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Guided questions on proposals in the Position Paper

Vision and Outcome Areas

Reviews and consultations have told us that the six outcome areas in the current strategy are still the right ones. Therefore, the Government proposes keeping these outcome areas in the next Strategy.

It is important to keep an aspirational vision in the new Strategy to guide disability policy in Australia. Governments are suggesting to keep the current vision in the new Strategy, except to change the word ‘citizen’ to ‘members of the community’.

The proposed vision is:

An inclusive Australian society that enables people with disability to fulfil their potential as equal members of the community.

There are six outcome areas in the current strategy, which are proposed to continue in the new Strategy. Outcome areas guide the areas in which the strategy seeks to improve outcomes for people with disability. They are:

• Economic security
  People with disability have economic security, enabling them to plan for the future and exercise choice and control over their lives. Economic security can include things like having an income and having a job.
• Inclusive and accessible communities
  People with disability live in accessible and well-designed communities with opportunities for full inclusion in social, economic, sporting and cultural life.
• Rights protection, justice and legislation
  People with disability feel safe and have their rights promoted, upheld and protected.
• Personal and community support
  People with disability, their families and carers have access to a range of well-coordinated and effective disability services and supports that are appropriate for their needs.
• Learning and support
  People with disability have opportunities to participate in high-quality education system that is responsive to their needs. People with disability have opportunities to continue learning throughout their lives in both formal and informal settings.
• Health and wellbeing
  People with disability attain the highest possible health and wellbeing outcomes throughout their lives.

Question 1

Do you have any comments on the vision and outcome areas being proposed for the new National Disability Strategy?

For example, you might like to provide advice on any specific issues within the outcome areas that you think need a particular focus in the next Strategy.

Note: The outcome areas for the next Strategy would continue to guide actions. It is also proposed they be the foundation for a new Outcomes Framework. The proposed Outcomes Framework would provide a clear and consistent approach across all levels of government to measure how effective mainstream and disability-specific services are at improving outcomes for people with disability. You will be able to have a say on a draft Outcomes Framework through a separate public submission process.

Guiding Principles

Guiding principles will help to guide governments when they design and deliver policies and programs. They will also guide the actions of the non-government and private sectors to ensure the inclusion of all people with disability. You can read more about the principles in the position paper on page 7.

In addition to the principles set out in Article 3 of the UN CRPD, an agreed set of guiding principles could include:

• Involve and engage: has the policy or program designer engaged with and listened to people with disability?
• Design universally: have the principles of universal design been applied where possible?
• Engage the broader community: how has the broader community been informed of, involved in and made responsible for removing barriers and supporting the inclusion of people with disability?
• Address barriers faced by priority populations: how have the priority populations (noted by the National Disability Strategy) been identified? What action has been taken to specifically address the barriers they may experience?
• Support carers and supporters: how have the needs of the family, carers and circles of information and formal support for the person with disability been considered?

The new Strategy must include ways to make sure different types of organisations and individuals adhere to the guiding principles, including ensuring they understand and can effectively use the principles. This could be done through:

• training and information sharing by people with disability who have lived experience
• providing clear information about what each principle means
• sharing case studies of how organisations or programs are applying the principles in action
• a checklist for organisations of the steps they could take to put the principles into action.

Question 2

What do you think about the guiding principles proposed here?

In responding to this question you might like to think about:

• Are there other principles that would help ensure policies and programs are right for people with disability, their family and carers?
• What information or guidance could help organisations to use and adhere to these principles?

A stronger focus on community attitudes

In the first stage of consultations, people with disability said one of the biggest barriers they face in fully participating in society is community attitudes. This includes in professional and community life.

If community attitudes improved, they said this would help to improve their employment opportunities, financial security, access and involvement in the community.

All levels of government and all parts of the community share the responsibility to shape positive and disability-inclusive attitudes. We all play a part in helping people with disability to fully participate as equal members of the community. 

A key focus of the new Strategy will aim to support and foster ongoing attitudinal change across Australian communities so that we harness the rich contribution people with disability make to our society.

