Recommendation 6.23 – Culturally safe disability advocacy

What has been achieved to date

Further to updates provided at recommendation 6.21, governments have commenced activities under the Disability Advocacy Work Plan 2023-2025 to build an evidence base to assist in improving national consistency and service delivery for disability advocacy. It is intended that the evidence gathered through these activities will inform future work to deliver culturally safe and consistent disability advocacy services and supports.

Further work is required to:

• develop a national sector development project, including development of resources on best practice and to share information and learning, and
• identify and embed ways to increase culturally safe and competent advocacy services nationally.

The Victorian Government is working with a provider of a First Nations stream of disability advocacy to develop more appropriate measurement approaches and policy guidance to support culturally safe disability advocacy. The Victorian Government is testing these new approaches with the First Peoples Disability Network to ensure they uphold self-determination.

In March 2024, the New South Wales (NSW) Government announced $28 million in funding to extend the NSW Disability Advocacy Futures Program (DAFP) for a further two years. In July 2024, the NSW Department of Education announced a further $3.1 million until 30 June 2026 to the DAFP to enhance advocacy service providers’ capacity to support students with disability who attend a NSW public school. 

The NSW DAFP funds 19 advocacy organisation across representative, individual and systemic advocacy services. The program includes targeted supports for multicultural, First Nations and LGBTIQ+ communities.

DAFP includes funding to support special projects and sector development grants to advocacy services including those who target culturally and linguistically diverse communities. 

Western Australia has conducted a preliminary review of culturally safe disability services for Aboriginal people in WA and will build on this in its broader review of the State Disability Advocacy Program.

The Queensland Government continues to fund organisations to deliver advocacy services to assist Queenslanders with disability, their family members and carers. Through work to deliver on the National Disability Advocacy Framework, the Queensland Government is collaborating with the Australian and other state and territory governments to improve access to advocacy services, including culturally capable advocacy, and improve coordination and sustainability of funded advocacy services.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Disability Strategy First Action Plan 2024-2026 commits to supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to delivering culturally safe and inclusive services for First Nations people with disability. ACT expects to begin this initiative in mid 2025 in partnership with First Nations people with disability and their communities.

Additionally, the ACT Government is funding a grant program to support a community-led peer support initiative for LGBTIQA+ people with disability. This program is expected to open by mid-2025, with grants being implemented in the first quarter of the 2025-26 financial year. The grants will be available to LGBTIQA+ disabled people's organisations, LGBTIQA+ peer-led organisations, and other groups with expertise in working with LGBTIQA+ people with disability.

The Northern Territory Government remains committed to funding organisations to deliver advocacy services to assist Territorians with disability, their family members and carers. Future work includes identifying met and unmet demand across the Northern Territory to inform policy decisions regarding the prioritisation of funding and capacity building. The Northern Territory Government continues to collaborate with the Australian and other state and territory governments to deliver on work through the National Disability Advocacy Framework, to improve access to advocacy services, including culturally appropriate advocacy, and improve coordination and sustainability of funded advocacy services.

The Tasmanian Government is committed to funding ongoing disability advocacy to support Tasmanians with disability to actively participate in decisions and processes which advance their rights, wellbeing and interests. The Tasmanian Government works with advocacy providers to recognise trends and systemic issues, including unmet demand and their causes, and the experiences of culturally diverse Tasmanians with disability. Through work to deliver on the National Disability Advocacy Framework, the Tasmanian Government continues to collaborate with the Australian and other state and territory governments to improve access to, and the coordination and sustainability of, funded advocacy services.

What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report

The Disability Advocacy Work Plan associated with the 2023–2025 National Disability Advocacy Framework should be amended to include priority work areas on increasing culturally appropriate and accessible advocacy services for people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and LGBTIQA+ people with disability. Efforts under these priority work areas, and the priority work area on increasing culturally appropriate and accessible advocacy services for First Nations people with disability, should include training led by First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTIQA+ people with disability and their representative organisations.

This work should be progressed as part of future National Disability Advocacy Frameworks or equivalents.

Joint Government response July 2024

The Australian Government and the state and territory governments recognise the importance of advocacy in supporting people with disability to defend and protect their rights.

On 21 April 2023, Disability Ministers endorsed the National Disability Advocacy Framework 2023-2025 (NDAF) and associated Disability Advocacy Work Plan. The NDAF commits all governments to work together to improve national consistency and access to advocacy services for people with disability across Australia. Its purpose is to ensure people with disability have access to effective disability advocacy that promotes, protects and ensures their full and equal enjoyment of all human rights, enabling community participation and inclusion.

All governments support prioritising work on increasing culturally appropriate and accessible advocacy services for First Nations people with disability, people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and LGBTIQA+ people with disability.

More recommendations

View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.