Policy work – Advocacy for Inclusion

Following the comments regarding the cost-benefit approach to valuing human lives in times of crises by Professor Peter Collignon AM during an ABC Radio Canberra on Wednesday 30 October 2024, Advocacy for Inclusion has approached both the Australian National University as well as Canberra Health Services to clarify whether such comments represent and reflect their positions, practices and values. AFI has noted their unique institutional positions and role in upholding and modelling the human rights values espoused in the ACT. We would appreciate any statements or actions these institutions are prepared to take in response to this incident.

On election eve, disability groups have united to ask voters and candidates to meet the promise of inclusion for the next generation of Canberra children and young people with disability.

Education is a path to hope, prosperity and future wellbeing so it is fitting we end our shared campaign advocacy with a call to improve educational outcomes for people with disability. Yet only 56% of people with disability complete year 12 compared to 77% without – a reality which sets to many people on a path to low incomes, low employment and poor life prospects.

Education is a human right and we need more than bad choices between segregated settings and poorly resourced, inadequate mainstreaming. There is no real ‘choice’ as there are few examples of well-resourced, universally designed education offerings in mainstream settings.

We want the next Assembly to:

Address teacher workload issues – through an additional administrative resource in each school – to ensure teachers are able to allocate focus and attention to inclusion

Increase the student funding loading for students with disability

Build universal design into all curricula and premises

Make critical access upgrades to ACT schools – establish a firm target for all of them complying with access standards

Commit to a goal of moving students out of segregated settings

We thank candidates, voters, members and the media for engaging with people with disability across the election campaign. We look forward to the new Assembly and will be working to keep the next administration informed and accountable.

You can find all more information about the promises from candidates, our election work and accessible voting in our election day wrap up here.

Media contacts: Use quotes below or contact Shannon Kolak, ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability on 0408646857 or secondary contact Craig Wallace on 0477 200 755

Quotes attributable to disability organisations

“One of the ways that truly inclusive education can be achieved is by addressing the challenges surrounding teacher workload. This would give teachers the time and resources to focus on creating more inclusive settings.”

“With increases in the number of students meeting the ACT Student Disability Criteria, it is also critical that this is matched with increases to the student funding loading model supporting students with disability. The student resource allocation model has been under review since 2022. We need transparency into both the funding rates and calculation methods.”

“Three of the Disability Royal Commissioners, and two with lived experience of disability, recommended phasing out and ending special/segregated education as it stands in stark contrast to the CRPD rights of inclusive education. We call upon the ACT Government to be a beacon of change by committing to the goal of moving students out of segregated settings.”

Shannon Kolak, ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability

“We would like to see the adoption of a universal design approach whereby systems, processes and services are designed with improved accessibility for all students, parents and carers, regardless of whether or not disability is identified. This will increase accessibility for people with misdiagnosed or unrecognised support needs and reduce the onus on people with disability to disclose their support needs.”

“Accessibility is an important topic when it comes to inclusive education. This includes flexible classroom spaces, quiet rooms and withdrawal spaces, outdoor courtyards and playgrounds. It is vital that critical access upgrades are made across our education settings – particularly regarding automatic doors, ramps, and accessible toilets. Firm targets need to be set to ensure these settings comply with access standards.”

Craig Wallace, Advocacy for Inclusion

Education Priorities

Problem statement

Access to quality education is universally recognised as a key pathway to the achievement of social, economic, political and human rights, especially for children. It is acknowledged around the world that access to education is intrinsically linked to key developmental indicators and milestones from child development to employment. Access to education is not only formative, it underpins other fundamental rights and has rippling impacts felt across all aspects of our lives.

The persistence of the binary education system of mainstream and special schooling has been justified by the argument of parental choice. However, the evidence from the Disability Royal Commission is that parents of children with disability do not have viable schooling options to choose from. Mainstream schools as they currently exist struggle to provide what parents want. But segregated schools do not offer an acceptable alternative, even if co-located with mainstream schools or with programs to occasionally share experiences with non-disabled peers. These are flawed responses for fixing complex problems and have had little success in the past.

