A new National Disability Strategy
What should be in it?
Questions for you to think about
Page 2
How to use this document
The Australian Government wrote this
document. When you see the word ‘we’,
it means the Australian Government.
We have written this document in an
easy to read way.
We
use pictures to explain some ideas.
We have written some words in bold.
This means the letters are thicker
and darker.
We explain what these words mean.
There is a list of these words on page 36.
This Easy Read document is a summary
of another document. This means it only
includes the most important ideas.
You can find the other document on our
website at
engage.dss.gov.au/nds-stage2-
consultation
You can ask for help to read this
document. A friend, family member or
support person may be able to help you.
Page 3
What’s in this document?
What is the National Disability Strategy? 4
A new National Disability Strategy 6
Talking to the community about the new strategy 8
Our position paper 9
Ideas from the Strategy we have now 10
Idea
s for a new strategy 13
Looking at community attitudes 16
Making sure everyone knows what to do 18
People with disability reaching their goals 20
Action plans 23
Including people with disability 25
Questions about you 27
How you can tell us your answers 33
Word list 36
Contact us 39
Page 4
What is the National Disability Strategy?
The National Disability Strategy
20102020 is a plan to make the
lives of people with disability better.
In this document we call it ‘the Strategy’.
The Strategy talks about what we can
do to make Australia more:
inclusive
accessible.
If something is inclusive, everyone can
take part.
If something is accessible, everyone can
use it. This might be:
a place or a building
transport
a service
information
a website.
Page 5
The Strategy is based on ideas from the
United Nations Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities
(UN Convention).
The UN Convention sets out the rights of
people with disability.
It explains how people with disability
should be treated fairly.
Page 6
A new National Disability Strategy
In 2020, the Strategy will end.
A lot has changed since the
Strategy started.
We have the National Disability Insurance
Scheme (NDIS) now.
The NDIS provides services and support to
many people with disability.
A lot of Australians have been affected by:
coronavirus (COVID-19)
the 20192020 bushfire season.
Page 7
Governments across Australia are working
together to create a new strategy.
We want to know what people think
should be in the new strategy.
We know the new strategy must:
keep following what the UN
Convention says
recognise carers.
Page 8
Talking to the community about the
new strategy
We started talking to people with
disability in the community about the
new strategy in 2019.
We want to know what people think
should be in the new strategy.
What you tell us will help us make the
new strategy.
Page 9
Our position paper
We wrote a position paper.
A position paper is a summary of what
might be in the new strategy.
Our position paper includes:
what the disability sector told us
should be in the new strategy
what worked well from the Strategy
we have now
ideas about how to change
community attitudes towards
people with disability.
Attitudes are what you:
think
feel
believe.
Page 10
Ideas from the Strategy we have now
The Strategy has 6 ideas to make life
better for people with disability.
We call these outcome areas.
The Strategy’s 6 outcome areas are:
1. Work, money and housing
2. Taking part in the community
3. Our rights for fair treatment
and safety
4. Getting support
5. Learning and skills
6. Health and wellbeing
Page 11
Our vision for the new strategy
We also have a vision for the
new strategy.
Our vision is what we think the future
should be like.
Our vision is for Australia to be a place
where people with disability:
are included
can live the life they want to live
are treated the same as other people
in the community.
Page 12
Questions to think about
What do you think about the 6 outcome areas?
What do you think about our vision?
Please write your answers in the
box below.
Page 13
Ideas for a new strategy
Our guiding principles are important
ideas we want to put in the new strategy.
These ideas say we must:
include people with disability
have ways for people with disability
to take part
use universal design.
Universal Design means we think about
what everybody needs when we plan or
start new projects and services.
We must take away the barriers people
with disability face.
Page 14
We must include the wider community
in the work we do.
We must help the people who support
and care for people with disability,
such as:
fa
mily members
carers
support workers
service providers.
Page 15
Questions to think about
What do you think about our
guiding principles?
Are there other important ideas we should
put in the new strategy?
How could we make sure everyone follows
our guiding principles?
Please write your answers in the
box below.
Page 16
Looking at community attitudes
Community attitudes can stop people
with disability from reaching their goals.
This includes goals they have for:
go
ing to school and learning
working and earning money
taking part in the community.
People with disability told us community
attitudes are 1 of the biggest barriers they
face when they try to reach their goals.
Page 17
Questions to think about
Should we make changing community
attitudes an important goal for
the strategy?
Should we include ideas about changing
community attitudes in the new strategy?
Please write your answers in the
box below.
Page 18
Making sure everyone knows what to do
The new strategy must be clear so
everyone knows what they must do.
This includes:
governments
the disability sector
the wider community.
The new strategy will clearly explain:
what governments must do
how governments will support
people with disability
how much governments will take
part in managing services for people
with disability
Page 19
what the disability sector must do
what the community must do.
Questions to think about
Do you think governments, organisations
and the community work well together to
make life better for people with disability?
What should be in the new strategy to
show how the disability sector and the
wider community can make life better
for people with disability?
