PDA’s CEO, Jeremy Muir, recently wrote to VIC Minister for Transport Infrastructure/Public and Active Transport, The Hon Gabrielle Williams MP, voicing concern over accessibility failings of Metro Tunnel stations.
Flagged as a major concern by PDA’s VIC Director, Robert Wise, and VIC Associate Director, Sean Tyrell, safety and accessibility ramifications of uneven heights between platforms and trains needs to be urgently addressed and rectified – not just for those with disabilities, mobility issues and people travelling with children in prams, but for all commuters.
You can read PDA’s letter to The Hon Gabrielle Williams MP below:
“The Hon Gabrielle Williams MP
VIC Minister for Transport Infrastructure/Public and Active Transport
RE: Wheelchair Access on/off New Metro Tunnel Trains
Dear Minister,
Physical Disability Australia (PDA) is a national peak Disability Peoples Organisation (DPO) run by people with physical disability for people with physical disability. PDA exists for its members, who fuel our mission to “enable every Australian living with a physical disability to realise their full potential”.
On July 4, The Herald Sun ran a story stating that “New station platforms in the $15bn Metro Tunnel that were designed to allow wheelchair access do not line up with the height of train floors, posing a potential hazard. A raised gap of up to two-inches was identified during train testing at CBD platforms in the new tunnel.”
In 2025, it is hard to conceive that, if true this fact could be accurate and been allowed to occur. The story includes a quote from a government official that states “The brand new Metro Tunnel stations will be some of the most accessible stations on our network and passengers with wheelchairs will be able to directly roll on and off the new platforms without using a ramp,” he said.
The above statements are not aligned and if there is a belief that a two inch height difference allows independent and safe access, then that is a misconception.
On behalf of our Victorian members and our members who travel to Melbourne and Victoria, could you please confirm for me which of the statements above is correct. Plus, if there is a current height differential between the train and the platform, how will this be rectified, when will it be rectified and when will people with disabilities be able to independently and safely access the trains?
I visit Melbourne at least twice a year, with my next visit in October this year. Once open and if the stations are accessible and safe, I am looking forward to utilising the new Metro tunnel network.
I and our members look forward to your response. I would be very happy to meet with you and your office to further discuss
Yours Sincerely,
Jeremy Muir
CEO
Physical Disability Australia “
As the CEO of PDA and as a NDIS participant I acknowledge the complexities and difficulties facing the NDIA and those participants who have been adversely affected by the NDIS reform processes.
In saying that, I would also like to acknowledge that the NDIA is not one person and is not solely impacted by the decisions of one person and one person alone.
I do not personally know Rebecca Falkingham, the CEO of the NDIA, who is currently on sick leave due to undergoing chemotherapy and fighting cancer, but I have been present in meetings where Ms Falkingham has spoken.
What I can say is that I have had family members living and fighting cancer, some who are no longer with us and some who are. I have friends currently fighting the good fight whilst receiving chemotherapy.
I would not wish cancer or the chemotherapy required to treat cancer on anyone. Both are life zapping and altering events, not just for the individual but also for their family and loved ones.
I’d like to offer Ms Falkingham and her family support during this time, and I will be sending all the positive vibes possible to Ms Falkingham in this journey that she has not chosen.
Disability representative organisations (DROs) call for immediate action to address the National Disability Insurance Agency’s conduct to remove a person with disability access to NDIS supports in apparent retaliation for expressing their views on social media about the Scheme.
In a Joint Statement, DROs are calling out the NDIA’s actions to remove a person with disability from the NDIS. The catalyst to this move triggered, in part, by the participant’s post on social media. This is unacceptable. People with disability have a right to freedom of opinion that is not subject to the possibility of losing essential supports.
DROs are calling for:
* An urgent, independent inquiry
* Release of legal advice
* A roundtable with Minister McAllister and the NDIA
To read the full statement, go to:
June 17, 2025
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Review recommended shifting the basis for setting a budget from individual support items to a “whole of person” level, supported by new needs assessment processes. This year, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is working to design and test a new way of gathering information about the support people with disability need and to set their NDIS budgets.
Disability Representative Organisations have worked together to develop a detailed joint position statement offering recommendations to guide the Australian Government’s transition to a new human right-based needs assessment model.
This position statement includes:
Our recommendations are grounded in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), recent analysis from the Independent Review of the NDIS (2023), and other relevant evidence. We strongly urge the Department of Social Services (DSS), the NDIA, and implementation partners to embed human rights, co-design, and trusted relationships at the centre of this reform.