The vision and ethical leadership required to move the ACT beyond an inequitable educational status quo continue to elude us. The decision to maintain both mainstream and special schooling options is inconsistent with research evidence on outcomes for students with disability and for their peers. From this, it is clear that genuine inclusion is superior over the short-, medium- and long-term. Maintaining a dual system dilutes the efforts for real change and creates a distraction from the critical work of making an authentic difference in the lives of students with disability.

We want to ensure that every child realises their fundamental right to an inclusive education under the CRDP. Article 24 of the CRPD recognises “the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, States Parties shall ensure an inclusive education systems at all levels and life-long learning.”

Evidence

The evidence of poor education completion is seen in low attainment, low incomes, poorer life prospects and low employment:

People with disability are less likely to complete year 12: 56.1% compared to 77.3% of people with no reported disability

One-third (33%) of people with disability identify wages or salary as their main source of personal income. Compare this to more than two-thirds (71%) of people with no reported disability

The employment rate is 20% lower for people with a disability aged 15-64.

Nearly one-third (30.8%) of people with disability aged 15+ are in the lowest income quintiles. Compare this to 10.4% for people with no reported disability.

Key facts:

21.8 per cent of students in ACT schools were recorded as receiving adjustments because of disability in 2023

The number of students meeting ACT Student Disability Criteria increased by 23.8 per cent between 2018 and 2022

The benefits of inclusive education extent to students with and without disability

When students with diverse abilities learn together, they are exposed to varied perspectives and problem-solving approaches which enrich the learning experience for everyone

Inclusive education promotes the development of essential social skills, such as empathy, cooperation and communication.

There is no evidence that segregated settings produce better life outcomes for students with disability

A comprehensive review of all studies of inclusive education conducted by over a 40-year period compared education outcomes for students with disability in segregated versus regular education environments. No study indicated better outcomes in segregated settings (Cologon, 2019).

Conversely, segregated education leads to poorer academic, social, and emotional outcomes for students with disability. These negative effects include:

Employment: graduates are less likely to attain competitive and secure employment

Abuse and neglect: segregation heightens the risk of abuse for children with disability. Students in segregated settings also experience higher rates of bullying and victimisation than students in general education settings

Studies have found that parents of children with complex needs ‘settle for’ or feel ‘forced’ into specialist settings due to lack of capacity in mainstream schools.

Deloitte Access Economics found that in a survey of 713 parents, “almost 33% states their child had been refused enrolment or encouraged to go to another school because of their disability.”

Our asks

In the coming ACT election, we ask candidates to commit to working towards genuine inclusion of students with disability in mainstream classrooms and create better life chances and outcomes for students with disability.

Address teacher workload issues to ensure that teachers are able to allocate focus and attention to inclusion

Increase the student funding loading for students with disability

Build universal design into all curricula and premises

Make critical access upgrades to ACT schools – establish a firm target for all of them complying with access standards

Commit to a goal of moving students out of segregated settings

Election comment authorised by Shannon Kolak for ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability

Please check out our ACT Election Disability Voting Day Guide E News Special Edition here where you can compare policies, read the campaign journal and find polling information: https://mailchi.mp/advocacyforinclusion/e-news-special-edition-your-voting-day-guide-to-disability-and-the-2024-act-election

Election material authorised by Craig Wallace.

The ACT Election is scheduled for 19 October 2024 and Disabled Peoples and Representative Organisations offer these priorities for voters and candidates in the lead up to the poll. We are non-partisan organisations which represent people with a range of disabilities. Our work and priorities are informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

In the next ACT Legislative Assembly, we call on the Government and members to work towards an inclusive and welcoming Canberra which delivers the promise of a Human Rights Jurisdiction for the 1 in 5 Canberrans with disability.

Elected representatives should prioritise addressing stigma, ableism and discrimination in the ACT that currently results in high rates of violence against people with disabilities, and discrimination against parents and children with disabilities threatening the right to raise a family and the right to access support to do so.

Quotes attributable to disability organisations

“Women with disabilities experience unique forms of gendered violence, and at a significantly higher rate. The ACT should be leading the charge in intersectional, ambitious violence prevention policy. We call on the ACT Government to commit to fully funding an intersectional Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Strategy.”

