The Albanese Labor Government will invest more than $4.5 million to improve access to disability advocacy services, particularly for First Nations people.
The new funding will enable a pilot of Indigenous Community Advocates through the National Disability Advocacy Program, and deliver a much-needed capacity boost to the Disability Advocacy Support Helpline.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said that the new funding reflects the Government’s commitment to advocacy for people with disability.
“Advocacy is crucial in ensuring the voices of people with disability are heard,” Minister Rishworth said.
“We know that almost 40 per cent of First Nations people report they have a disability. This new funding will build on current arrangements, and ensure that First Nations people with disability get the community advocacy support they need.
“The additional funding for the Disability Advocacy Support Helpline will help the service respond to expected demand, now that the Helpline has achieved national coverage.”
Of the funding for Indigenous Community Advocates through the National Disability Advocacy Program:
- First Peoples Disability Network will receive $1,035,000 over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years to retain five advocates, and
- a further eight providers will be share in up to $800,000 over the 2023-24 financial year to retain eight advocates
The Advocacy Law Alliance, which delivers the Disability Advocacy Support Helpline, will receive an additional $2.7 million in funding, which brings their total funding to $5.6 million over three years.
The Helpline is a pilot phone-based individual advocacy service accessed through the Disability Gateway, which started a staged roll-out from November 2022.
Minister Rishworth said the funding will provide certainty for people with disability and First Nations communities that currently access advocacy services, particularly as the Government considers the Disability Royal Commission final report due in September and its recommendations.
“Advocacy services have been central to supporting people with disability engage with Disability Royal Commission,” said Minister Rishworth.
“Beyond the Royal Commission, we are committed to having a long-term model for disability advocacy, and the additional funding for these pilots will help us to improve access and inform future delivery of services.
“These initiatives also help us to meet objectives under the National Disability Advocacy Framework, which was endorsed by Disability Ministers on 21 April 2023.”
The funding boost comes as Minister Rishworth and a delegation of Australians with diverse lived experience of disability this week attend the 16th Session Of The Conference Of States Parties To The Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities at the United Nations in New York.
The National Disability Advocacy Framework and its associated Disability Advocacy Work Plan demonstrate a shared commitment between the Australian, state and territory governments to work towards improved national consistency and access to advocacy services for all Australians with disability.
