Responsibility: Australian, state and territory governments
Joint Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
All governments, through the Disability Reform Ministerial Council, are working together to develop an approach for consistent collection of disability data. The Data Improvement Plan 2024, including a Disability Royal Commission action plan, was published on 3 December 2024 and outlines next steps to improve data over the next 18 months.
The Australian Government is leading work on developing a proposed short standard set of questions for the collection and dissemination of data on disability status in population surveys. This work has involved conducting a stocktake of currently used disability questions in surveys, and consultation with the disability community, research experts and relevant Commonwealth agencies and jurisdictions on priority data requirements and best practice for collecting disability information. A set of proposed questions is currently undergoing testing with the disability community. A report with key findings and recommendations is expected to be finalised by mid-2025.
All governments, in collaboration with people with disability, their representative and disability experts are developing disability indicators (flags) to support the consistent inclusion and description of disability in the National Disability Data Asset (NDDA). The first-generation set of disability indicators were added to the NDDA in December 2024 and represent the largest group of people with disability in administrative data to date. These disability indicators use data from disability-related government payments and services but do not represent all people with disability. In February 2025, the NDDA Council approved an improvement plan for the continued enhancement of disability indicators in the NDDA and a set of additional indicators for future development.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
The Australian Government and state and territory governments, through the Disability Reform Ministerial Council, should address the lack of consistent disability data by developing a nationally consistent approach to collecting disability information.
By December 2024, the Australian Government and state and territory governments should agree to a core set of questions to identify disability status to be used across all mainstream services and population surveys. This should be led by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare. The questions should be co-designed with people with disability and their representative organisations, and with First Nations subject matter experts.
Joint Government response July 2024
The Australian Government and state and territory governments acknowledge the importance of data collection and publication and its role in safeguarding against violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and informing an evidence-based approach to ongoing reform to support better outcomes for people with disability.
In January 2024, Disability Ministers agreed Commonwealth, state and territory officials focus and accelerate work to resolve data gaps in relation to the reporting requirements under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 Outcomes Framework by the end of 2024. All governments are also working together to develop an action plan, with agreed timeframes, to drive data collection (including gender disaggregated data) and reporting on data-related Disability Royal Commission recommendations. The action plan is expected to be published in 2024.
All governments have also committed to deliver the enduring National Disability Data Asset and contribute to ongoing costs through the National Disability Data Asset Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Disability Ministers in mid-2023. Ongoing work to deliver the National Disability Data Asset will also support implementation of these recommendations over time.
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.