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Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 has been reviewed and updated based on feedback from people with disability and the wider community. In this video, Jane Spring, Chair of the Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council, talks about the vision for the Strategy. The updated Strategy is accompanied by: • 3 new Targeted Action Plans. • The Third Targeted Action Plans Report. • A revised Data Improvement Plan. • A Guide to Applying ADS. Learn more on the Australia’s Disability Strategy hub on the disability Gateway website. https://lnkd.in/gK9cmafQ Accessible formats of these documents including Easy Read, Auslan and versions in languages other than English are available.

Failures of Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 Despite its ambitious vision, Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 has significant shortcomings that undermine its impact. 1. Weak Accountability and Implementation The strategy lacks strong enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance. There are no penalties or incentives for failing to meet inclusion targets, and reporting frameworks rely on self-assessment, allowing for superficial commitments rather than real change. 2. Employment and Economic Disparities Unemployment rates for people with disabilities remain twice as high as for non-disabled individuals. Wage theft, insecure contracts, and workplace discrimination persist, with no mandatory pay equity enforcement in disability advocacy sectors. 3. Housing and Accessibility Failures Accessible housing remains scarce, as universal accessibility is not mandated in new housing developments. Public transport and urban spaces continue to pose significant barriers. 4. Ongoing Violence and Neglect Despite findings from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability, reforms to protect against abuse in institutions and workplaces remain slow. 5. Lack of Representation and Consultation Many policy decisions are made without meaningful input from disability-led organisations, leading to top-down solutions that fail to address real community needs. 6. Inadequate Health and Mental Health Support People with disabilities face barriers to healthcare, with long wait times, high costs, and inaccessible facilities. Mental health services remain poorly integrated with disability support. Without stronger enforcement, funding, and community leadership, the strategy risks becoming a bureaucratic document rather than a driver of real change.

Over the past year, we asked people with disability and the wider community what they thought about Australia’s Disability Strategy (ADS) 2021-2031, including what was working and what needed to change. An updated version of Australia’s Disability Strategy will be available soon. Find out what the community said in Australia’s Disability Strategy Review 2024. Now available at https://lnkd.in/g9eusRTh Accessible formats of these documents including Easy Read, Auslan and versions in languages other than English are available.

Over the past year, we asked people with disability and the wider community what they thought about Australia’s Disability Strategy (ADS) 2021-2031, including what was working and what needed to change. An updated version of Australia’s Disability Strategy will be available soon. Find out what the community said in Australia’s Disability Strategy Review 2024. Now available at https://lnkd.in/g9eusRTh Accessible formats of these documents including Easy Read, Auslan and versions in languages other than English are available.

Disability is often approached through accommodations, a desire to integrate, to heal, maybe even to fix. We do not often stop to appreciate the knowledge produced by disability and to appreciate the unique pathways that develop through our experiences with disability. Disability Week is an annual community outreach event that spans from October 14th through the 17th and brings community partners and regional organizations to the University of Missouri, Kansas City campus to discuss disability and to celebrate the knowledge, creativity and innovations produced by our shared experiences. It features a standing art exhibit, performances, panel discussions, and workshops and hopes to make noise, initiate conversations and create community. All events are free, open to the public and offered in hybrid format. It works hard to embrace disability despite the constant reminders across campus, across our community, across our country, that disability is not the norm. Building awareness improves understanding. Come share with us: Ashley Brickley, April Regester, Dwayne T. James, P.E., Ed.D., Alphapointe, Center for Disability Inclusion, Meaghan Walls, Brenda Perkins, Disabled But Not Really, Wesley Hamilton, The Whole Person, Shannon Wheeler UMKC Diane Filion Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE), University of Missouri-Kansas City, UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UMKC-Institute for Human Development Check out all the events and register for more information here: https://lnkd.in/g9eetiZf #disabilityinclusion #disabilityawareness #disabilityknowledge #disabilityinnovation #disabilitycelebration

Effective messaging really matters. Despite having important perspectives and key information, these messages can feel lost if you are unable to communicate and present your information effectively. Persuasive and values-driven messaging has been shown to be a powerful tool in driving positive change within social frameworks. If you're interested in understanding more and delving deeper into effective messaging, then I strongly suggest attending the upcoming Disability Messaging guide workshop hosted by Australian Progress & DANA.

Disability Pride Month Why are we proud of having Disability? It's part of who we are. The human race is diverse. 10% of people are left-handed. 43% are bilingual. 2% have green eyes. 1% has the AB negative blood type. More than 18% have disability. People with disability participate in society. We go to school, have jobs, own businesses, get married, travel, use public transport, shop and play. We say disabled and not lessabled or diffabled because we are completely able, when society provides the equity we need to participate. Disability doesn't mean incapable of being human. Many people with disability have very able bodies. So every time you try to define the difference to having disability as being able bodied, you erase those people. Disability isn't the opposite to ability. It is adjacent to it. We are capable of contributing. We just do it differently. Assumptions exclude us. #Disability #DisabilityRights #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilityPride

November is National Disability History Month. 🌈 Therefore, we would like to showcase some of our books on disability, specifically contrasting between modern day and older books and the differences with how they portrayed disability. The top four books are from the last decade and the bottom ones are from the 1980's. Even just from the covers a massive difference can be seen as to how disability was presented. 📖 The books as pictured: Positively Purple- https://lnkd.in/gCnrYRhs Hidden Disabilities and Conditions- https://lnkd.in/gXZpXHnQ Disability Visibility- https://lnkd.in/g54xKiBM Disability Hate Speech- https://lnkd.in/geGx-nVs Answering the Call- https://lnkd.in/g3adNXeP Improving the Police Response to the Mentally Disabled- https://lnkd.in/gzzQ_CGR Abuse of Children and Adults with Disabilities- https://lnkd.in/gT6HjFXQ

If you're a person living with a disability or know someone who does, you'd know that one of the things to always look out for in your daily living is access to disability support. While having access to disability support services is important and becoming more talked about, many individuals still face significant challenges. In this report, we take a look into the Barriers to Accessing Disability Support Services in Australia and offer insights on how to overcome them. Some key highlights include: - Common challenges people face when seeking support - How these barriers impact individuals and their families - Practical solutions to create a more inclusive and accessible system Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/diEF-NBd At Centre Disability Support, we’re committed to promoting action for a better, more inclusive Australia. #disabilitysupport #accessibilitymatters #inclusiveaustralia #centredisabilitysupport #disabilitysupportinaustralia #cds #disabilityinclusion

It's Disability Action Week 🙌 From 24 November to 1 December, we are celebrating people with disability and the contributions they make to our communities and workplaces. BUSY Ability supports this year’s theme of ‘accessible communication: connect, include and empower.’ Accessible communication removes barriers that may prevent people with disabilities from accessing information, such as websites, emails, documents and even signs. Find out more about accessible communication: https://lnkd.in/g73h-RF5. Let’s work towards a future where all individuals have equal access to information. If you’re interested in being an inclusive employer, head on over to our new Employability Hub, where you’ll find useful information and resources about employing people with disability: https://lnkd.in/gcuDw2dY BUSY Ability delivers Disability Employment Services (DES) in partnership with CoAct. #busyability #disabilityactionweek #coactemployment #busyatbusy #disabilitysupport #employability