About the Disability Representative Organisations program
The Disability Representative Organisations (DRO) program provides the opportunity for people with disability, and their representative organisations, to have their views communicated to the Australian Government. This is regardless of type of disability, gender, cultural background, age or membership.
Organisations funded under the DRO program communicate with the Australian Government. This is to ensure that disability issues and a diversity of voices are represented in:
- decision-making
- legislation
- policy development
- implementation of programs and policies that may affect people with disability.
Providing systemic disability advocacy
Through the 2022–23 October Budget, the Government doubled existing support for systemic disability advocacy, to increase annual funding from $2.6 million per year to over $5.2 million per year.
This funding enables organisations to provide systemic advocacy for Australians with disability to:
- promote an understanding of the lives of people with disability
- promote and protect the rights and dignity of people with disability
- foster support for the participation of people with disability in all aspects of community life.
The funded organisations provide advice to the Government on breaking down barriers and improving social and economic participation.
They also engage with a range of ministers and portfolios.
Engaging with funded organisations
Engagement Protocols for working with organisations funded under the DRO program have been developed to guide Government entities when engaging with funded organisations. This includes explaining the mechanism for engaging with funded organisations and providing guidance on activities that are in scope of the DRO program.
The Engagement Protocols were as developed in collaboration with funded organisations and Government entities, and aligns with the Good Practice Guidelines for Engaging with People with Disability under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031.
Organisations funded under the DRO program
In 2023–24 a targeted selection process was undertaken resulting in the following organisations being funded under the DRO program from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2026.
Details on funded organisations are available on the Community Grants Hub website.
To find out more about the DROs you can visit their websites:
- People with Disability Australia representing all people with disability, including LGBTIQA+ people with disability
- First Peoples Disability Network Australia representing First Nations People with disability
- National Ethnic Disability Alliance representing culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability
- Women with Disabilities Australia representing women and girls with disability
- Children and Young People with Disability Australia representing children and young people with disability
- Inclusion Australia representing people with intellectual disability
- Australian Federation of Disability Organisations consortium representing all people with disability (including people with brain injury) and people with disability with sensory impairments
- Down Syndrome Australia consortium representing people with intellectual disability, with a focus on chromosomal variations
- Physical Disability Australia representing people with physical disability
- Autism Alliance National representing people with disability, with a focus on autism
- Community Mental Health Australia consortium representing people with psychosocial disability
- Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) representing people with disability who have engaged with individual advocacy supports and providing the National Coordination Function for the DRO program.