“Everyone has the right to be a parent if they choose. However, parents and children with disabilities experience the impacts of ableism, stigma and discrimination. The government should commit to removing barriers for parents and children with disabilities to access the support, education and resources they need.”

“We need more supports for parents with disabilities. We need funding to support parents, disability violence training for workers in the Children and Young Person support system, and a navigator position within CYPS to support parents with disabilities.”

“Children with disabilities have the right to inclusive consent and sexual health education. An incoming government should fund and implement a policy package to ensure all children with disabilities have access to meaningful and affirmative sexual health and consent education.”

“The ACT Government agreed in principle to end legalisation of forced sterilisation practice in their response to the Disability Royal Commission. No person with disabilities should be sterilised without their consent – this is a breach of human rights. An incoming government should prioritise an inquiry and growing research into this area in the ACT and move towards ending these practices in all their forms.”

Kat Reed, Women with Disabilities ACT

“We must ensure that crisis service locations, including shelters and temporary housing, are accessible and appropriate for all people seeking help. People with disability often have specific needs including accessibility, specialised equipment, medication storage, and support from trained health care workers. It is critical that these needs are taken into account at crisis service locations.”

Craig Wallace, Advocacy for Inclusion

Media contact: Pippa Newman, Women with Disabilities ACT (Senior Policy Officer) on 0423740786 or secondary contact Craig Wallace (AFI Head of Policy) on 0477200755

Gender, anti-violence and families Priorities

Problem statement

People with disabilities have the right to live free from all forms of violence. They have the right to found a family, to decide on the number and spacing of their children, and to have access to appropriate education and resources to enable them to exercise these rights. However, ableism, stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities means that these rights are not upheld in the ACT.

The intersection of gendered and ableist drivers of violence leads to a higher rate of violence experienced by women* with disabilities in the ACT. They experience violence in unique ways and in different settings to people without disabilities, leading to barriers to accessing response services and limitations in current prevention strategies and policy.

Ableism, stigma and discrimination also impacts parents and children with disabilities, resulting in overrepresentation in the child protection system and barriers to accessing the support, education and resources they need.

Navigating different services including disability services, pensions, housing, NDIS, violence response services and informal parenting supports can be a challenge for people with disabilities in a complex and uncoordinated support system.

Significant investment is needed to work to prevent violence against people with disabilities, to protect the right to parent and support families, and to ensure that support services are connected, navigable and disability-informed.

Evidence

According to the ACT Disability Strategy’s Listening report, people with disability are between 2 and 10 times more likely to experience violence compared to people without disability.

The Disability Royal Commission Final Report found that women* with disability experience high rates of sexual assault, intimate partner, family and domestic violence, emotional abuse and stalking. The rates are higher than for men with disability or women* without disability.

A Disability Royal Commission research report found that from the age of 15, 46% of women with cognitive disability and 50% of women with psychological disability have experienced sexual violence, compared to 16% of women without disability.

Women* with disabilities have a unique experience of violence which can differ from a mainstream understanding of Domestic and Family Violence (DFV).

Current strategies and policies in development in the ACT use definitions of DFV that exclude carer violence; violence in group homes, colleges, dormitories or sharehouses; violence from partners they do not live with; and institutional violence. This can lead to gaps in services, and barriers to recognising the applicability of violence response services in the ACT for women with disabilities.

Organisations and sector workers may be unfamiliar with experiences of violence unique to women* with disabilities including withholding care, financial abuse, medical exploitation, denial of freedom of choice, chemical restraint, restraint or institutional violence. This can be a further barrier for women accessing the support they need.

In the ACT, there is limited temporary housing and crisis shelters that meet physical accessibility requirements, and much of the existing crisis housing is old and cannot be retrofitted to be accessible.

Women with disabilities need additional supports and considerations when accessing crisis response services and accessing the justice system, and organisations need assistance to ensure their services are accessible and inclusive. Although the Disability Justice Liaison Officer program is working well in some organisations, not all organisations have received funding for this position including key women’s sector organisations such as Women’s Legal Centre and Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.

