Overview

We’ve all heard Minister Bill Shorten say that the NDIS was never meant to be the only lifeboat in the ocean. He said in an
AFR article in April 2023 “States need to honour their commitment to their citizens with disability and provide them with high-quality, inclusive healthcare, education, transport, housing, justice, as it's their responsibility.”

Has Victoria responded to the challenge? What is happening to make inclusion and access a priority? How can we work together to make a truly Inclusive Victoria that we all want to see?

People with disability have the right to be contributing members of their communities and provided with reasonable adjustments to effect equal opportunity in any area of life they choose. However choice and control remains a distant dream for too many people with disability as they continue to confront barrier after barrier. The high demand for advocacy suggests that people with disability continue to be denied access to adequate health services, a meaningful education, fairness in the justice system and housing and transport that promote independence and wellbeing.

At the 2023 Strengthening Disability Advocacy Conference we will look at what lifeboats are afloat for Victorians with disability and showcase what’s going on at the grassroots to make inclusion real.