2024 update: Building a more inclusive Australia. Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031

I'm Dane spring and I'm proud to be chair of Australia's disability strategies advisory Council. The strategy we call ADS.

I'm speaking to you from the land of the Gayle people and as you can probably see from beautiful Manly Beach.

We live in a great country that's striving to make our society inclusive so that all people with ability can participate in an equal basis. We've made a lot of progress towards this Vision, but there's still much that needs to be done.

Around 5.2 million people with disability live in Australia, that's actually one in five of us, Many people with disability experience barriers around things that other people may take for granted. Like having the opportunity to study, engage in meaningful work and earn a decent income.

Being able to access local community facilities. Be included in the community and treated with respect and being safe and free from violence abuse neglect and exploitation.

Australia disability strategy sets a vision and 32 policy priorities to help change that over the course of this decade. It's founded in a shared commitment of the Australian State and territory and local governments to work together with people with disability.

Businesse,s employers, Community organisations, service providers and the broader public to make communities across Australia inclusive, accessible and safe for everyone.

ADS focuses in areas that people with disability have identified as most to them it plays an important role in protecting promoting and realising the human rights of people with disability in line with Australia's commitments under the United Nations conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities.
 

During 2024, the Review looked at how we could update Australia's Disability Strategy to bring it to life and accelerate change.

Through the Review, people with disability have reflected that governments need to better collaborate at a national level to drive change in a range of areas.

Like improved access to secure housing that meets the needs of people with disability. Action to reduce homelessness. Increased community understanding about disability and the rights of people with disability, and ensuring that all government information and communication is presented in ways that people with disability can access and understand.

And of course, making early childhood schools and higher education inclusive for all people with disability. People with disability want more opportunities for participation and different ways to take part in decisions and co-design on matters that impact our lives.

We've also heard that people expect Australia's Disability Strategy reporting to change, to support better government accountability, and also heard about the importance of recognising the different intersectional experiences of people with disability in everything that we do.

Governments have considered what was heard and released a refreshed Australia's Disability Strategy.

Some of the key differences that you will see are; a commitment from governments to improving coordination and accountability across all levels of government, and links to where you can find the key documents and the reports about progress from the last 3 years.

New and updated evidence about the experiences of people with disability. We've heard a lot from community and want to reflect that we know so much more now and have been listening. There's a new priority action on addressing homelessness.

A new infographic is included to demonstrate how the strategy and all the different parts work together. Governments have committed to implementing 3 new targeted action plans over the next three years, focussed on building more inclusive homes and communities, improving safety, rights and justice, and a continued focus on changing community attitudes. Governments have also agreed to an associated plan to ensure information and communication are accessible.

Other key plans that progress the work of the strategy, like the state and territory disability plans, have also been referenced in the refreshed Australia’s Disability Strategy. Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council is committed to holding governments to account to ensure that the strategy doesn't just talk about change, but it provides a roadmap that delivers change.

We'll be monitoring how Australia’s Disability Strategy policy priorities are being progressed and the outcomes that are being achieved. And as a community, we all have a role to play in contributing to an inclusive Australia.

The community needs to maintain momentum and continue to drive reform and change until this vision becomes a reality.

Australia’s Disability Strategy calls on governments, businesses, non-government sectors and everyone in the community to create spaces and experiences that are truly inclusive.

I'm proud to be part of Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council. ADS is not for people with disabilities, it's for all Australians.

I'm speaking to you from the land of the Wurundjeri people.

I'm speaking to you from Darwin on the Traditional lands of the Larrakia People.

I'm speaking to you from the land of the Jagera and Turrbal Nations, here on the beautiful Brisbane River we call Maiwar.

I'm speaking to you from the land of the Wathaurung People.

I'm on the land of the Whadjuk Noongar People.

I'm speaking to you from the land of the Cammeraygal People.

I'm speaking to you from the land we call Lutruwita. This is where the Tommeginer tribe lived, and I'm sure they spent much of their time on the waterways.