We acknowledged the leadership of Women with Disability Australia (WWDA) in the development of this position statement, and it is based on the principles outlined in WWDA’s position statement.
Read the full Position Statement in PDF
or Word
Let’s make it plainly clear, Disability Royal Commission Recommendation 5.6 stated:
The Australian Government should establish:
Labor has just had an outstanding federal election win, gaining a huge majority.
Surely this is the perfect opportunity to implement the above DRC recommendations?
If not now, then when?
The DRC also recommended:
People with disability should be recruited to positions within the new department, including into leadership positions.
PDA congratulates Ali France on winning the seat of Dickson and Senator Jordon Steele-John on his re-election at Saturday’s federal election. There is a feeling of optimism in the air amongst much of Australia’s disability community. Let’s hope that the voices of these two representatives are heard and listened to by government, and that positive change is on the cards.
Physical Disability Australia’s CEO, Jeremy Muir calls on the Labor government to now “show that it has listened and heard the disability community and understands that those of us living with disabilities must be at the forefront of disability inclusion, disability policy and disability programs. Our lived experiences of disability need to be the foundations from which real and positive change grows.”
Vice President and NSW Director of PDA, Mark Pietsch, said “We belong in the room where the conversation takes place. We’re not an afterthought. We’re citizens, leaders, parents, professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, voters. We are the faces, minds and bodies of disability and we’re ready to shape the future of this country for people living with disability. To make this happen, we need to be in the same room with those that we gave our votes to, looking at the same agenda and contributing equally.”
No Decisions About Us! Without Us!
We ask the Prime Minister to put the call out to all of us living with a disability.
We are present and we are here.
We live, work and play among you and we can direct Australia to truly become a fully inclusive community.
April 24, 2025
MEDIA RELEASE
“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY NEED ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN COSTOF LIVING CRISIS
With 9 days left until the Federal Election, Australia’s disability representative organisations have come together with solutions to relieve cost of living pressures on 1 in 5 voters – people with disability – who have so far been ignored in the campaign.
“Cost of living is hitting people with disability particularly hard, and yet it has not featured in the campaign, so we have come up with our own solutions that are ready to be actioned on day one of the new government,” said El Gibbs, CEO, Disability Advocacy Network Australia.
“Disabled Australians face unique cost of living pressures. Our new National Blueprint for Economic Justice has been developed by and with people with disability and highlights income support, employment and housing as the key areas where disabled Australians are facing the biggest challenges.”
Jenny Karavolos, Co-chair, Australian Autism Alliance said everyone deserves enough money to live with dignity and participate in society. But right now, income support systems trap people with disability in poverty and punish them for trying to work.
“By redesigning the Disability Support Pension to reflect the real costs of disability and removing barriers to work, the next Government can ensure all disabled people have the economic security needed to thrive,” Karavolos said.
The National Blueprint emphasises that economic barriers are the result of how systems have been designed to exclude people with disability, not inevitable consequences of disability.
Darryl Steff, CEO of Down Syndrome Australia said every person should have the opportunity to use their skills and talents in meaningful work that pays fairly.
“We are calling for the next government to implement the Disability Royal Commission recommendation to phase out sub-minimum wages and to set a 15% disability employment target for the public sector. This will mean people with disability will finally have the chance to contribute our skills and build economic security,” Steff said.
The National Blueprint for Economic Justice presents clear, achievable actions for the next Government to transform three critical areas:
“All Australians deserve a safe, affordable, accessible place to call home that connects us to our communities. But housing developers, landlords, and policymakers have created a market where accessible housing is scarce and unaffordable, forcing many disabled people to live with family members or in institutions against our wishes,” said Jeremy Muir, CEO of Physical Disability Australia.
“The next government can transform this situation by enforcing accessibility standards nationwide and creating financial incentives for accessible housing development, giving disabled people the foundation we need for economic security,” Muir said.
The Blueprint highlights how people with disability bring valuable perspectives and innovative problem-solving skills to workplaces and communities when barriers to participation are removed.
“First Nations people with disability know exactly what we need for economic security, but decision-makers have designed systems that exclude us and ignore our expertise,” said Tennille Lamb, Director of Strategy, Policy and International at First Peoples Disability Network.
“Governments make choices about what to prioritise. Creating economic justice for people with disability is a choice the next Government can and must make to fulfill our rights and strengthen our entire society, Ms Lamb said.
Catherine McAlpine, CEO of Inclusion Australia, emphasised that disabled people must lead the redesign of economic systems.
