National Disability Strategy Implementation Reference
Group Communiqué 28 August 2012
The National Disability Strategy Implementation Reference Group (NDSIRG) held its
inaugural meeting on 28 August 2012. The NDSIRG was announced on 6 June 2012 by
Minister Macklin and Senator McLucas to engage people with disability on the
implementation of the National Disability Strategy (NDS) and to ensure the views of people
with disability are heard.
Membership of the NDSIRG is outlined below and includes members of national
organisations representing the views of their constituents and members selected from the
National People with Disabilities and Carer Council providing their expert advice on disability
and carer issues.
The NDSIRG welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment to establish the group to
provide collaborative and expert advice and information to government on issues relating to
the implementation of the NDS.
The NDS outlines a ten-year national policy framework, which all levels of government have
committed to, to drive improvement across mainstream policies, programs, services and
infrastructure as well as specialist disability services.
At its first meeting the NDISRG highlighted the importance of ensuring that the NDS is
positioned as the driving force for all levels of governments on disability reform. It also
highlighted the importance of continued reform in mainstream services to help ensure the
National Disability Insurance Scheme is able to work as effectively as possible.
The NDSIRG agreed to focus its advice to the Australian Government on the following key
priorities, which are consistent with those identified in the NDS:
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ways to influence change in some of the key mainstream systems such as in
education, employment, housing, transport and rehabilitation.
the key intersections between the NDS and the NDIS and between disability and
other key reforms occurring in the health, aged care and education sectors.
appropriate mechanisms for the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of
the NDS.
The NDSIRG also agreed on the need for advocating for an improved evidence base for
disability that could include:
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mainstream data collections including disability specific questions
better data collection for indigenous peoples, rates of abuse for children and young
people, and education status
trend data collected for the NDS to be disaggregated to state and territory level, and
the need for a consolidated report that incorporates all disability specific data in one
report to enable better reporting of change over the lifespan of the NDS.
The NDSIRG reiterated the importance of involving people with disability in the
implementation of the NDS through the development of key engagement principles and by
seeking input from people with disability and representative organisations on key
implementation issues.
The NDISRG will advise the Government on the progress of the NDS implementation,
highlighting good practice initiatives in the removal of systemic and social barriers to full
engagement of people with disability in community life.
The following quote from shut out reminds us all of the real barriers faced by people with
disability:
“if I lived in a society where being in a wheelchair was no more remarkable than
wearing glasses, and if the community was completely accepting and accessible,
my disability would be an inconvenience and not much more than that. It is society
which handicaps me, far more seriously and completely than the fact that I have
spina bifida.”
Membership of the NDSIRG
The NDSIRG has equal representation of National People with Disabilities and Carer
Council members and national organisations representing people with disability, their carers
and families.
National People with Disabilities and Carer Council representatives:
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Dr Rhonda Galbally AO (Co-Chair), Chair of the Council
Dr Ken Baker
Mr Alan Blackwood
Ms Samantha Jenkinson
Ms Belinda Epstein-Frisch.
National organisations represented:
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Ms Lesley Hall (Co-Chair), Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
Ms Stephanie Gotlib, Children with Disability Australia
Ms Jan Daisley, People with Disability Australia Inc.
Ms Gayle Rankine, First Peoples Disability Network
Mr Tim Moore, Carers Australia
Ms Karen Wilson (Deputy Chair), Branch Manager, Disability and Carers Policy
Branch, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs (FaHCSIA).
Other representatives, including Council members, may be invited on occasion to
provide specialist expert advice to the NDSIRG.