According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5.5 million (21.4%) Australians had disability in 2022, an increase from 4.4 million (17.7%) in 2018. Three in five (60.5% or 3.2 million people) needed assistance with at least one activity of daily life. People living with disability are supported through informal means of assistances that includes family and friends. These people are also supported through formal mechanisms that include government or private organizations. People with disability may be supported by informal providers of assistance, including family and friends, and/or by formal providers such as government or private organizations. They may seek assistance from one or from many providers depending on their care needs.

In the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), a person is considered to have disability if they have any limitation, restriction or impairment which restricts everyday activities and has lasted, or is likely to last, for six months or more. The increase in number may be due to a growing awareness of disability in Australia, increase in prevalence of disability, ageing population. An online questionnaire was offered as an option for the first time in 2022 that may have let people identify and share their health conditions more openly.

Disability prevalence was similar for males and females. 5.7% of children aged 0-4 years had disability, increasing to 83.1% of those aged 90 years and over. 2.3 million people aged 65 years and over had disability, representing over half (52.3%) of all older Australians (up from 1.9 million or 49.6% in 2018). The largest difference between males and females was for children aged 5-14 years (16.4% of boys with disability compared with 10.7% of girls).

According to ABS, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, around 35 per cent of First Nations people aged under 65 had disability in 2018-19, which is three times higher than the percentage of people with disability in the general population.

In Australia, people who are under 65 years of age can apply for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The criteria for application and qualification for NDIS suggest that people should have complex and high support needs. As per the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability: Final Report 2023, there were 573,342 participants in the NDIS of whom half were aged 18 years or under, 61 percent were male, 35 percent had autism and 17 percent had intellectual disability.

The report noted that across all ages, a greater proportion of people with disability experience violence than people without disability. The rates of violence are high for women with intellectual disability, First Nations women with disability and young women with disability.  The abuse, violence and exploitation experienced by people with disability can be due to many reasons and include the following. In this context, women with disability are more prone to violence and abuse.

NDIS Standards 2015 specify the quality standards to be met by registered NDIS providers to provide services to NDIS participants. The standards also allude to below strategies which can support participants to improve their quality of life and to realise the dream of developing an inclusive society.

Lack of information and knowledge about violence

People with disability are in a vulnerable situation and recognising violence experienced by them is an issue. They may be used to threats and face abandonment and accept what is provided to them though in a situation which is prone to their abuse. Lack of information and knowledge among people living with disability about their rights results in continuation of their abuse and exploitation.

Lack of confidence to report abuse and violence

People with disability lacks confidence and self-awareness to report their abuse and exploitation. They may lack communication skills to appropriately share their experience, reveal the people who exploits them and how to change the situation they are caught up with.

Lack of support options

This may also include their fear of not being listened to particularly when the abuser is known to them.  The abuse may be their partner, relative, support worker along with strangers. The personal care workers may also be the perpetuators to violence and abuse, neglect and poor.

In above context, the strategies which can be adopted by providers must aim at empowering people with disability to uphold their rights. Some of them are:

Providing skills and knowledge to people with disability about their rights, how to protect themselves and to communicate in case they face any situation which put in position of abuse and exploitation. They should have information on how to complain and what services are available for them. They should speak up if put in a situation of harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Providing information and building confidence of people with disability so that they can speak up when they are abused. This also includes information on what services and options are available for them to reach out and inform about their situation and seek help. This includes empowering women and girls to become aware of their sexual and reproductive rights and to protect them.

Providing opportunities to building their skills so that they are able to involve themselves in income generating activities depending on their interests. They will engage them in productive activities. This will also help them to achieve not only economic independence but social integration with broader community.

Providing avenues to engage with broader community so that they can engage, communicate, learn and become confident to share their experiences and life situation. This will also facilitate building their social networks. This can be in the form of supporting them joining recreational group activities, social gathering, community events and networks of their linking and choice.

At the broader level, the policies and programs at the government level can enhance above opportunities. Research and evaluation of existing program like NDIS can provide useful data and information on how to improve them and plan evidence-based programs. In such interventions, it is must to ensure active involvement of people with disabilities.

Blog Author: Farooq Dar

Farooq Dar is Director at Canopus Consultants, who work with disability support providers including the one supported through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to strengthen their capacity in providing support to people living with disability.