“The disability community has enormous expertise in making economic systems fairer and getting them to work for everyone. This needs to include people with an intellectual disability, who bring unique perspectives in the workplace.
The next government must move towards the end of sub-minimum wages in a genuinely consultative way, while ensuring people with complex support needs are not left worse off. Government can lead the way by example through creating specific employment targets for people with intellectual disability within the public service,” McAlpine said.
The National Blueprint represents a watershed moment as disabled people demand economic justice ahead of the federal election.
Trinity Ford, President of People with Disability Australia said disabled people want the same things as everyone else – housing that meets our needs, a fair job and enough money to live safely and with dignity.
“Right now, too many of us are locked out from these basics,” Ms Ford said.
“Our Blueprint shows what needs to change. We need the next government to act.”
Key Facts:
Income Support and Housing
Employment
General
ENDS
The National Blueprint is endorsed by:
Image above: Logos of Australia’s Disability Representative Organisations
Led by the Australian Autism Alliance, PDA along with a number of other organisations has released a joint statement calling for critical reform through the establishment of a National Assistance Animal Framework to meet the needs of people with disability.
This Joint Statement highlights the need for a National Assistance Animal Framework to meet the needs of people with disability, and remove inequitable access barriers.
”The above organisations led by the Australian Autism Alliance, release a joint statement calling for critical reform through the establishment of a National Assistance Animal Framework to meet the needs of people with disability, and remove inequitable access barriers.
We welcome the draft National Principles for the Regulation of Assistance Animals released by the Department of Social Services (‘DSS’) for consultation on 7 March 2025. Over 94% of respondents – to a 2021 consultation conducted by the Department of Social Services (‘DSS’) – called for national consistency in assistance animal regulation in the form of a national Public Access Test (‘PAT’), national accreditation requirements & standards, a national identity card, and improved standards regarding assistance animal trainers & assistance animal training organisations.
However, we need to go further and develop an overarching National Assistance Animal Framework that embeds, implements, and actualises the National Principles. This will enable the National Principles to operate together with state/territory policy and practice, thereby enabling a whole-of- government and cross–jurisdictional approach. Furthermore, the disability community – especially those who use assistance animals – must be partners in co-design and implementation.1
A National Assistance Animal Framework would also address current gaps in assistance animal policies – such as the assistance animal guidelines of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (‘NDIS’). Currently, the National Disability Insurance Agency (‘NDIA’) implements Operational guidelines and policies that set out the types of assistance animals that the NDIS will fund. These are:
Assistance animals for some participants who have been diagnosed by a psychiatrist with long-term but stable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (‘PTSD’).
The Operational Guidelines and their limitation to these three types — thereby excluding medical alert assistance animals, such as epilepsy seizure dogs for people with epilepsy or hypoglycaemic & hyperglycaemic alert dogs for people living with diabetes — do not reflect the diverse range of assistance animal users. Despite the international evidence for the efficacy of medical alert assistance animals for both diabetes and epilepsy,1 the NDIA goes as far as to erroneously claim that “there’s currently very little evidence that epilepsy seizure dogs are an effective and reliable disability support”.2 This is despite the widespread use of alert /response assistance animals, especially for people living with conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy, across the globe. For many NDIS participants, medical alert assistance animals are a reasonable and necessary support that must be preserved.
The Operational Guidelines also exclude — without adequate justification or explanation — funding for a PTSD assistance animal unless the participant’s only psychiatric diagnosis is PTSD. The presence of co-occurring conditions is the norm for PTSD, whereby over 78% of people with PTSD will experience at least one additional lifetime mental health condition — and around 50% will experience three or more psychological co-occurring conditions.3
Limiting assistance animals, which can significantly improve life outcomes for people with PTSD,4 to NDIS participants without co-occurring PTSD would arbitrarily exclude the majority of people with more complex, co-occurring presentations of PTSD — especially people with psychosocial disability and people with complex support needs, for whom assistance animals could be an essential, reasonable and necessary support.
PTSD often co-occurs with other mental health challenges, with one study noting that this applied to over 75% of people with PTSD 5. Trauma exposure precipitates PTSD and is more common for people with cognitive difference – including Autistic people and people with Down Syndrome 6. Therefore, ensuring that Australia implements a nationally consistent approach that includes individuals with co-occurring conditions –to policies, programs, and initiatives, including assistance animals – that can integrate the complexities of the health policy landscape is vital.