The Disability Royal Commission Final Report found women and girls with disabilities in Australia are subjected to reproductive violence and abuse including menstrual suppression, forced termination, non-consensual contraception or sterilisation. In the ACT there exist legislative loopholes which could allow for forced surgical sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities to occur. Additionally, the ACT is missing an evidence base to know how frequently forced abortion and forced contraception happen within the territory.

Parents and children with disabilities are overrepresented in the child protection system and have poor access to services and to justice.

Parents with disabilities are overrepresented as subjects of child protection allegations, are significantly more likely to have children removed from their care, and face discrimination at every stage of their interactions with the system.

Children with disabilities are at greater risk of entering the child protection system and being removed from their families to be placed in out of home care.

Parents with disabilities who experience domestic and family violence are put at higher risk of having their children removed and being denied custody, due to disability discrimination and ableism within the child protection system.

Parents with intellectual disabilities have no options for formal supports in the ACT who can cater to their needs and support them as new parents.

Finding appropriate supports for parents with disabilities can be challenging, as disability supports (e.g. NDIS) are not designed to work for families. The community sector has little capacity to connect parents with disabilities to the supports they need.

Our asks

To end gender-based violence against women, girls and non-binary people with disabilities, we ask candidates commit to the following actions and investments to prevent violence, and to ensure responses are accessible and adequately address the unique challenges people with disability face when seeking support.

Funding for parenting supports, individual advocates and disability liaison;

disability violence training for Child and Young Person Support workers

A navigator position to support parents with disability.

The Integrated Service Response Program should be enhanced for all parents with disabilities who are in a crisis situation

A funding package for the delivery of an intersectional ACT Strategy for the Prevention of Violence against Women and Children

Funding for a Disability Justice Liaison Officer in all community organisations that work with women with disabilities experiencing violence, prioritising gender-specialist and gender-based violence community ogranisations that do not currently include these positions

Ensuring all children with disabilities have access to sexual health and consent education.

Development of an accessible reporting tool and investigation into more accessible reporting procedures so people with disabilities can report violence, abuse and neglect

Expanding accessible crisis service locations including increasing the number of physically accessible shelters and temporary housing

Election comment authorised by Kat Reed for Women with Disabilities ACT

The ACT Election is scheduled for 19 October 2024 and Disabled Peoples and Representative Organisations offer numerous housing policy priorities for voters and candidates in the lead up to the poll. We are non-partisan organisations which represent people with a range of disabilities. Our work and priorities are informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

As we head into the final days of the election we note the release of the 2024 Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot which shows only 0.4% of housing is affordable to people with a disability.

Housing plays a major role in the health and wellbeing of people with disability by providing shelter, safety, and security. In the ACT, the limited supply of accessible housing that is affordable and appropriate does not meet Australia’s commitment to the UN CRPD and the right for people with disability to live with equality and choice. For places people with disability at a heightened risk of experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, housing dissatisfaction, poor quality and/or inaccessible housing and housing unaffordability.

Quotes attributable to disability organisations

“The reliance on voluntary construction of accessible homes, post-construction modification, and provision of accessible social housing has failed to deliver accessible housing for most people with mobility restrictions. That is why the provision of more public and social housing at the Gold Level of accessible design is a critical issue.”

Kat Reed, Women with Disabilities ACT

“The recent Royal Commission shone a light on the pervasive abuse and neglect prevalent in group home settings. To realise the rights of people with disability, we are calling for the ACT Government to lead the way in phasing out and permanently shutting down these types of accommodations.”

Shannon Kolak, ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability

“As we head towards Saturday’s election, today’s release of the Housing Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare should once again focus attention on the desperate lack of any housing which is both affordable to people on lower income and build with accessible features which allow people to live in it. It found that only 0.4% of houses surveyed in the ACT and southern NSW region were affordable to people on the meagre Disability Support Pension.

“The lack of suitable housing is also highlighted by the troubling new Federal Aged Care Bill which gives explicit powers to place people under the age of 65 with disability into residential aged care – a situation which we know is incredibly isolating and inappropriate for these people.

