Commissioner urges stronger government commitment to Disability Royal Commission findings

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess has urged the Federal Government to make a stronger commitment to the Disability Royal Commission’s recommendations, if the vision for a more inclusive Australia is to ever be achieved. 

The government today released its response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Of the 222 recommendations, it agreed to 13 in full and accepted 117 in principle. A further 42 recommendations were either noted or are being considered, while the Government did not respond to findings outside its remit of responsibility. 

“People with disability have waited almost a year for the government to release its response, and it unfortunately comes without a clear plan for action or roadmap for implementation,” Commissioner Kayess said. 

“The findings were clear that segregation and exclusion are core enablers of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability, which impedes the realisation of people’s rights and is inconsistent with the intent and purpose of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” 

Ms Kayess called on the government to fully accept the recommendations to strengthen the Disability Discrimination Act, in line with the Australian Human Rights Commission’s push for a revitalised Human Rights Framework and national Human Rights Act. 

“Australia needs to reframe how it thinks about disability. We cannot end the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation experienced by people with disability unless their human rights are embedded within law, policy and practice,” Commissioner Kayess said.  

“A Human Rights Act would ensure the rights of people with disability are recognised as indivisible, interrelated and intersectional, and protected in a way that applies to all Australians.” 

Commissioner Kayess also urged the government to strengthen laws and regimes around supported decision-making to protect the autonomy of people with disability. 

“People with disability, including many older Australians, have their personal autonomy restricted or denied, and the current policies and practices are insufficient to either protect or empower them,” she said. 

“We need a bolstered, nationally consistent approach to better support these often-overlooked groups of people.”  

“Over four-and-a-half years, people with disability repeatedly provided harrowing evidence to the Royal Commission highlighting the inhuman treatment of people with disability. Sadly, it was not the first time our community had heard such accounts,” Commissioner Kayess added.  

“People need to know the government has taken the evidence they provided seriously, with the intention to act on key recommendations - no matter how complex or challenging.  

“Genuine change will no doubt take time, but if our leaders are serious about creating a truly inclusive society then we need to plant the seeds of change and act now.”   

“I am looking forward to working with the Government and the disability community on an implementation plan for these recommendations.” 

ENDS | Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897