Community engagement
Advocacy, peer support and/or representative organisations are engaging with their networks to inform, raise awareness and get people with disability involved in the Disability Royal Commission (DRC). Diverse activities in a range of formats and media are needed to reach out to everyone. Do you have an example that’s worked well or a story to share from your organisation/region?
Email a description and any links or photos to our Policy Officer, siobhan.clair [at] dana.org.au
Action for More Independence & Dignity in Accommodation (AMIDA)
Raising Our Voices on 3CR radio – Raising Our Voices is a radio program about housing and other issues produced by people with disabilities. An episode focused on the DRC aired 13 May 2020, featuring Self Advocates Colin Hiscoe and Jane Rosengrave
Aged and Disability Advocacy (ADA)
ADA was joined by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Disability Network of Queensland to yarn about the Disability Royal Commission at an event in Coolangatta in May. Cody Skinner, First Nations ATSIDNQ Champion talked about his experience of sharing his story with the Disability Royal Commission.
Community Resource Unit
CRU and CYDA Disability Royal Commission workshop – towards transformation in inclusive education – You can watch videos of presentations at this event.
DACSSA
DACSSA worked with the students of Our Lady of La Vang School to help compose, record and film a song written as a submission to the Disability Royal Commission:
Developmental Disability WA
DDWA held a session in February to talk about crime and abuse with Legal Aid WA. DDWA staff also attended a CYDA workshop – The Disability Royal Commission and the Right to Inclusive Education
Disability Advocacy NSW, Your Story and Interrelate
Newcastle residents came together to celebrate the disability community and find out about the Disability Royal Commission and the free supports available. The stars of the show were drummers from local program Songbird Drums Alive:
Watch the short news story on NBN News
Leadership Plus, Your Story Disability Legal Support and Relationships Australia Victoria
At this free online event, Eva Sifis shared her story of rebuilding her life after an accident, and how storytelling has helped her and others with an acquired brain injury. Advocate Simon Judd-Mole from Leadership Plus joined the panel discussion, answering questions about the supports available to people wanting to share their own story.
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association NSW (MDAA)
“Empowering those with a disability from CALD backgrounds to have a voice” – This article in the Fairfield City Champion newspaper explains how MDAA can help the voices of people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to be heard, including through helping people like Cuneyt Yusef to make submissions on how Australian systems can be improved.
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association talks rights with Griffith residents – This article in the Area News describes engagement activities in Griffith, NSW.
Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council
NPY Women’s Council’s Tjungu team are travelling across the NPY Lands to interview Anangu with a disability about their experiences, and offer access to culturally appropriate counselling as a part of the process: Royal Commission – many Anangu with a disability have never told their story or reached out for help before | NPY Women’s Council (npywc.org.au)
Queensland Advocacy Incorporated (QAI)
A retrospective look at the Disability Royal Commission’s hearing on employment – QAI’s Emma Phillips spoke with community radio station 4ZZZ in March 2021 about the DRC hearing on employment and why equal employment for people with disability is so important.
Speak Out Association of Tasmania
Connect, edition 4 of the official DRC newsletter featured a story about an online forum held for people with intellectual disability. Self-advocates with intellectual disability and the Tasmanian Advocacy Service Speak Out Association of Tasmania shared their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
VALID
VALID’s annual Having A Say Conference, ‘We Can’t Be Beaten’ was held online in June 2021. There were information sessions about the supports available to help engage with the Disability Royal Commission and ‘what you should know before you testify’.
Women With Disabilities ACT (WWDACT)
‘Women with disability want respect and autonomy’ (in Connect, 2 February edition) of the DRC newsletter describes a co-designed focus group with WWDACT members in late 2020. Participants voiced experiences on the impact of violence and disrepect, and contributed suggestions on the health system, decision making, and accessibility of housing and services.
Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)
YDAS is ran conversations and surveys for young people with disability to contribute their perspectives: What is the Disability Royal Commission? (yacvic.org.au)
For more examples of how organisations are raising awareness of DRC processes by creating resources, including documents, online materials and videos, see the DRC Resources page.