“The reliance on voluntary construction of accessible homes, post-construction modification, and provision of accessible social housing has failed to deliver accessible housing for most people with mobility restrictions. Instead, incentives are needed to boost the supply of universal design private housing.”

“Problems with existing housing include poor access, unsuitable internal layouts, inadequately designed bathrooms, kitchens and laundries, and a lack of other qualities such as good light and connections to outdoor views and spaces. It is critical that social and public housing receives timely and appropriate upgrades and ongoing maintenance in order to be fit-for-purpose.”

“Stable and secure housing is also essential for mental well-being. For people with low income, housing instability is a constant reality and often it is difficult to know where to turn for help. To simplify the process, would also like to see the establishment of a housing advocate to help people navigate and access public, social, and private housing.”

Craig Wallace, Advocacy for Inclusion

Housing Priorities

Problem statement

People with disability want a place of their own, which is not dependent on Supported Disability Accommodation funding under the NDIS. Current housing is not designed to support disability or ageing in place, making it difficult and frustrating to live independently with choice and control over their lives. This lack of appropriate and diverse housing is an issue when people with disability want to remain and live independently in the community close to public transport, centre complexes and support services. In addition, most rental leases are short-term, which can add to the stress and anxiety of finding a safe, affordable, accessible and appropriate home.

Public and social housing persist as the main viable housing form for people with disability. There are long waiting lists for public housing (188 days for priority housing and over 5 years for a standard wait), a lack of social housing and unaffordable private rental housing. Group homes and cluster homes remain a feature of housing for people with disability in the ACT. Yet, this form of housing is inconsistent with the CRPD (Article 19) and erodes independent and capacity, limits choice, and heightens the risk of violence, abuse and homelessness.

People with disability face a double disadvantage in Canberra: a lack of affordable housing and a lack of appropriate built form. These issues are amplified by low rates of Disability Support Pension and JobSeeker, as well as Canberra’s high-cost private rental market.

Evidence

People with disability are at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, housing dissatisfaction, poor quality and/or inaccessible housing, and housing unaffordability
- Specifically, individuals with schooling or employment restrictions, psychological and intellectual disabilities, and mental illness are especially vulnerable to extreme levels of relative homelessness risk
In 2022-23, the ACT reported 10,795 public housing households. More than half (56 per cent) of households include someone with disability
A Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipient could not afford any of the 1,085 ACT rental properties advertised in March 2024
- A single person aged 21 years or older on DSP (and maximum supplements) receives $558.15 per week
- The median rental average for all dwellings in the ACT is $650
Between December 2018 and December 2023, Canberra experienced a 23 per cent increase in housing costs
The condition of public housing continues to decline with only 60 per cent of households with a disability living in houses of an acceptable standard (at least four working facilities and not more than two major structural problems).
Since 2021-22, there has been a 10 per cent decrease in net recurrent expenditure for public housing in the ACT
The number of clients with disability accessing specialist homelessness services has increased over the last four years
The ACT has the highest percentage of rental stress across Australia among Commonwealth Rent Assistance recipients, at 53.2 per cent
Renters in the ACT experience some of the coldest indoor temperatures, with an average of 15.3 degrees Celsius over winter. Substandard housing increases energy costs and increases the price renters have to pay in order to live comfortably.

Our asks

In the coming ACT election, we ask candidates to commit to ensuring people with disability can find and maintain access to appropriate and affordable housing in the community. To achieve this, we need:

Increased supply of public and social housing at the Gold level of accessible design that people with disability can immediately access
More non group social housing at the Gold Level
A package of incentives to increase private supply of universal design housing including tax breaks, planning preferences, getting mum and dad landlords to invest
Better identification of rental housing that is suitable for people with disability including requiring agents to advertise their accessible properties
Improved housing rental application processes that support applicants with disability
Provision of longer-term housing leaseholds, suitable for NDIS-funded home modifications package to incentivise accessibility in medium density housing
Urgent priority maintenance issues and upgrades – including installing air conditioning in the home of every public housing tenant with disability
Funding for a housing advocate to help people navigate and access public, social, and private housing
Work to encourage more accessibility features within medium density housing
Money and training to incentivise the inclusion of access ready dwellings within all new developments at two stories and above
A devolution program out of group housing in the ACT

Election comment authorised by Craig Wallace for Advocacy for Inclusion

A united front of ACT disability groups is flagging access to health care as a key priority for the 1 in 5 Canberra voters with a disability a day out from an ACT Disability Town Hall event kicking off tomorrow from 12 noon.

ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability, Women with Disabilities ACT, Mental Health Community Coalition ACT and Advocacy for Inclusion have come together to say access to critical acute, primary and preventative health care is a key priority as we approach the October voting period.

They point to data which reveals 1 in 4 people with disability find it difficult to access a GP while 1 in 3 find it challenging to access specialist health services. In addition, Bulk-billing rates in the ACT have long been declining but there have is further deteriorations with only 3.8 per cent of clinics bulk-billing all patients at the end of 2023.

With the ACT taking on new responsibilities for Foundational Supports following the NDIS review the groups call for prompt implementation of the ACT Disability Health Strategy and a focus on other services, programs and upgrades to improve access.

Health will be one of a number of priorities discussed at a virtual ACT Disability Town Hall election event which will include the voices of people with lived experience and be MC’d by ABC Canberra Radio mornings presenter Georgia Stynes.

The forum is expected to feature representatives from the major parties and groupings contesting the coming poll.

Quotes, facts and detailed health priorities can be found in the media pack.

Contact: Craig Wallace 0477200755

MEDIA PACK: Health, Disability and the ACT election

Quotes attributable to disability organisations

“We are calling for the full delivery of the ACT Disability Health Strategy which sees more than half of the funding going directly towards front-facing and on-the-ground delivery of our vital health services.”

“There is a pressing need for continued support for people with long COVID, and improved consideration and better responses to COVID safety. This is critical in health settings such as the University of Canberra Hospital as well as in primary care.”

“We are also advocating for accessible and affordable assistive reproductive technologies, such as IVF, that are available to people with disability.”

Kat Reed, Women with Disabilities ACT

“There is a strong need for affordable wraparound diagnostic services and clinics here in the ACT. These are particularly important for people managing ongoing diagnostic conditions, chronic illnesses, and for people who are neurodivergent.”

Shannon Kolak, ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability

“The ACT has an increasing focus on health access for people with disability and we need resources and capability to engage in this agenda. That includes an additional $175,000 to the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT to support one full-time equivalent position for research and policy analysis, as well as additional funding for MHCC ACT to contribute to a research initiative aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the PACER program for individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions and disabilities.”

Melanie Wilde,Mental Health Community Coalition ACT

“There are a number of equipment and accessibility upgrades needed within our hospitals. For example, providing accessible and height adjustable beds and slide boards in emergency departments, modern commodes and shower chairs, fully compliant left- and right-hand transfer toilets, and communications boards in every ward. We also need attention to social work, case management and other supports, especially at the rehab hospital”

“Given the decline in Bulk Billing, we would also like to see free or low-cost extended consultations for people with disability, as well as more support for community-based gyms and hydrotherapy. These interventions provide critical health and social benefits for our community and we need to see a recommitment to them in the next Assembly. COVID also continues to be a concern in our community requiring focus and attention”

Craig Wallace, Advocacy for Inclusion

The facts

Problem statement

It is the right of people with disability to attain the highest standards of health, without discrimination on the basis of disability. People with disability have higher rates of use of health services including General Practitioners, medical specialists, and hospital emergency departments and services. People with disability are also more likely to face barriers to accessing health services.

The dominance of the medical model of disability is likely contributing to poorer health outcomes and health inequities for people with disability. Diagnostic overshadowing is also a problem. This is when a medical practitioner assumes that a patient’s complaint is related to their disability. This is a significant risk when medical practitioners do not have specific disability knowledge and training. It can lead to symptom dismissals, underdiagnoses, and misdiagnoses. This is a complex and emerging concern that requires work to develop training.

