Australian Disability Network
AUSTRALIA’S national disability framework is driving renewed focus on safety, rights and justice.
Advocates and experts are calling for systemic change to better protect people with disability.
Australia’s Disability Strategy sets out a roadmap for governments, businesses and communities to build a more inclusive society – with a key priority on strengthening protections against violence, discrimination and unequal access to justice.
The push comes amid ongoing concern about the disproportionate risks faced by people with disability.
According to findings from the Disability Royal Commission, 64 per cent of people with disability report experiencing some form of violence, compared to 45 per cent of those without disability.
Researcher and low-vision advocate Jen Hargrave said those figures have remained stubbornly high despite decades of advocacy, noting women and girls with disability face heightened risks, particularly in private settings, while men are more likely to experience violence in public spaces.
Advocates say systemic barriers continue to prevent many survivors from accessing legal support, with power imbalances and complex administrative processes often leaving people reliant on peer-led advocacy groups for guidance and support.
Autistic advocate Rosie Putland said a lack of validation remains a major obstacle, particularly for neurodivergent individuals navigating the justice system. She said there must be a shift towards recognising lived experience rather than treating disability as a reason to doubt testimony, adding that accessibility measures already in place could better support neurodivergent people if applied thoughtfully.
Former Royal Commissioner Kate Eastman is calling for a fundamental rethink of how safety is defined within the legal system, arguing that efforts to “protect” people with disability can sometimes come at the expense of their rights, autonomy and identity.
She points to attitudes and unconscious bias as key barriers and is advocating for a rights-based approach that centres dignity, autonomy and the “dignity of risk”.
While reforms under the strategy aim to improve access and protections, experts say deeper change is needed.
Embedding disability awareness into legal education and professional training is seen as critical to long-term progress, ensuring the justice system better supports people with disability as both participants and professionals, and delivers both protection and equality under the law.