Please write your answers in the
box below.
Page 20
People with disability reaching their goals
People with disability set goals in many
areas of their life.
We know the strategy is working if people
with disability are reaching these goals.
We want to include an outcomes
framework in the new strategy.
An outcomes framework is a way to keep
track of:
i
f people with disability have reached
their goals
how we know people with disability
have reached their goals
changes over time.
Page 21
For example, how many people with
disability reached their goals to
find a job
earn their own money.
We could use an outcomes framework
to help us write reports.
Our reports could talk about whether
things are getting better for people with
disability or not.
Our reports could also talk about:
how well the new strategy is working
areas that need more work.
Page 22
Questions to think about
What should we write about in
our reports?
How often do you think we should:
writ
e our reports, for example
every 1 or 2 years?
share our reports with
the community?
Please write your answers in the
box below.
Page 23
Action plans
We can write action plans to help:
governments
the disability sector
the wider community.
Our action plans would help:
e
veryone understand exactly what
they must do
the new strategy make a big
difference for people with disability.
Our action plans would talk about:
w
hat we will do to make things better
how long it should take to make
things better.
Page 24
Questions to think about
What do you think about action plans?
Should we include actions plans in the
new strategy?
Please write your answers in the
box below.
Page 25
Including people with disability
We want to write a plan that talks about
how people with disability will be part of
making sure the strategy works.
Questions to think about
How can we include people with disability
in making sure the new strategy works?
How can we include the disability sector
in making sure the new strategy works?
Please write your answers in the
box below.
Page 26
Other things to think about
Do you have any other thoughts or ideas
about what might be in the new strategy?
Please write your thoughts or ideas in the
box below.
Page 27
Questions about you
Are you answering our questions:
just for yourself?
for an organisation?
If you are answering our questions for an
organisation, please tell us which one:
Page 28
Which of these sentences is true about you?
I’m a person with disability.
I’m the parent or guardian of a person
with disability.
I’m a family member of a person
with disability.
I’m a carer for a person with disability.
I’m a support worker.
I work with people with disability.
I’m a disability advocate.
Page 29
I work for a disability organisation or
a service provider.
I employ people with disability.
I’m a business owner.
I’m a health care worker.
I study or work at a university.
I work for a government, such as:
the Australian Government
a state or territory government
a local government.
Other, please tell us:
Page 30
Which state or territory do you live in?
Australian
Capital
Territory
New South
Wales
Northern
Territory
Queensland
South
Australia
Tasmania Victoria
Western
Australia
I don’t live in Australia
I don’t want to say
Page 31
What type of place do you live in?
A capital city
A big city or town
A small town o
r an area far away
from a big city or town
I don’t want
to say
Page 32
Are you part of an Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander community?
Yes No
I don’t want
to say
Are you from a different culture?
Your culture is:
your way of life
th
e way you think or act because of
the way you grew up.
Yes No I don’t want
to say
Page 33
Do you speak a language other than
English most of the time?
Yes No I don’t want
to say
Are you part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Queer or Questioning,
Intersex (LGBTQI+) community?
Yes No
I don’t want
to say
Page 34
How you can tell us your answers
You can answer our questions in writing.
You can send us your answers in the mail.
National Disability Strategy Governance
and Engagement Section
GPO Box 9820
Department of Social Services
Canberra, ACT 2601
You can go to our website and answer
our questions.
www.engage.dss.gov.au
You can make an audio recording of
your answers.
You can make a video recording of
your answers.
Page 35
You can go to our website and
upl
oad your:
a
udio recording
video recording.
You need to send us your answers by
30 September 2020.
We might share your answers on
our website.
You must tell us if you don’t want us to
share your answers.
Page 36
Word list
Accessible
I
f something is accessible, everyone can
use it.
This might be:
a place or a building
transport
a service
information
a website.
Advocate
A person who supports you. They help
you have your say. They can also give you
information and advice.
Attitudes
Attitudes are what you:
think
feel
believe.
Page 37
Guiding principles
Our guiding principles are important
ideas we want to put in the
new strategy.
Inclusive
If something is inclusive, everyone can
take part.
Outcome areas
The Strategy has 6 ideas to make life
better for people with disability.
We call these outcome areas.
Outcomes framework
An
outcomes framework is a way to
keep track of:
whether people with disability have
reached their goals
how we know people with disability
have reached their goals
changes over time.
Page 38
Position paper
A position paper is a summary of what
might be in the new strategy.
Universal Design
Universal Design means we think about
what everybody needs when we plan or
start new projects and services.
Vision
Our vision is what we want the new
strategy to help make better in the future.
Page 39
Contact us
1800 334 505
You can also call the National Relay Service.
TTY users: 1800 555 677
Phone 13 36 77
disabilityreform@dss.gov.au
www.engage.dss.gov.au
The Information Access Group created this Easy Read
fact sheet using stock photography and custom images.
The images may not be reused without permission.
For any enquiries about the images, please visit
www.informationaccessgroup.com. Quote job number 3436-A.