Advocacy
AFDO provides systemic advocacy to achieve better outcomes for all people with disability in Australia, by seeking to influence longer term change to ensure the rights of people with disability are upheld. We do this by influencing and changing a “system” such as legislation, policies and practices, as well as community attitudes to uphold these rights and interests.
An important part of our work is to raise awareness of issues impacting on people with disability and their families. We ensure that people with disability are at the centre of all discussions and decisions, as people with disability are best to advise on issues that impact on their lives.
We have provided below information and links to resources on our current advocacy campaigns.
Systemic Campaigns
- CoronaVirus (COVID-19) – We are advocating alongside other Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) and Disability Advocacy Organisations to ensure that people with disability are prioritised during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Urgent Review needed into Disability Support Pension (DSP) – We are concerned that changes to the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and the wider social security system over the past two decades has led to many people with disability being unable to access social security payments, most importantly the DSP.
Representation
As the national cross-disability peak organisation for people with disability, AFDO convenes and supports a number of collaborations, and participates in several disability sector and government panels, steering groups, and advisory bodies. Below is the list of current committees and advisory groups which AFDO is part of:
- Aviation Access Forum
- Ageing, Disability and Mental Health Sector Collaborative Panel
- Assistive technology For All (ATFA)
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkages Project
- Australian Electoral Commission Disability Advisory Committee
- Australian Universal Housing Design Network (ANUHD)
- Civil Society UNCRPD Shadow Working Group
- Disability Support Industry Reference Committee
- Disability Employment Working Group, Australian Public Service Commission
- Innovative Workforce Fund – Independent Advisory Group
- Melbourne Social Equity Institute Advisory Board
- National Assistive Technology Alliance (NATA)
- National Disability Strategy Reform Steering Group
- National Disability and Carer Alliance – “Every Australian Counts Campaign”
- National Disability Research Agenda (NDRA) Advisory Group
- National Inclusive Transport Advocacy Network (NITAN)
- Not for Profit Taskforce – Australian Taxation Office
- Reducing Stigma and Discrimination Working Group
- Technical Experts Social Security (TESS)
- UNSW School of Business / Centre for Research Excellence in Disability and Health
- VCOSS Disability Network Forum
- VicRoads Disability Parking Permit Eligibility Reference Group
- VicRoads Older Users Working Group
- VALID “Justice for all” Steering Group
- Welfare Payment Infrastructure Transformation (WPIT) Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG)
Vice President, Trevor Carroll speaking at the Launch of the three DSP Reports.
If you like the work we do, you can make a one-off donation or a regular monthly donation by selecting the ‘Support Our Work’ button below.
Donations of $2.00 and over are tax-deductible.