In early 2024, the Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioned DANA to conduct specialist consultations on the National Carer Strategy.

Working alongside Disability Representative Organisations, we engaged with First Nations carers with disability, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) carers with disability, and carers of people with an intellectual disability to ensure their voices and lived expertise shaped the final Strategy.

Released on December 10, the National Carer Strategy reflects many of the critical needs identified by the multiply marginalised carers we consulted, including:

• Culturally safe and inclusive supports that respect carers’ diverse lives and identities.
• Mental health and wellbeing support tailored to carers’ unique challenges.
• Recognition of diverse carer identities and the intersection of disability, identity, and caring roles.
• Recognition of all carers and caring roles, including those who do not identify with the term “carer.”
• Access to skill-building opportunities, including navigating complex systems like the NDIS and DSP and using technology.
• Addressing the unique challenges faced by disabled carers managing their own supports alongside their caring roles.
• Respite services that are accessible, culturally safe, and available where they are most needed.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many carers who participated in the consultations, sharing their lived experiences and expertise. We also acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our partner organisations—First Peoples Disability Network, Inclusion Australia, and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance—whose collaboration was vital to this work.

DANA is pleased to see these critical issues reflected in the National Carer Strategy and looks forward to future government investment to further support multiply marginalised carers in alignment with its goals.

You can read the National Carer Strategy, including translated and Easy Read versions, on the DSS website. To explore DANA’s summary report, visit DSS’s resources page.