Let's make it plainly clear, Disability Royal Commission Recommendation 5.6 stated:
The Australian Government should establish:
- a portfolio responsible for the disability and carers policies and programs
- a ministerial position – the Minister for Disability Inclusion – responsible for disability inclusion strategy, policies and programs
- a Department of Disability Equality and Inclusion, responsible for the national disability and carers policies and programs.
Labor has just had an outstanding federal election win, gaining a huge majority.
Surely this is the perfect opportunity to implement the above DRC recommendations?
If not now, then when?
The DRC also recommended:
People with disability should be recruited to positions within the new department, including into leadership positions.
PDA congratulates Ali France on winning the seat of Dickson and Senator Jordon Steele-John on his re-election at Saturday's federal election. There is a feeling of optimism in the air amongst much of Australia's disability community. Let's hope that the voices of these two representatives are heard and listened to by government, and that positive change is on the cards.
Physical Disability Australia's CEO, Jeremy Muir calls on the Labor government to now "show that it has listened and heard the disability community and understands that those of us living with disabilities must be at the forefront of disability inclusion, disability policy and disability programs. Our lived experiences of disability need to be the foundations from which real and positive change grows."
Vice President and NSW Director of PDA, Mark Pietsch, said "We belong in the room where the conversation takes place. We're not an afterthought. We're citizens, leaders, parents, professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, voters. We are the faces, minds and bodies of disability and we're ready to shape the future of this country for people living with disability. To make this happen, we need to be in the same room with those that we gave our votes to, looking at the same agenda and contributing equally."
No Decisions About Us! Without Us!
We ask the Prime Minister to put the call out to all of us living with a disability.
We are present and we are here.
We live, work and play among you and we can direct Australia to truly become a fully inclusive community.
Key Facts:
PDA exists for its members, who fuel our mission to "enable every Australian living with a physical disability to realise their full potential".
Through our work, we advocate to government, create equal opportunities, promote diversity and inclusion and ensure that our values within the organisation (and our representation of Australians living with physical disability) are reflected, upheld and defended.
Established in 1995, PDA is one of a very small handful of Australian disability organisations that actually has members and board representation in every Australian state and territory. With physical disability affecting 76.8% of Australia's disability community, our organisation represents the largest disability category in our country. It is this visible and all-encompassing national footprint that ensures PDA truly has its finger on the pulse of disability in our country. This unique representative stance provides us with a strong voice and position to ensure that our organisation and members are heard and part of Australia's disability conversation.
Together with the support of our incredible members and the ongoing work of our Board, we will continue to shine as an informed, influential, visible, active and connected organisation that puts disability rights at the forefront of all that we do.
About us:
Physical Disability Australia (PDA) is a national peak Disability Peoples Organisation (DPO) run by people with physical disability for people with physical disability.
