in early-mid 2023.
Advisory Council documents
As it becomes available, the Advisory Council’s work will be published on this website.
Advisory Council Terms of Reference
Advisory Council meeting Communiques
Membership
The Advisory Council is made up of 12 positions, which includes the Chair, 4 state and territory disability council representatives and 2 special advisers.
Members are drawn from a range of states and territories. Sub-groups of the Advisory Council are set up as required.
Advisory Council members are all people with disability, and includes women; First Nations people; culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people; young people; and people with lived experience of rural and remote communities. Only state and territory disability council representatives and special advisers can be people without disability.
The membership provides a good mix of experienced people and people new to an advisory role that can provide a ‘fresh voice’.
The special advisers have Australian Government experience, experience in Commonwealth and State relations and a background in disability policy. The special advisers support the Council members by advising on government relations and relevant policy.
|
Role |
Name |
Position |
Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chair |
Jane Spring AM |
Chair Chair Vice President |
Disability Council NSW University of Sydney Sports Foundation Institute of Public Administration Australia - NSW |
|
Member |
Amy James |
Member |
NT Disability Advisory Committee |
|
Member |
Cindy Liu |
Founder and Co-Chair |
Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network/s |
|
Member |
Liz Reid AM |
Executive Officer |
YouthWorX NT |
|
Member |
Seriako Stephen |
Board member |
First Peoples Disability Network Australia |
|
Member |
Natalie Wade |
Principal Lawyer |
Equality Lawyers |
|
Tasmanian Representative |
Katherine Elliston |
Deputy Community Chair |
Premier’s Disability Advisory Council |
|
Australian Capital Territory Representative |
Renée Heaton |
Chair |
ACT Disability Reference Group |
|
Western Australia Representative |
Rita Kleinfeld-Fowell |
Member |
WA Ministerial Advisory Council |
|
Queensland Representative |
Nigel Webb |
Member |
QLD Disability Advisory Council |
|
Special adviser |
Kathy Hough |
Chief Executive Officer |
Far North Community Services |
|
Special adviser |
Helen McDevitt |
Chair |
ACT Disability, Aged and Carers Advocacy Service |
