Youngcare welcomes the Australian Governments initial response to the Disability Royal Commission’s recommendations.
In accordance with the terms of reference, the Disability Royal Commission investigated what governments, institutions and the community should do to:
- prevent and better protect people with disability from experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation,
- achieve best practice in reporting, investigating, and responding to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability, and
- promote a more inclusive society that supports people with disability to be independent and live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
With such a broad set of references and after almost 10,000 interviews the Royal Commissions final report on 29 September 2023 provided 222 recommendations for government to consider, the recent announcement from Ministers Rishworth, Shorten and Butler outlined the Governments initial response.
Accepting 13 recommendations and a further 117 recommendations in principle indicates there is still much work to be done to ensure disability reforms are front and centre of the government’s agenda.
Youngcare acknowledges that complex negotiations need to be ongoing between federal, state and territory governments to implement many of the recommendations as they cross jurisdictions.
Youngcare CEO Greg Johnson said, “It is vital that the Australian public and more specifically the disability community has confidence that the major reforms called for in the Royal Commission recommendations are implemented to provide greater safeguards for people with a disability, wider inclusion and access to our communities, workplaces and housing options and greater access to timely advocacy to challenge discrimination and inaction of disability rights”.
Youngcare welcomes further opportunities to consult with federal, state governments and peak bodies over the coming weeks and months to achieve meaningful and lasting change for all people with a disability in Australia.
