Disability and Carers
COVID-19 Information and support for people with disability and carers
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Through the provision of targeted supports and services for people with disability and carers, the Department of Social Services (DSS) works to improve their independence and participation in community and economic life.
Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031
The Australian Government launched Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 (ADS) on 3 December 2021. It was developed by all levels of government alongside people with disability, their families, carers and representatives. ADS will drive change over the next decade to uphold the rights, inclusion and participation of people with disability in all areas of Australian life.
ADS and supporting documents are available on Australia’s Disability Strategy Hub on the Disability Gateway. A range of documents are available as Easy Read, and community languages including Auslan.
Further supports are provided through a range of payments, programs and services, and grants and funding for organisations.
More information is available under publications and articles, standards and quality assurance, and related agencies and sites.
NDIS Participant Service Guarantee
The Australian Government has delivered on its pledge to legislate an NDIS Participant Service Guarantee to cut red tape and wait times and improve the NDIS experience for participants. The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Participant Service Guarantee and Other Measures) Act 2022 was passed by the Australian Parliament on 30 March 2022 and received Royal Assent on 1 April 2022. The Act will reduce red tape and increase flexibility for participants, their families and carers.
As well as legislating the NDIS Participant Service Guarantee, the Act provides more flexibility to participants and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), and makes it easier for participants to vary their plans, without the need for a lengthy review. The Act is centred on improving the experiences of NDIS participants, their families and carers and implements recommendations of the 2019 independent review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 report, by Mr David Tune AO PSM (Tune Review).
The Act is informed by significant consultation on the Participant Service Guarantee, and how NDIS processes could be improved, which took place in 2019 during the Tune Review and September-October 2021 on exposure drafts of the legislation. The Government considered the feedback provided during consultations and a summary of the feedback is published on the DSS Engage website. Visit engage.dss.gov.au to find out more about the public consultations.
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