Posted November 2, 2017
This project investigated the prevalence of persistent restraint and its predictors among individuals with a disability accessing residential services in Victoria. Taken together the results suggest that people who are administered antipsychotic medications or who have autism or difficulty communicating to others are at greater risk of being restrained or secluded in the long term and staff report that positive behaviour support is reducing the number of people subjected to restrictive interventions.
Posted October 26, 2017
The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of controls being implemented and/or developed by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to ensure National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) access decisions are consistent with legislative and other requirements.
Posted October 23, 2017
Unfitness to plead laws in Australia have been widely recognised as requiring reform and modernisation. The Unfitness to Plead Project sought to develop practical and legal options to address the problem of people with cognitive disabilities being found unfit to plead and subject to indefinite detention.
Posted October 20, 2017
Mechanical restraint refers to the use of materials or devices to restrict the behaviours of a person with a disability, where the restraint is neither for therapeutic purposes or required by law. The inappropriate use of mechanical restraint is recognised in legislation and policy as a violation of people’s human rights, and a risk to their health and wellbeing. Understanding who is at risk of mechanical restraint may assist service providers to better support people with a disability.
Posted September 7, 2017
This research report aims to help tertiary response services to respond effectively to the needs of women with disabilities. Women with disabilities who have experienced violence seek help and support from tertiary services for similar reasons that other women do, including family and intimate partner abuse, sexual harassment and assault, coercive control, and stalking. However, women with disabilities also experience abuse related to their disability, including institutional violence and denial of provision of essential care
Posted August 11, 2017
This report summarises the responses received to the Discussion Paper, meetings with stakeholders by phone, in small groups and in large forums, and relevant research and review findings. It describes the themes and strategies identified, and provides some clarification of aspects of disability advocacy.
Posted August 3, 2017
Rethinking our assumptions about people with impairments is a critical step towards more inclusiveness Social epidemiologist Professor Eric Emerson argues that “disability” and “being disabled” really refer to the effects of social and economic marginalisation of people with certain types of physical or mental impairments, and not the personal impact of the impairments themselves.
Posted August 2, 2017
This report reveals that although online participation is increasing across Australia, gaps continue to exist- and widen- between those who are digitally “included” and “excluded”. The report found that Australians with low levels of income, education and employment are less digitally included – as well as Indigenous Australians and people with a disability.
Posted July 3, 2017
This study investigated the interconnections between housing, community infrastructure and quality of life for Indigenous people living with disability. It incorporated three case studies from Yalata and Point Pearce in South Australia and Greater Geelong in Victoria that revealed poor health and disability are major issues facing the Indigenous populations in these areas. The research … Continued
Posted October 28, 2016
This publication presents information from the 2015 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC). It follows the release of the First Results in April 2016, which are also included in this publication. A short podcast about the SDAC highlighting the key findings from 2015, and a video animation about Australia’s carers is also available as … Continued
Posted December 14, 2015
This matter was referred by the Senate to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report: on 11 February 2015. Over 160 submissions were received and public hearings were held across Australia from April to October 2015. This is the final report from the Inquiry. The committee finds that violence, abuse and neglect … Continued
Posted November 9, 2015
In many developed countries, the provision of disability services has undergone significant transformations, from institutional to community based care, and from organisational to personalised funding. Yet delivering disability support remains an ongoing challenge for governments. Specifically, the relative success of different types of disability support governance is convoluted and problematic given the diversity and complexity … Continued
Posted September 21, 2015
This is the final report from the inquiry looking into the impact on service quality, efficiency and sustainability of recent Commonwealth community service tendering processes by the Department of Social Services. Additional recommendations have been added since the interim report was released in May with this one being most welcome to the disability advocacy sector: … Continued
Posted February 7, 2014
This report focuses on people with disabilities who need communication supports or who have complex and multiple support needs and who have come in contact with the criminal justice system. Negative assumptions and attitudes, coupled with a lack of support services and minimal provision of adjustments, often means that people with disabilities are viewed as … Continued
Posted January 31, 2014
Despite international and national guarantees of equal rights, there remains a great deal to be done to achieve global employment equality for individuals with disabilities. In OECD countries, the employment rate of persons with disabilities was just over 40%, compared to 75% for persons without a disability; in many low- and middle-income countries, the employment … Continued
