Disability Royal Commission | Disability Advocacy Network Australia

Free, independent and confidential counselling and advocacy support for the Disability Royal Commission

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) is happening now and will run until September 2023.

Free, independent and confidential counselling and advocacy support is available for people with disability who have been hurt, taken advantage of or treated badly. Support is also available for anyone who is engaging with or affected by the Disability Royal Commission.

Housing action long overdue for people with disability

Having a safe, secure and appropriate place to live is a foundational human right – one that too many people with disability are routinely denied.

DANA has released a joint statement with Inclusion Australia and People with Disability Australia outlining concerns and recommendations around housing for people with disability.

“We often hear from advocates about the difficulty of getting disability supports in place for a person without a home,” said DANA CEO Mary Mallett. “A Brisbane advocate told me last year that just about everything he was doing was related to housing because all of the issues that he was trying to help people with were flowing from the fact that they didn’t have a place, an appropriate place to live.”

Help spread the word – Change starts with your story

People with disability, their family, supporters and advocates can share experiences of violence, neglect, abuse or exploitation with the Disability Royal Commission. Here are some useful resources to remind your networks that 2022 is the final year for people to share their stories, and how many small submissions add up to one big story!

Your Story online events in December

Your Story Disability Legal Support is holding some online events in early December including, a webinar for Queensland community workers, a conversation about LGBTIQA+ communities and the Disability Royal Commission and ‘Fearless and fabulous: Celebrating the disability community’ (on International Day of People with Disability)

Legal amendment finally makes it safe to speak

DANA is extremely pleased that after a request from the DRC Chair and much coordinated advocacy and campaigning, the Australian Government has finally fulfilled their commitment to amend the legislation to extend full confidentiality protections to all forms of submission.

More time for the Disability Royal Commission to listen

DANA is very pleased the requested 17-month extension to the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability has been granted, as we have heard from many advocates the urgency for additional time needed for people with disability to tell their stories. The Final Report (from the DRC to the Governor-General) will now be due on 29 September 2023.