Industry news
2019
Improving the NDIS Experience: A joint submission by RIAC, Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service, Leadership Plus and Disability Discrimination Legal Service.
DAV Inc. is pleased to endorse 'Improving the NDIS Experience: Establishing a Participant Service Guarantee' submission to the review of the NDIS Act. and the new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee. This joint submission by DAV Inc. board organisations RIAC, Villamanta, DDLS and Leadership Plus posits that the NDIA should be consistently adhering to the principles identified in the proposed service standards (Timely, Engaged, Expert, Connected, Valued and Decisions are made on merit, Accessible). It is critical that these standards are implemented during the planning experience for participants. If the service in this key area improves, it can prevent the increasing amount of review requests and complaints relating to this process. Additionally, Quality plans can prevent the need for as many reviews and will save the sector time, money and resources.
If you would like to read the submission in full you can find it here.
Hear Us: Research Study of the experiences of persons with Complex Communications Needs in accessing justice.
Disability Advocacy Victoria Inc. is pleased to share the release of a research study conducted by Dr Margaret Camilleri, senior lecturer of criminal justice and Dr Cassie Pedersen, research assistant, from Federation University, Australia. The study aims to better understand, and to make visible, the often
invisible experiences with the civil or criminal justice system of persons who identified as having a Complex Communication Needs.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Disability Advocacy Victoria, particularly, Communication Rights Australia and the Disability Discrimination Legal Services, as well as Women with Disability Victoria and Disability Advocacy Resource Unit.
If you would like to read the study, it can be found here.
2018
Victoria Police came under fire in the media in April 2018, for the manner in which 6 police officers treated a disability pensioner outside his home in October 2017. Footage of the incident was caught on the pensioner's CCTV and released to the media in April 2018. DAV Board member, Julie Phillips, was asked to comment about the incident in an interview with the NewDaily:
“What’s disappointing is that Victoria Police have been very engaged with the disability community and representatives including ourselves to try and improve the police response to people with disabilities. But what’s not happening is changes on the ground. It’s outrageous that these sorts of things continue to happen in Victoria and Australia where the symptoms of people with disability which are due to autism or mental illness are being interpreted as people being deliberately obstructive.”
The full text of the article may be viewed here.
A paralympian competing in the 2018 Commonwealth Games reported to the media that she was expected to wait an hour for assistance to use the toilet on a flight in April 2018. She claimed that airline staff did not want her crawling on the floor to access the toilet independently, as this may have upset other passengers. DAV Chairperson, Melanie Muir, was interviewed by The NewDaily about the incident. The full text of the article may be viewed here.
Read Disability Advocacy Victoria's letter to James Merlino regarding his media release "New Support to Better Protect our Teachers and Students" of 15 February 2018 and regarding his comments about the quality of education in Victoria reported in an article in The Age of 6 February 2018 here.
2017
Victoria Legal Aid have released an Options Paper detailing possible changes to the means test and contributions policy in relation to eligibility for legal assistance. Submissions are due on 11 June 2017.
Consultations on the NDIS draft Code of Conduct are due on 21 June 2017. The code governs service delivery for the NDIS, establishing expectations for providers and workers and enabling action against providers and workers where a breach occurs.
2016
Submissions are due by 29th August 2016 in relation to the consultation paper - Family Violence Information Sharing Legislation Consultation Questions.
Submissions are due by 29th August 2016 in relation to the consultation paper - Reforming Victoria's Privacy Legislation.
The Cross Sectoral Alliance to Respond to the Royal Commission into Family Violence has drafted Principles of Co-design in support of the principles underpinning the Commission's recommendations for reform.
2015
Submissions
There have been lots of inquiries and investigations in the disability sector this year, which has given us many opportunities to provide valuable input and make a systemic difference. If you would like to contribute to DAV's current submissions or read the submissions we have already sent, visit our submissions page.
Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) update - Step in the Right Direction on Federal Funding
You can read about the Federal Government's recent $600,000 funding commitment to support national organisations representing people with disability and their families here.
2014
Parliamentary inquiry
Media Release - Labor will establish an inquiry into disability care abuse
Disability Services Commissioner 2014 Annual Report - critique