Anonymous

Which of the following statements best describes you?

I’m a parent / guardian or other family member of a person with disability
I’m a support worker / work directly with people with disability
I’m a disability advocate and/or work for a disability peak association or service provider
I’m a health professional
I’m a researcher or academic

Question 1:
During the first stage of consultations we heard that the vision and the six outcome areas under the current Strategy are still the right ones. Do you have any comments on the vision and outcome areas being proposed for the new Strategy?

Agreed- the outcome areas should be retained… But I’m wondering where workplace support comes in?

The document acknowledges the COVID19 pandemic has had an impact on people with disability and therefore supports the need for the NDS to guide government policies, programs and services, but it looks like all the information guiding the strategy has occurred before the majority of the effects of the pandemic were felt. It would be good to draw in some greater focus on the impact of the pandemic and how things could work better for people with disability.

Question 2:
What do you think about the guiding principles proposed here?

The guiding principles are fine, but how exactly will they be assessed? Particularly, guiding principle #3: Engaging with the broader community. How will this be achieved? What are the expected outcomes? What would success in this area look like?

Also, for guiding principle #1: Involve and Engage. Are priority populations specifically brought into the consultation process?

Question 3:
What is your view on the proposal for the new Strategy to have a stronger emphasis on improving community attitudes across all outcome areas?

The emphasis on improving community attitudes towards being more inclusive and accepting of people with disability is essential. However, it is not clear how the strategy will implement this. The statement regarding the difficulty associated with employment is certainly an area needing improvement, but what exactly is being done? Will there be more legislation/resources pulled for the development of more supportive workplaces? Even the process of applying for work is not a particularly inclusive process. Could there be scope to be more flexibility associated with the job application process?

Question 4:
How do you think that clearly outlining what each government is responsible for could make it easier for people with disability to access the supports and services they need?

This is a step in the right direction, but it’s more important to clearly communicate this back to people with disability so that they are aware of the supports and services that are available. Also, who will be responsible for ensuring the supports and services are actually available and the waitlists are as short as possible?

Question 5:
How do you think the Strategy should represent the role that the non-government sector plays in improving outcomes for people with disability?

Unsure. Perhaps have a team available for non-government organisations to consult with on how they could improve outcomes for people with disability? And a clear reporting system whereby non-government businesses/organisations need to be accountable to.

Question 6:
What kind of information on the Strategy’s progress should governments make available to the public and how often should this information be made available?

All of it and annually.

Question 7:
What do you think of the proposal to have Targeted Action Plans that focus on making improvements in specific areas within a defined period of time (for example within one, two or three years)?

Targeted Action Plans need to be time-based so people know what they’re working towards. It would help keep things on track and assist with monitoring the plans effectiveness.

Question 8:
How could the proposed Engagement Plan ensure people with disability, and the disability community, are involved in the delivery and monitoring of the next Strategy?

Unsure. I’m not sure the onus should always be placed on people with disability to provide feedback on the monitoring of such strategies (but obviously it’s important that people with disability are involved in the development of such frameworks).

Question 9:
Is there anything else you would like to share about the ideas and proposals in the position paper?

No.