Our network of independent advocacy organisations have worked hard to ensure the Disability Royal Commission upholds the rights of people with disability.
The Disability Royal Commission (DRC) into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was established on 4 April 2019.
For the past four years, people with disability, their families and advocates have told their stories to the Disability Royal Commission.
DANA made over thirty submissions to the DRC, amplifying the voices of disability advocates around Australia.
The DRC final report was delivered on 29 September 2023.
Latest DRC News
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!
What did the DRC investigate?
The Disability Royal Commission was established in response to community concern about widespread reports of violence against, and the neglect, abuse and exploitation of, people with disability.
The Disability Royal Commission investigated:
- preventing and better protecting people with disability from experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation
- achieving best practice in reporting, investigating and responding to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability
- promoting a more inclusive society that supports people with disability to be independent and live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Our work so far
DANA, and our network of indepedent advocacy organisations, worked tirelessly to elevate the voices and stories of people with disability and their families during the DRC. You can read a summary of our work so far below:
Community engagement
Advocacy, peer support and representative organisations spent many years engaging with their networks to inform, raise awareness and get people with disability involved in the Disability Royal Commission (DRC). This formed a large part of DANA’s submission to the DRC.
Spotlight on Advocacy
The experiences and insights of indepedent advocacy organisations and their workforce were featured prominently throughout the DRC public hearings.
The extensive work of advocacy organisations during this time included: providing individual advocacy support to people with disability during the Disability Royal Commission processes; representing systemic issues through making submissions; and providing information and promoting awareness among community members about contributing their experiences.
Safe to Speak
DANA heard from many advocates around Australia supporting and engaging with people to tell their story that privacy and confidentiality concerns had emerged as a key barrier. After a request from the DRC Chair and much coordinated advocacy and campaigning, the Australian Government fulfilled their commitment to amend the legislation to extend full protections to all forms of submission.
Voices of Advocacy
DANA has worked to amplify the voices of on-the-ground advocates to ensure their insights and expertise informed the work of the DRC.