Evidence

Around 1 in 5 Canberrans has a disability while Canberra has an ageing population. The 2018 ABS Social and Community Services Survey found that 19.4% of those in the ACT had disability, up from 16.2% in 2015.
The Report on Government Services (2024) highlights the need for action and attention to health services for people with disability.
The ability of many Canberrans to access health services has been declining. People with disability reported poorer access to all types of health services on average compared to other ACT residents.
- This finding is reflected in the Disability Strategy’s Listening Report, with 63 per cent of survey respondents rated finding and using necessary health care services as a big or very big issue.
The ACT has the second lowest level of access to bulk-billing in any Australian jurisdiction. Average out-of-pocket costs at the 94.9% of clinics that do not bulk bill are 49.01 for a standard, 15-minute consultation.
Current settings and funding arrangements mean that medical professionals are under financial pressure to keep consultations short. This was a key recommendation from the ACTCOSS Imagining Better report: People with disability highlighted issues with short consultations in managing complex and chronic conditions and showed how bulk billing consultations exacerbated the risk of poor outcomes and diagnostic overshadowing.
The ACT continues as the worst performing jurisdiction in treating patients on time, in the various categories in the emergency department. In 2021-2022, less than half (48 per cent) of patients were treated on time.
The ACT also suffers from a shortage of specialists, especially specialist services for children with disability.

Our priorities for the next Assembly

In the coming ACT election, we ask candidates to commit to the following actions, decisions, and investments to ensure Canberra’s health system is accessible, equitable, and comprehensive. These priorities seek to enhance the health experience of people with disability, ensuring the system remains fit-for-purpose.

Full delivery of the ACT Disability Health Strategy with 60% of funding going towards front facing and on the ground delivery
Free/low cost extended consultations for people with disability
Priority hospital kit upgrades
- Accessible and height adjustable beds and slide boards in emergency departments
- Modern commodes and shower chairs
- Fully compliant left- and right-hand transfer toilets
- Communications boards in every ward
Affordable wraparound diagnostic services and clinics in the ACT. We seek these for people managing some ongoing diagnostic conditions and chronic illnesses and for people who are neurodivergent
Disability liaison officers at all Canberra Hospitals including the University of Canberra Rehabilitation hospital
Social work and Occupational Therapy positions for long stay patients at the University of Canberra Rehabilitation hospital
Commit to building a residential parent-baby mental health unit, ensuring accessibility for individuals with disabilities
Accessible and affordable reproductive technology to ensure these technologies are available to people with disability
More support for community-based gyms and hydrotherapy
Social model and diagnostic overshadowing training for all ACT Health staff
Continued support for people with long COVID and better responses to COVID safety especially in health settings such as the University of Canberra Hospital as well as primary care
Community health access grants to improve physical, sensory and digital access to primary care settings
A Voluntary Assisted Dying support package to anticipate and prevent unintended impacts of the new scheme, including:
- Emergency pool of diversionary disability supports for people considering VAD
- Suicide prevention work targeted towards people with disability
- Disability training for all Doctors and Nurses involved in VAD prescribing

Election comment authorised by Craig Wallace for Advocacy for Inclusion

TOWN HALL PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON DISABILITY IN THE ACT ELECTION

A town hall style virtual forum with a twist will spotlight disability as an issue in the coming ACT election from 12 noon-2.00 pm next Thursday 26^th September.

Helmed by ABC Mornings presenter Georgia Stynes, the forum, organised by local groups representing people with a range of disabilities, will flag priorities from disability groups but will also hear from people with disability on the ground.

The forum will discuss areas like health, housing, urban planning and transport and education while also putting a spotlight on the governments responses to the Disability Royal Commission and its growing responsibilities as it designs a new foundational support system to respond to gaps and shortcomings in the NDIS.

It comes on top of the release of a shared election platform released by Issued by ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability, Women with Disabilities ACT, Mental Health Community Coalition ACT and Advocacy for Inclusion.

It is expected the forum will also invite responses from candidates including the Minister and Shadow Ministers from ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals, candidates from the Greens, the Independents for Canberra, the Fiona Carrick Group and the Peter Strong Independents.

