Volume 6 – Enabling autonomy and access | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Volume 6 focused on barriers that people with disability face in exercising autonomy, accessing services and systems on an equal basis with others.

This volume includes 41 recommendations that propose changes in improved policies, practice, legislations, and systems, better access to advocacy support, accessible information and communication. Recommendations for change also included the need of reforms to reduce and eliminate the use of restrictive practices in various settings.

The table below outlines progress made against recommendations in this volume.

Read more about the status definitions in the Reader's Guide.

Accessible information and communications

Number	Recommendation	Lead Jurisdiction	Response	Status
6.1	A national plan to promote accessible information and communications	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress
6.2	Increase the number of Auslan interpreters	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress
6.3	Access to appropriately skilled and qualified interpreters	Australian Government	Accept in principle	In progress

Supported decision making

Number	Recommendation	Lead Jurisdiction	Response	Status
6.4	Terms and definitions in guardianship and administration legislation	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA, VIC, TAS, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.5	Objects of guardianship and administration legislation	State and territory governments	Accept: TAS Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA, VIC, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.6	Supported decision-making principles	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle: Commonwealth, ACT, NT, QLD, TAS, VIC, WA Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA	In progress (6.6 (b))
6.7	Decision-making ability	State and territory governments	Accept: TAS, VIC Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.8	Formal supporters	State and territory governments	Accept: VIC Accept in principle: QLD, NT Subject to further consideration: ACT, NSW, SA, TAS, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.9	Representatives as a last resort	State and territory governments	Accept: TAS, VIC: Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.10	Decision-making process	State and territory governments	Accept: TAS Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, VIC, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.11	Guidelines on maximising participation	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, SA, NT: Subject to further consideration: NSW, TAS, VIC, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.12	Public disclosure and confidentiality restrictions	State and territory governments	Accept: ACT QLD, SA, VIC: Accept in principle NSW, WA, NT: Subject to further consideration	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.13	Information and education on supported decision-making	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, VIC, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA, TAS, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.14	Systemic advocacy to promote supported decision-making	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: QLD, NT Subject to further consideration: ACT, NSW, SA, TAS, VIC, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.15	Updating the national standards for public advocates, public guardians and public trustees	State and territory governments	Accept: ACT Accept in principle: NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, NT Subject to further consideration: VIC, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.16	Financial skills development programs	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, TAS, VIC, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW, SA, WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.17	Transparency of public trustee fees and charges	State and territory governments	Accept: ACT, TAS, VIC Accept in principle: NSW, QLD, SA, NT Subject to further consideration: WA	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.18	Review of public trustees fees and charges	State and territory governments	Accept: TAS Accept in principle: ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, WA, NT	Please see individual state and territory updates
6.19	Data collection on support and representation arrangements	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.20	Interpretative declaration	Australian Government	Subject to further consideration	Subject to further consideration

Advocacy

Number	Recommendation	Lead Jurisdiction	Response	Status
6.21	Additional funding for advocacy programs	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress
6.22	Improved data collection and reporting on met and unmet demand for disability advocacy	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress
6.23	Culturally safe disability advocacy	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress

Health

Number	Recommendation	Lead Jurisdiction	Response	Status
6.24	Improve implementation planning and coordination for the cognitive disability health capability framework	Australian Government	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.25	Expand the scope of health workforce capability development to include all forms of cognitive disability at all stages of education and training	Australian Government	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.26	Expand the role of the Health Ministers Meeting to monitor health workforce capability development	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress
6.27	Establish regular progress reporting by accreditation authorities	Australian Government and non-government	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.28	Improve access to clinical placements in disability health services	Australian Government	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.29	Improve specialist training and continuing professional development in cognitive disability health care	Australian Government and non-government	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.30	Expand the scope of the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health	Australian Government	Note	Not applicable
6.31	Embed the right to equitable access to health services in key policy instruments	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept: 6.31 (a) Accept in principle: 6.31 (b)	Further work required
6.32	Increase capacity to provide supports and adaptations through improved guidance, funding and accessible information	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.33	Develop specialised health and mental health services for people with cognitive disability	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT, NSW, SA, VIC, WA, NT Subject to further consideration: QLD, TAS	View statuses on recommendation page
6.34	Introduce disability health navigators to support navigation of health care for people with disability	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress

Restrictive practices

Number	Recommendation	Lead Jurisdiction	Response	Status
6.35	Legal frameworks for the authorisation, review and oversight of restrictive practices	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW	View statuses on recommendation page
6.36	Immediate action to provide that certain restrictive practices must not be used	State and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA, NT Subject to further consideration: NSW	View statuses on recommendation page
6.37	Data collection and public reporting on psychotropic medication	Australian Government	Accept	In progress
6.38	Strengthening the evidence base on reducing and eliminating restrictive practices	Australian Government	Accept in principle	Further work required
6.39	Improving collection and reporting of restrictive practices data	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress
6.40	Targets and performance indicators to drive the reduction and elimination of restrictive practices	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle	In progress
6.41	Legislative prohibition of non-therapeutic sterilisation	Australian, state and territory governments	Accept in principle: ACT and WA Subject to further consideration: Commonwealth, NSW, QLD, NT, SA, TAS, VIC	Further work required

Date last updated:

27 November 2025

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Volume 6 – Enabling autonomy and access

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