The following list shows A4's recent advocacy. This list contains both publications (including briefs and submissions) and communications (letters & emails).

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Please conduct the ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (in 2025)

By convenor |

Dear Minister Leigh

At the meeting for Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) at Parliament House on 4/9/2025 we were very disappointed to hear from officials that, without any reference to DROs, they decided to defer until 2027 the Australian Bureau of Statistic's (ABS) next data collection for its periodic Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC). An official claimed that the survey is conducted on a five years cycle. This claim is false; mostly, this survey is done on a three year cycle ... and it has not had a five year interval since before 1998 (if ever).

response on NDIS legislation missing autistic impairments

By convenor |

A4 received a response (see below) from the NDIS to letters sent previously to multiple ministers - see https://a4.org.au/node/2730 

While the response suggests that the triad of autistic impairments, social, communication, and behavioural impairments, might be beaten into shape under the categories available in the legislation, it shows disappointingly poor understanding of autistic impairments and the needs of autistic Australians. It says ... 

ART response - NDIS Division operations

By convenor |

Dear Mr Verco

your response (below) simply does not address the issue that I raised.

Bob Buckley
Volunteer Autism Advocate

Bob recognises and respects the traditional owners, elders past, present and emerging, of Ngunnawal and Ngambri country, the lands on which he lives and works. Sovereignty was never ceded.

On 19/06/2025 5:04 pm, Principal Registrar wrote:

Dear Mr Buckley

hoping for a better Administrative Review Tribunal

By bobb |

Dear Justice Kyrou and Mr Michael Hawkins

I write about some of the operations of the NDIS Division of the new Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). 

I am a volunteer advocate and have now helped over 60 NDIS participants in their requests for the AAT and ART to review the statements of participant supports (SOPS) in their NDIS Plans. These have mostly been reviews of plans for young autistic NDIS participants.

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