Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 was released on December 3rd International Day of People with Disability, and sets out the national disability policy framework for the next ten years.

The strategy is intended to provide national leadership towards greater inclusion of people with disability, guiding all areas of public policy to be more inclusive, drive mainstream services to improve outcomes for people with disability and engage, inform and involve the whole community in achieving a more inclusive society.

The strategy targets seven ‘Outcome Areas’ that represent the areas people with disability have said need to improve. Those areas are:

Employment and Financial Security
Inclusive Homes and Communities
Safety, Rights and Justice
Personal and Community Support
Education and Learning
Health and Wellbeing
Community Attitudes.

There will be targeted actions plans against each of these outcome areas and regular public reporting that shows whether outcomes for people with disability are improving.

The strategy is very detailed and covers critical areas that need to be addressed if we are to move towards a genuinely inclusive society, and carries the signatures of the Prime Minister and all of the Premiers and Chief Ministers, which is significant as some issues can fall into a grey area between Federal and State legislation. We will watch with interest to see whether the strategy delivers meaningful change, while continuing to play our role.

Ed Birt, COO of The Disability Trust said “This is a really important national and uniting strategy and furthers the vision of an inclusive Australia where all people can participate as equal members of society to fulfill their potential.”

To find out more about please visit the Australia’s Disability Strategy Hub | Disability Gateway.