AFI Head of Policy Craig Wallace said “the next Assembly will have key responsibilities and choices in disability reform as a whole of government issue and at the local level so we need the voices of people with disability to be heard.

“The forum next week is about the priorities the next Assembly has for the 80,000 people who have a disability but also the priorities that disabled voters have for them. In a twist on the stock standard debate format we’re inviting people with disability to tell us what would it mean in their everyday lives if the politicians came through and their promises were actually delivered?

“Only about 10,000 Canberrans are part of NDIS which means many voters are vitally interested in how the Territory supports people with disability in everything from housing to justice to schools. We’re also building a whole new support system and facing major shortfalls in advocacy”, Mr Wallace concluded.

WHEN: Thursday 12 noon, 26 September 2024

WHAT: ACT Election 2024 – Disability Town Hall Event

Hear about disability priorities for the next ACT Legislative Assembly
Listen to Canberra voters with disability speaking about what delivery means on the ground
Hear from candidates with their reactions, plans and ideas

WHO: Our Host is well known ABC Canberra Mornings Presenter Georgia Stynes. You can read more about Georgia here:

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/people/georgia-stynes-local-radio/8306526

WHERE: The forum is online. Join here:

https://tinyurl.com/59e9ru8m

Media Contacts

Craig Wallace, Head of Policy on 0477 200 755.

Authorised by Craig Wallace for Advocacy for Inclusion

Following the recent decision to revoke Beam Mobility’s permit to operate due to alleged compliance issues by the ACT Government AFI have written to ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel pointing to the broader issues with the E Scooter scheme. E-scooters have been touted as a sustainable and affordable transport solution but for people with disability and older Canberrans, the challenges extend beyond provider non-compliance. Strewn across footpaths and silently whizzing by, e-scooters have come to represent a growing hazard on accessible pathways and to public safety. Our letter says that as the Government has stated its intentions to further expand the scheme and attract new providers, it is critical that these issues are addressed.

Read our submission: Shared e-scooter expansion submission

AFI, together with ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability, have made a joint submission to the Australian Government Department of Social Services regarding the Exposure Draft of the Request for Tender for a New Specialist Disability Employment Program. We have said that we would like to see more focus and attention on employment issues noting that barriers to employment contribute to low incomes and poverty especially in Canberra with its high cost of living. We point out that employment policy for people with disability has been constrained by its sole carriage by the Australian Government with limited and unclear roles for the States and Territories and municipal government. The States and Territories have some key levers including taxation and proximity to employment creation and relationships with State and Territory chambers and business and commerce. They are also heavily involved in procurement in industries which offer entry level jobs.

We say an improved approach would include the program untethering some of the funding set aside for specialist providers to enable DPO’s and DRO’s to do more to foster employment opportunities. We have also said that the employment services and the employment program should have a broader focus on supporting the activation of people with disabilities across all areas of life and setting up sustainable outcomes rather than a narrow employment first focus. This would mean an increased focus on peer support, self-advocacy, and community development – even when an employment outcome is some way off. We point out that the evidence tells us people need holistic attention to additional circumstances such as stabilising housing, transport arrangements and connection to social networks as well as the accompanying soft skills to become job ready. We have said that the ACT would be a good pilot site to target a different approach including collaborative and joined-up employment programs that involve DPO and DROs. Not only does the ACT have a one-tier system of government, but it also has a history of policy innovation and ambition across disability and business. You can read our submission here:

Join us for our election event!

When: Thursday 12 noon, 26 September 2024

Disability is shaping up as a major issue in the approaching ACT Election.

In the lead up to the election Advocacy for Inclusion, in partnership with Women with Disabilities ACT, ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability, and the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT, is offering a town hall style event with a difference.

Local candidates and voters are invited to hear about a range of disability priorities and issues across portfolios and affecting individual electorates.

This is not a traditional election debate but more an opportunity to hear, learn and reflect. We are hoping you can join us to hear about the issues affecting Canberrans with disability, and for candidates to share with us their election priorities that support people with disability.

Join here https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/77176ef5-29e9-4f28-82e5-2a45bca6fe3d@82be5bff-88dc-4ad8-b79f-f1291fce535e