To the DSS advocacy and access team,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input to your review of the National Disability Advocacy Framework.

Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia, known as A4, is a nation organisation that focuses on systemic advocacy for the growing number of people living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that the number of Australians with ASD over recent times has been …

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), most people who are diagnosed with ASD have severe or profound disability.

A4 send a submission to the United Nations for its preparation of a General Comment on the Rights of Adolescents. A4's submission focused on adolescents with ASD.

Use the link below to download A4's submission. 

Autistic Minority International included a section from A4 in its submission to the United Nations Day of General Discussion (DGD) on the right to education for persons with disabilities.

The section from A4 says ...

A4's submission/feedback on the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Issues Paper on "Access to justice in the criminal justice system for people with disability" (see https://www.humanrights.gov.au/access-justice-criminal-justice-system-p…) can be downloaded below.

A4 highlights that for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Australia does not have a "justice system", what it has is a legal system; a system of legal processes that rarely delivers justice for people with ASD.

A4's Management Group endorsed the submission that Bob Buckley sent (originally as a personal submission) to the Senate Inquiry into the draft Act.

The draft legislation aims to consolidate a number of existing acts.

The Government committed to a Royal Commission on the abuse of children, for example ...

1. Julia Gillard announces royal commission will probe child sex abuse
2. Child abuse royal commission: Nicola Roxon

Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4) provided a submission on the Draft National Standards for Disability Services. It says ...

The current National Standards for Disability Services (NSDS) came into effect in 1993. These Standards govern existing disability services nationally. Experience from the existing NSDS teaches crucial lessons.

The annual reports of government departments responsible for existing services and of government-funded service providers proclaim proudly their success, efficiency and compliance with these Standards.