Question 3

The following questions relate to the goal of strengthening accountability in the new Strategy.

Clearly describing roles and responsibilities

All Australians have a role to play in achieving an inclusive Australian community.

The new Strategy will strengthen accountability. It includes a proposal to clearly describe the roles and responsibilities for disability policy and service delivery in Australia.

This includes the responsibilities of different levels of government and non-government organisations, such as community services and the private sector.

The Strategy proposes to bring together a range of publicly available information into one spot. The information would clarify governments’ roles and responsibilities for:

• supporting people with disability
• supporting NDIS participants
• supporting the people with disability in Australia who are not eligible for the NDIS.

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?

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?

(Examples of the non-government sector include big, medium and small businesses, community organisations, employees of these businesses, private research, investment organisations and individuals).

For example, you might like to suggest a way the Strategy could better guide non-government organisations to improve inclusion and equity for people with disability. This could include their role in communities, the workplace, or as part of delivering services.

Reporting

Reporting is an important part of the Strategy’s goal of strengthening accountability (refer position paper page 9).

Current strategy reporting is done through periodic implementation plans and progress reports. The Australian Government compiles these with input from state, territory and local governments. However, there are concerns this approach does not:

• give people enough visibility of whether the Strategy is making a difference
• guide actions or hold governments accountable.

Reviews and consultations have suggested more frequent and different types of reporting. For example, the Productivity Commission recommended a National Disability Report be prepared every two years. In consultations, many stakeholders suggested annual reporting.

The position paper suggests reporting options for the next Strategy may include:

• the responsible Ministerial Council releasing an annual, public statement outlining government policy commitments to lift outcomes for people with disability
• a progress report to be published every two years that uses the new Strategy’s Outcomes Framework to:
  • assess whether outcomes for people with disability are improving
  • identify government policy and program contributions towards achieving these outcomes for people with disability.

Page 9 of the position paper contains more information about the proposed Outcomes Framework.

These reporting options could provide clearer information to the public on whether government policies and programs are making a difference for people with disability, rather than listing government activities without assessing whether these activities are effective.

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?

In providing a response to this question, you might like to think about:

• What type of reporting would help you know whether the lives of people with disability in Australia are improving?
• How often should reporting be done?

The following questions relate to the Strategy’s goal of putting policy into action to achieve outcomes for people with disability through policy development and program design.

Targeted Action Plans to drive implementation

The current strategy had periodic implementation plans. The proposal for the new Strategy is for an Outcomes Framework and subsequent evaluations to provide a more coordinated and cohesive approach to measuring the effectiveness of programs people with disability use. All governments could also work towards aligning their disability inclusion plans. Aligning timeframes would make implementation, reporting and review nationally consistent.

Targeted Action Plans are a specific proposal to improve implementation under the next Strategy (refer position paper page 11).

Governments would work with each other and the non-government sector on a particular topic, for a certain period of time, to make the improvements needed. The Targeted Action Plan would involve committing to delivering actions within a set timeframe. This would contribute to improving outcomes for people with disability.

What these Targeted Action Plans cover would be settled as part of implementation of the Strategy. They would allow the Strategy to respond and adapt to the changing needs of people with disability.

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)?

In responding to this question, you might like to think about specific topics, areas or strategies you think Targeted Action Plans should focus on.

Engagement with people with disability

The first stage of consultation confirmed that people with disability expect to be more involved in disability policy development and program design (refer position paper page 11). Participants of stage 1 consultations said this would make policies and programs more effective.

It is proposed the next Strategy include an Engagement Plan. The Plan would state how governments will ensure people with disability can lead and shape disability policies, programs and services.

Question 8

How could the proposed Engagement Plan ensure people with disability, and the disability community, are involved in delivering and monitoring the next Strategy?

When answering this question, you might like to provide advice about specific strategies or actions that could go into an engagement plan so that people with disability have more say in how the Strategy is monitored and delivered.

Additional information

Stage 2 of the national disability strategy consultation process will inform:

• specific sections in the next Strategy
• how we will implement it.

Question 9

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