Disability and Carers
The Australian Government is committed to supporting all people with disability to thrive in diverse and inclusive communities.
The Department of Social Services (the department) supports the independence of, and economic participation by, people with disability and carers by providing targeted supports.
Supports are provided through a range of payments, programs and services, and grants and funding for organisations.
More information is available under publications and articles, standards and quality assurance, and related agencies and sites.
Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031
The Australian Government Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 (ADS) was developed by all levels of government alongside people with disability, their families, carers and representatives.
ADS aims to drive change to uphold the rights, inclusion and participation of people with disability in all areas of Australian life.
ADS and supporting documents are available on Australia’s Disability Strategy Hub on the Disability Gateway. A range of documents are available as Easy Read, and community languages including Auslan.
National Autism Strategy
The Australian Government is developing a National Autism Strategy in close consultation with the Autism community.
The Strategy will be for all Autistic Australians. It will cover key reform areas including access to services, healthcare, education, and employment. It will help to guide a more coordinated, national approach supporting autistic people at each stage of life.
See our National Autism Strategy page for more information about the Strategy.
Disability Reforms
The Australian Government is working with states and territories and the disability community to prepare for reforms that address the findings in the:
- final report of the Royal Commission into Violence Abuse Neglect and Exploitation of people with Disability (Disability Royal Commission)
- final report of the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS Review)
People with disability will be at the centre of the disability reforms. This means the Australian Government will consider the views people with disability have about what changes are needed and how they should be implemented when planning the reforms and putting them into place.
Disability reforms require a national effort, with input from all Australian Government departments, state and territory governments, and engagement with the disability sector and community.
The Australian Government is committed to working collaboratively with states and territories and the disability community to progress the required reform.
Achieving a more inclusive Australia will take a coordinated effort from everyone. This includes creating more opportunities for people with disability and without disability to live, work and play together.
Disability Reform Roadmap
All governments are committed to working with people with disability to make Australia more inclusive, accessible and safe for people with disability. Together, we will do this through progressing key disability reforms.
All governments have developed a Disability Reform Roadmap. It outlines the shared goals, foundations, and key actions all governments will take in 2024 and 2025 to build the foundations and deliver on commitments for the disability reform agenda, including some changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The Roadmap also outlines key milestones for:
- All governments progressing critical National Cabinet commitments from December 2023, including legislative and other changes to the NDIS to improve the experience of participants
- All governments progressing commitments to ensure the sustainability of the NDIS and to the design of initial Foundational Supports
- Further work in response to the Disability Royal Commission
- All governments working to deliver a response to the Independent Review of the NDIS
- Further progressing work to support Australia’s Disability Strategy.
All governments are committed to ongoing engagement with a diverse range of people with disability, their families, and carers. The Roadmap details what this engagement will look like and highlights our commitment to meaningful stakeholder engagement to inform disability reforms.
This Roadmap is one of many ways we will communicate with disability stakeholders and will be updated regularly as decisions are made by Disability Ministers to ensure the community is informed.
Disability Employment Reforms
As part of the 2024-25 Budget, the Australian Government announced a new specialist disability employment program will commence from 1 July 2025 helping more people with disability, injury and/or health condition to prepare for, find and maintain sustainable employment. It will replace the current Disability Employment Services (DES) program.
The new specialist disability employment program will improve the quality of services for both participants and employers and provide more flexible and tailored support focusing on individuals’ diverse pathways to find and retain employment.
The changes will improve access to the program which will be delivered by a diverse network of high-quality providers who can demonstrate they have staff and leadership that reflects the diversity of the communities they are working with.
The Government also announced the introduction of a Disability Employment Centre of Excellence which will develop best practice, evidence-based information to help providers deliver high-quality effective services to improve disability employment outcomes. The Centre of Excellence is expected to commence in March 2025, to support the introduction of the new specialist disability employment program from 1 July 2025.
See the new specialist disability employment program page for more information
Disability Royal Commission
The Disability Royal Commission looked at what needs to change to prevent violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability, and how to achieve a safe, inclusive and accessible society. The final report includes 12 volumes and 222 recommendations.
The Australian Government released its response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) on 31 July 2024.
The response outlines the Australian Government’s commitment to working in partnership with the disability community to implement reforms to make Australia more inclusive, accessible and safe for people with disability.
The Government consulted with people with disability, families, carers, the disability sector and other stakeholders to inform its response.
The Australian Government Response to the Disability Royal Commission and supporting documents (including Easy Read, AUSLAN, Braille, large print and languages other than English) are available at www.dss.gov.au/DRC-Aus-Gov-Response
Foundational Supports
The Australian, State and Territory Governments are working together to build a more inclusive Australia for the 5.5 million people with disability. This includes working on the design of additional supports for people with disability and their families.
Foundational Supports are a recommendation of the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The Review consulted thousands of people with disability and found there is a need for further support in two areas:
- Supports that help people fully participate in the community, access the information they need to make informed decisions, and to advocate on issues that impact them; and
- Targeted supports, that operate between inclusive mainstream services and the specialist supports accessed through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, that are aimed at those not accessing the NDIS.
We are consulting on the development of services for people with disability outside of the NDIS. You can find information about consultations at DSS Engage.
Register your interest in consultations by subscribing to our Foundational Supports newsletter. Click the link below to sign-up.
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NDIS Review
The NDIS Review consulted with the disability community over 12 months, engaging with around 10,000 people. After receiving almost 4,000 submissions, the report made 26 recommendations that aim to restore trust, confidence and pride in the NDIS.
The Australian Government publicly released the final report in December 2023.
Visit ndisreview.gov.au for more information about the Independent Review panel and how the NDIS Review was conducted.
See our NDIS reforms page for information about how the Australian Government is working with the disability community to reform the NDIS.
NDIS Review Town Halls
A series of NDIS Review Town Hall events across Australia offered the disability community the opportunity to learn more about the recommendations of the NDIS Review.
See our NDIS Review Town Halls page for information about these events, including event recordings, summaries and frequently asked questions.
‘Getting the NDIS Back on Track’ Bill
The Australian Government introduced changes to the NDIS Act on 27 March 2023 that will enable future improvements to the NDIS and strengthen the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
See our Changes to the NDIS Act page for more information.
Government responses to the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review
The Australian Government is carefully considering the recommendations in the final reports of both the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review before providing its responses.
Supporting carers
Almost 2.65 million Australians care for someone with disability, a medical condition, mental illness or someone who is frail due to age. The Australian Government helps carers remain engaged in the community, participate in the workforce and stay healthy while continuing their caring role through the provision of funding for a range of supports, services and financial assistance.
See our Supporting Carers page for more information on programs, services and payments.
COVID-19 Information and support for people with disability and carers
For information and support about COVID-19 please visit our information and support page.
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