By bobb |

The following was posted on Facebook ...

Naomi Anderson Want to know what a bang up job your paid advocates are doing? The following table lists the recipients of funding for disability advocacy, as listed here: http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/pr…

It then asks whether they are listed against an NDIS Bill Submission to the Senate Committee. Simple answer, yes or no.
Now, I DO accept that this is not conclusive. Some organisations have acronyms and have been listed by those. Some organisations pitched in together and I may not have recognised this. Some organisations are doing the sleeves rolled up face to face stuff, and don't have time to write submissions.

BUT. All those exclusions aside, this is pretty woeful. These are the people PAID to advocate for disability issues.

Australian Capital Territory
Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service Inc Yes
Advocacy for Inclusion Incorporated No

New South Wales
Ability Incorporated No
Brain Injury Association of NSW Inc Yes
Disability Advocacy Network Inc Yes
Disability Advocacy NSW Inc No
Illawarra Advocacy Inc No
Intellectual Disability Rights Service No
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW Incorporated No
Newell Advocacy Inc No
People with Disability Australia Incorporated Yes
Self Advocacy (Sydney) Incorporated No
Side by Side Advocacy Incorporated No
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia No
Sydney Regional Aboriginal Corporation Legal Service No
The Institute for Family Advocacy and Leadership Development Association Incorporated No

Northern Territory
Darwin Community Legal Service Inc No
Disability Advocacy Service No
Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council Aboriginal Corporation No

Queensland
Independent Advocacy Townsville No
People with Disability Australia Incorporated Yes
Queensland Advocacy Incorporated Yes
Rights In Action No
Speaking Up For You Inc No
Sunshine Coast Citizen Advocacy Programme Inc No

South Australia
Brain Injury Network of South Australia Inc No
Citizen Advocacy South Australia Incorporated No
Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Incorporated No
Family Advocacy Incorporated No
Independent Advocacy SA Inc No
MALSSA Incorporated No
NPY Women’s Council Aboriginal Corporation No

Tasmania
Advocacy Tasmania Inc No
Citizen Advocacy Launceston Region Incorporated No
Speak Out Association of Tasmania Inc No

Victoria
Leadership Plus Inc No
Action for More Independence & Dignity in Accommodation Inc No
Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities Inc No
Association of Employees with Disability Inc No
Melbourne East Disability Advocacy No
Citizen Advocacy Sunbury and Districts Inc No
Colac Otway Region Advocacy Service No
Disability Advocacy and Information Service Inc No
Disability Justice Advocacy Inc Yes
Gippsland Disability Advocacy Inc No
Grampians Disability Advocacy Association Inc No
North East Citizen Advocacy Inc No
Regional Information and Advocacy Council Inc No
Southern Disability Advocacy No
Southwest Advocacy Association Inc No
Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council No
Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service Inc No

Western Australia
Advocacy South West Inc No
Catholic Archdiocese of Perth Personal Advocacy Service No
Citizen Advocacy Perth West Inc No
Citizen Advocacy South Metropolitan No
Ethnic Disability Advocacy Centre Yes
Midland Information, Debt and Legal Advocacy Service Inc No
NPY Women’s Council Aboriginal Corporation No
People With Disabilities (WA) Inc No Yes ... with Developmental Disability Council
Sussex Street Community Law Service No
UnitingCare West No


Samantha Connor And then there are the peaks. But let's not go there, because nobody should need to be depressed on a Saturday night.

There are actually a couple of very good peaks in the National Secretariat program - but do you guys know who they are? Chances are many people with disability have never heard of some of them.

The current members of AFDO are -
Blind Citizens Australia
Brain Injury Australia
Deaf Australia Inc. (formerly Australian Association of the Deaf)
Deafness Forum of Australia
National Association of People Living with HIV
National Council on Intellectual Disability
National Ethnic Disability Alliance
Short Statured People of Australia

You'll notice that there's no peak for autism - there never has been, and good folk with autism who are self advocates are working towards making autism a louder voice. You'll also notice that Physical Disability Australia are no longer sitting at the AFDO table, they resigned last year, along with another peak.

There are some gaping holes and a number of people with disability don't feel they're being represented anywhere. Advocacy is also missing from the NDIS legislation - feel free to make a noise and ask how and by whom you are being represented.


FaHCSIA's list of national peak bodies is at http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/pr… ... the list from the website on 3/3/2013 is ...

Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
Blind Citizens Australia
Brain Injury Australia
Children with Disability Australia (CDA)
Deaf Australia
Deafness Forum of Australia
Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)
First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN)
National Council on Intellectual Disability
National Disability Services
National Ethnic Disability Alliance
Physical Disability Australia
Women With Disabilities Australia