Recommendation 6.32 – Increase capacity to provide supports and adaptations through improved guidance, funding and accessible information

What has been achieved to date

All governments acknowledge that aspects of this recommendation require further consideration in the context of any changes to Australia’s human rights framework.

Addressing this recommendation in part, the Australian Government released the National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People (Autism Health Roadmap) on 25 February 2025. The Autism Health Roadmap sets out a plan to address the breadth of issues faced by Autistic people in the Australian healthcare system. This includes:

• Improving support for Autistic people, their families and carers, in health and mental health services
• Improving the quality, safety and availability of Autism Affirming health and mental health care across the lifespan of Autistic people
• Improving autism education and training for health and disability professionals.

In NSW, NSW Health has published a list of frequently needed adaptations and supports by people with a disability in the statewide policy for NSW Health staff on Responding to the health care needs of people with disability, released in September 2024. 

This policy includes best practice guidance and examples of common adjustments and supports to be provided in the areas of communication and information, environment and equipment, and service models and procedures. This guidance has been informed by consultation with people with disability and carers. An Easy Read version of the NSW Health policy directive is available on the NSW Health website.

In August 2024, NSW Health also published a new Accessible Communications Policy and Accessibility Matters online resource hub to guide NSW Health staff on developing accessible health communication and collate a range of accessible resources for health consumers.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government is improving the accessibility of healthcare information through Easy English training and translations, under the ACT Disability Health Strategy 2024-2033 and its First Action Plan 2024-2026. Easy English training opportunities for healthcare and disability services in the ACT are being made available to public, community-based, and private health service providers, with six blocks of training completed in 2024 and nine planned for delivery during 2025. Boardmaker licences, which enable access to a library of images used in the development of Easy English translations, are available to healthcare and disability services in the ACT.

What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report

The Australian Government and state and territory governments, in consultation with people with disability, should:

a) identify and publish a list of frequently needed adaptations and supports (including communication supports) to enable people with disability to receive high-quality health care in all publicly funded settings. Adaptations and supports may need to be tailored to individual needs and additional supports may be required. These should include:

• environmental modifications and aids to reduce sensory loads, such as dimmer lighting, reduced background noise and noise-cancelling headphones
• preparatory action to familiarise the person with disability with clinical environments, such as hospital tours and animated videos
• different modes of service delivery, such as home visits, and taking a forward-looking approach to minimise distress associated with certain procedures – for instance, taking extra blood to reduce the need for additional blood draws, or undertaking multiple procedures at once if sedation is required to decrease the number of hospital visits
• novel and flexible approaches to pre-medication, including sedation, to reduce distress and anxiety before critical medical procedures.

b) review hospital (admitted and non-admitted care) and primary health care funding models to ensure these adaptations and supports can be implemented in all relevant settings.

c) disseminate information about the provision of adaptations and supports in a range of accessible formats.

Joint Government response July 2024

The Australian Government and state and territory governments recognise that people with disability have a right to receive high-quality health care and that adaptations and supports may need to be tailored to individual needs. Further, that access to information and communications are on an equal basis with others.

All governments acknowledge that aspects of this recommendation require further consideration in the context of any changes to Australia’s human rights framework.

This recognises that the Disability Royal Commission’s proposed Disability Rights Act will be considered alongside the recently published recommendations of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework.

This recommendation also requires consideration of any activities that are in-scope of National Health Reform Agreement public hospital services. As well as consideration of any activities that align with reforms considered for the 2025-30 National Health Reform Agreement Addendum.

More recommendations

View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.