There are a wide range of legislative requirements and strategies which have influenced the development of this DIAP. In recent years, there have been significant changes to law and policy in Australia aimed at ensuring the rights of people with disability are upheld and protected.
A summary of some of the key documents is provided below.
International
Internationally, Australia is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008). This Convention recognises that disability is ‘an evolving concept and that disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’.
National
At a federal level, Australia has had a Disability Discrimination Act for 30 years (released in 1992). Various Australian Standards and Frameworks support this Act, including the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards (2010), National Construction Code of Australia (2022), Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (2002) and Disability Standards for Education (2005).
Since 2014, Australia has implemented the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to provide support for Australians with permanent and significant disability with the reasonable and necessary supports they need to live an ordinary life. Residents of Georges River Council have had access to the NDIS from 1 July 2017.
In 2019, Australia launched a three-year Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. This inquiry will provide recommendations to government on how to prevent and better protect people with disability from all forms of violence and abuse, neglect and exploitation; achieve best practice reporting and investigation processes; and promote a more inclusive society that supports the independence of people with disability and their right to live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Australia has also recently released its new National Disability Strategy (NDS) 2021–31. The vision sets out practical changes required to fulfil its vision for an inclusive Australian society that ensures people with disability can fulfil their potential, as equal members of the community. It helps protect, promote and realise the human rights of people with disability through national leadership, guiding public policy activities, influencing mainstream services and systems, and engages the whole community in achieving a more inclusive society.
Our DIAP also aligns with other international, national and Australian Capital Territory social policy and frameworks including:
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (2017)
- Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Commonwealth)
- Disability Services Act 1986 (Commonwealth)
- Australian Public Service Disability Employment Strategy 2020–25 (Commonwealth)
- National Arts and Disability Strategy 2009 (Commonwealth)
- Disability Services Act 1991 (Australian Capital Territory)
- Disability Justice Strategy 2019–29 (Australian Capital Territory)
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
