Resource Library

Ending the postcode lottery: Addressing barriers to sexual, maternity and reproductive healthcare in Australia

Under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031, federal, state, and territory governments have committed to improving health services to create better health outcomes for people with disability.  Notwithstanding this, it was brought to the committee’s attention that people with disability continue to face a range of barriers including accessing appropriate, accessible, responsive and equitable reproductive health services and education.

Parenting Help Easy English

The Easy English parent guide and activity booklet are for parents with disability. They explain how parents can get help with raising their children.  The resource includes help with your baby, activities for your child, and help with paperwork. 

People with disability transitioning from prison and their pathways into homelessness

The report finds that there is a critical need for improved visibility of people with disability within the criminal justice system and for greater transparency of outcomes in relation to programs designed to support their re-entry (including housing outcomes).  Many of the programs designed to support people leaving correctional facilities have a limited evidence base and focus on recidivism to the exclusion of other related factors, such as housing and access to services that support people with disability to live independently in the community.  Likewise, many supportive housing programs have not been evaluated for justice-involved people with disability. 

Towards Inclusive Practice

This resource was established to provide advice to government departments, and other large organisations, on how to be more inclusive of people with an intellectual disability. It consists of a range of helpful resources, co-designed with a network of people with an intellectual disability across Australia. They can be read individually or as a whole to help you think about and improve your own inclusive practice.

Suspensions and expulsions

School is a big part of a child’s life.  To be suspended or expelled is serious and it’s important to understand the process and your child’s rights.  When the school has a good understanding of your child and effective supports and strategies are in place, serious issues can be avoided.  There are many ways that schools and parents can work together to create the best possible learning environment for students with disability.  This information sheet refers to processes for government schools. 

What makes inclusive communities? Meanings, tensions, change needed

The Planning Inclusive Communities (PIC) project stems from research on mobility, participation, and the diverse experience of everyday life in the planned and designed city centres, towns and neighbourhoods of Australia. This report presents the thoughts, experiences, and ideas of 97 participants on what makes communities inclusive, their current experiences of living in their communities and what change is needed to make communities and cities more inclusive.

Inclusive Juries: Report

Jury duty is an important civic duty associated with active citizenship. Barriers to jury service in current law and practice are out of touch with community expectations, laws and policies about non-discrimination and the inclusion of people with disabilities in public life.  This report recommends ways to remove barriers from current law and practice that prevent people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision from serving on juries. 

Disability Rights in Real Life

In 2021, Equality Lawyers and Picture Human Rights joined forces to create Disability Rights in Real Life, a law handbook for people with disabilities, their families and supporters. ​Disability Rights in Real Life aims to provide the disability community with information on their rights and to know when they might need a disability rights lawyer. … Continued

NDIS Self-advocacy Learning Hub for people experiencing mental health issues

The Learning Hub contains resources to help people with experiences of mental health issues advocate for what they want under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It is free to use for all NDIS workers, mental health service workers, people supporting NDIS participants, people who are considering applying for the NDIS, and NDIS participants themselves.

NDIA chair Kurt Fearnley on ‘fundamental’ reform of the disability scheme

The federal government is trying to contain the exploding cost of the landmark National Disability Insurance Scheme – especially difficult given the fears of vulnerable people who rely on it.  In this podcast, former Paralympian Kurt Fearnley, chair of the National Disability Insurance Authority, which implements the scheme, discusses its issues and the road ahead.

Human Rights Interviews

Lisa, who lives with an acquired brain injury, is passionate about protecting the human rights of people with disability.  In this series of interviews, Lisa seeks to explore how various organisations that provide services to people with disability view human rights, and what they are doing to promote the human rights of people with disability.

What inclusion means: Perspectives of people with disability

This week is National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Week – 2-8 May 2023.  Learn a little bit about Tourette Syndrome from the unique perspective of lived experience with  Jason McCurry. This is part of DARU’s ‘What does inclusion mean to me’ series. You can get more information and resources from Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia Inc. … Continued

NDIS mental health toolkit

The toolkit is designed for people with lived experience of the mental health system who use or are eligible for the NDIS’ under the psychosocial disability stream.  It has information and worksheets to help you know your rights, speak up for yourself and be the strongest advocate for what you want under the Scheme. It is free to use for all NDIS workers, mental health service workers, people supporting NDIS participants, people who are considering applying for the NDIS, and NDIS participants themselves.  

Towards best-practice access to services for culturally and linguistically diverse people with a disability

The report investigates how to improve services, supports and programs for people with disability from culturally diverse backgrounds.  The study concludes that ‘good’ practice for services involves three key elements, including the involvement of people with disability from culturally diverse backgrounds at all stages of developing, implementing and managing services.  The report makes three recommendations for changes at a system, organisational and individual level.

Diverse Learners Hub

The Hub is an online resource that provides information, tools and guidance on diverse learning, including:
– understanding autism and how schools support autistic students
– understanding the different types of learning difficulties
– how learning difficulties can affect a child’s and young person’s learning
– evidence-based resources, tools, and guidance on learning diversity
– professional learning and teaching resources for school staff.