People with Disability Australia (PWDA) has tentatively welcomed this month’s announcement that all levels of government will delay their formal response to the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) until mid-2024.
PWDA President Marayke Jonkers has called the extended timeline an opportunity for deeper consultation and co-design with people with disability.
“We want an end to the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation people with disability have endured and still face. We recognise complex and large-scale reform is necessary if the experiences we shared through our Royal Commission are to never happen again. We need time and space for governments and people with disability to work together on a future that includes sustainable supports, inclusive communities and gets rid of segregated spaces where violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability occurs.
“People with disability need all levels of government to include us in the decision making and co-design of every change, policy and reform that comes from our Royal Commission and the NDIS Review.
“We recognise that taking more time to release the Australian, State and Territory Governments’ responses to the Disability Royal Commission can allow this co-design to occur in a meaningful way.
It also recognises more time is needed to understand how the DRC recommendations intersect with those of the NDIS Review.
