Response to Parliamentary Secretary Shorten
Third National Disability Advocacy Conference
By Kevin Cocks
I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land that we gather to meet on today. I would also like to pay respect to the elders that have stewardship of this land and thank them for their permission to gather and meet here.
I also would like to acknowledge and pay respect to people with disability, who have gone before us, yet actively resisted and vigorously advocated for all people with disability to live life with dignity and a life without discrimination… because without their efforts we would not be here today.
I have been charged with the task of responding to the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, Bill Shorten. Bill has laid out his vision for “Disability Advocacy in the 21st Century”
Before I respond to Bill’s views I would like to acknowledge his efforts as parliamentary secretary for disability. Everywhere I go I hear people say what a great advocate Bill is for people with disability. And on behalf of the DANABoard would like to echo those comments. We had to wait 27 years before we had a Minister and Parliamentary Secretary that we deserved. The last time we had a Minister that was as committed and passionate about improving the lives of people with disability as Bill is, was Senator Don Grimes in 1983-1986.
Don Grimes had a vision and a belief that people with disability should receive services, including accommodation support, employment, information services etc that would be underpinned by human rights. Advocacy was one of those eligible service types that could be funded. Thus, from 1987 the Commonwealth began to fund Advocacy services to assist people with disability to represent their own interests in the community, advocacy services to represent the person with disability interests in the community, and advocacy services to represent groups of people with disabilities interests in the community.
Over the life of the Program (23years) in the Commonwealth jurisdiction alone, reviews or reports have been undertaken in 1992 (1 report), 1993 (2 reports), 1995, 1996 (2 reports), 1999 and 2006. The reports and reviews have identified similar problems and made similar recommendations for improvement and reform but the program has continued largely unchanged. It is clear that funding has not kept up with other Commonwealth and State programs i.e. employment and supported accommodation.
One can build an argument that the national Disability Advocacy Program has been neglected at worst or not seen as a priority at best. However we are here to look forward and advance a program that will increase its capacity to promote protect and defend vulnerable people with disability’s human rights.
Who are we? And what do we aim to achieve?
Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) is a Company limited by Guarantee, established in October 2008 and incorporated in May 2009 to strengthen and support Disability Advocacy Organisations across Australia. DANA’s purposes include to promote the role and value of independent advocacy and to provide a collective voice for members. The DANA membership includes disability advocacy organisations from each of the States and Territories of Australia. Member organisations engage in systemic, individual, family, legal and/or citizen advocacy.
DANA has identified that there is a critical need to develop a more coherent approach to resourcing and administering independent advocacy across the nation. We have therefore developed:
- A proposal to safeguard the independence and resource base of independent disability advocacy.
- A rationale for the ongoing development of disability advocacy program resourcing.
- A mechanism for strengthening and supporting the growth and development of disability advocacy.
Context
In the current climate of significant COAG reforms across health, aged care and disability support; the Productivity Commission Inquiry into a National Disability Long-term Care and Support Scheme and the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities there is a window of opportunity to position the role of independent disability advocacy support to more vulnerable citizens in a more strategic administrative framework.
Proposal for a New Statutory Authority
DANA is proposing that a separate Statutory Authority be established for a national independent advocacy program that is linked to Commonwealth and State and disability administration. Program delivery funding is to initially be that which is made available for independent advocacy for people with disabilities of any age via the NDAP, HACC and the State NDA Advocacy programs. Program administration funding would be equivalent to the current administration dollars used for these Programs across the country. The Program would be administered in accordance with a set of principles that establish the core elements and functions of an independent advocacy program. It would be governed by a Board that includes state and federal officials, representatives of advocacy organisations and people with disabilities and independent advocacy experts.
The Key Features of this Administrative Body include:
*Promotion of the value and importance of independent advocacy.
*Advocacy sector planning and development including identification of demand and development of comprehensive Program framework incorporating the elements indentified in the Principles above.
*Management of core recurrent advocacy funding perhaps via State based officers.
*Development and Implementation of a Performance Reporting and Quality Assurance Framework for advocacy providers
*Research in relation to advocacy practice, administration and demand.
*Influence Government policy development and implementation in favour of advocacy.
Such an Authority, properly constituted and funded, would, through driving quality improvements to advocacy, also drive a culture of respect for and inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the community.
Proposal to fund a Peak Body for Advocacy
We propose that a sector peak organisation (DANA) is funded to play a leadership and Advocacy role to promote strong and effective independent advocacy.
Proposal for Funding Commitment for Advocacy
We propose that government make a commitment to provide advocacy funding that responds to need and is linked to population growth and funding growth to disability and aged care services.
In summary we are here to advocate for a robust, vigorous, effective, accountable and independent advocacy movement, and to bring to the table the voice of the forgotten and voiceless people with disability, a population group that is amongst the most vulnerable people with disability in Australia.