I'm speaking to you from the lands of the Jagera and Turrbal People. And we’re coming to you from there.

I'm speaking to you from the land of the Bundjalung Nation in beautiful northern New South Wales.

I'm speaking to you from the land of the Ngunnawal People.

I am speaking to you from the land of the Kaurna People.

Australia's Disability Strategy is focussed on accountability, transparency, embedding of human rights and increasing the involvement of people with disability in the design and implementation of all matters that impact our lives.

The work of the ADS is a commitment to changing attitudes and removing physical communication’s social barriers.

Under the ADS, targeted action plans, associated plans, state, territory, local government plans all include actions to improve outcomes for people with disability.

We will explain what these are. Each state and territory has a disability plan through a council to provide advice to governments on how to be more inclusive.

These plans cover the same outcome areas. Outcome areas are topics that people with disability have said need to get better if Australia is to be more inclusive.

The outcome areas in ADS are; ADS is focused on enabling full participation in the community on an equal basis by shaping activities and actions that remove structural barriers faced by people with disability in the areas that matter to us most.

Increasing the involvement of people with disability in the design and implementation of all matters that impact on our lives, upholding our human rights.

ADS is a key way for the Commonwealth and state government and territories to include people with disability in important outcomes for closing the gap.

In order to track that there is regular engagement across all the areas, progressing work and regular reporting. It is a lot of monitoring, but we need to see where and how improvements are being made and where more work needs to be done

ADS has many moving parts designed to drive positive outcomes for people with disability.

So what does it all mean? We know we have a vision to create a more inclusive society, that the outcome areas of the ADS are still what are most important to people with a disability. There are lots of ways to make these outcomes happen.

Targeted action plans, which we call TAPs - Their focus is actions that can be progressed by governments over 1 to 3 years to achieve specific deliverables. Over the last 3 years, there has been 5 TAPs, which include 417 actions. For the next 3 years, we have refocused the TAPs to areas that are the most important to people with disability.

The new TAPs will have far fewer actions over 3 outcome areas in inclusive homes and communities, safety, rights and justice and community attitudes with more focus on coordination across governments.

Associated plans are developed by Commonwealth agencies in alignment with ADS, and have a longer term focus that can go for 3 to 10 years. These plans work on high level priorities in specific areas. They include; State and territory governments are a significant part of the ADS.

All jurisdictions have or are working on their own state or territory disability plan. These plans outline what each jurisdiction is doing to make change across the nation. You can find a link to those plans in the refreshed ADS, or go to your government's website and look it up to see what this means for you.

ADS Engagement Plan sets out how people with disability will be engaged in the ADS. There are different ways to take part, including; track measures and reports on progress made against the outcomes for people with disability across all the outcome areas.

People can get engaged in a whole range of ways. They can put up their hand to join their relevant state and territory advisory council, like me. You can become a member of a local disability organisation, like me. You can speak to your local advocacy organisation and get advice on how to get involved. You can also contribute to public consultations, review and evaluations.

To do this, you can answer survey questions, you can attend a yearly ADS forum to learn about the latest developments, celebrate achievements and discuss future projects under ADS. Lots of people have had a say and got involved through the Disability Royal Commission and NDIS review.

As a council, we provide advice to all levels of government on the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ADS.

To ensure ADS doesn't just talk about change, it provides a roadmap that delivers change. We will help monitor how ADS policy priorities are being progressed and the outcomes achieved.

As a community, we all have a role to play in contributing to an inclusive Australia. As a community, we must continue to maintain momentum and drive reform and change until this vision becomes a reality.

You will be able to see what reporting has happened throughout the year and over the life of the ADS when the Disability Gateway Hub and the outcomes framework web pages are updated.

Our ADS roadmap shows when the reporting is planned, which includes TAPs, ADS outcomes framework, implementation, reviews and evaluations