For example, the higher rates of PTSD among Autistic people (32%) compared to neurotypical people (4%) – and the lack of trauma-informed supports designed explicitly for people with cognitive impairments, despite the ‘ubiquitous acknowledgement that people with intellectual disability experience greater rates of abuse’ – demonstrate a potential gap in policy and practice that may under-serve Autistic victim-survivors and victim-survivors with intellectual disability.7
Due to the compounded barriers for and traumagenic experiences of people with cognitive impairment, providing victim-survivors with evidence-based supports to decrease the impact of PTSD and trauma is important.8
Many victim-survivors of sexual assault can view other people as a threat to their safety; the research-backed ability of service dogs to both present as a non-threat and a therapeutic aid offers great utility for people with PTSD.9
Indeed, assistance animals critically alleviate the impact of PTSD symptomatology, which are often reported by Autistic victim-survivors and people with intellectual disability.10 Furthermore, service dogs have been shown to support the psychological health and well-being of children with Down Syndrome in general – regardless of their trauma history.11 .
However, people with cognitive impairment– especially those who are victim-survivors – face barriers in accessing the appropriate trauma supports, such as assistance animals & animal-assisted therapy,12 which would enhance their overall wellbeing and their social integration with society.13
Indeed, assistance animals are seldom dispensed to people with cognitive impairment, despite the evidentiary base for their support in assisting people with lived experience of trauma.14
Furthermore, the NDIA, through its Operational Guidelines, currently limits NDIS funding to strictly assistance animals that have passed a Public Access Test (‘PAT’), which it defines as an independent assessment — by an accredited, independent assessor — that certifies whether the assistance animal can safely go into public places and on public transport. However, Australia lacks a nationally consistent approach to the regulation and accreditation of assistance animals, despite calls for a national PAT or national accreditation standards for a number of years.
Moreover, four states and territories (NSW, Victoria, NT, and Tasmania) do not have a formal and legislated system that provides accreditation and training of assistance animals. NDIS participants from these states & territories, therefore, face increased barriers to accessing a PAT to accredit an assistance animal to the NDIA’s requirements. Assistance animal users already report significant barriers to accessing appropriate NDIS supports, which are further worsened in the absence of a National PAT and nationally consistent policies.
NDIA research that erroneously conflates assistance animals with pets, when accompanied by comments of “rul[ing] out… non-assistance animals” as a type of service & goods through the current NDIS legislation, can sound a dog whistle against people living with invisible disability, many of whom have experienced disability discrimination for having an assistance animal in a public space.15 Co-designing a national assistance animal policy, rather than consultation at the end of the process, would be a positive step to address these issues of inconsistent access & poor user- experience.
Very significantly, national inconsistency in assistance animal policies of states & territories is contributing to interstate inconsistency for victim-survivors of family, domestic and sexual violence (‘FDSV’) hindering access to emergency accommodation, shelter and respite with assistance animals by their side, increasing risk for further perpetuations of domestic violence and animal abuse.16
Ensuring that victim-survivors with disability have the appropriate support to leave with their assistance animals is critical, as victim-survivors report delaying leaving, staying with, and even returning to perpetrators due to fears for the safety of animals left behind with perpetrators.17
A lack of a nationally consistent approach between states and territories is a significant inhibitor to preventing FDSV and homicide in general.18 Therefore, national harmonisation of state & territory assistance animal policies by co-designing a National Assistance Animal Framework — especially with victim-survivors who use assistance animals — remains an urgent priority to unify assistance animal policies (including accreditation processes), which would, in turn, enable mobility and access to safety.
Call to action:
We strongly urge Minister Rishworth and the Australian Governments (in partnership with all state and territory disability Ministers) to co-design with the disability community, particularly those who have assistance animals, a National Assistance Animal Framework that embeds, implements, and actualises the principles to improve the national pathways to access and accredit assistance animals.
We look forward to working with you.”
Organisational Endorsements:
● Australian Autism Alliance
● Children and Young People with Disability Australia
● Community Mental Health Australia
● Disability Advocacy Network Australia
● Down Syndrome Australia
● First Peoples Disability Network (Australia)
● Inclusion Australia
● Justice and Equity Centre
● National Mental Health Consumer Alliance
● People with Disability Australia
● Physical Disability Australia
● Women with Disability Australia
1 See especially; Adam Kirton et al, ‘Seizure response dogs: Evaluation of a formal training program’ (2008) 13(3) Epilepsy & Behavior 499, 500-504; Luff, Grace et al, ‘The role of trained and untrained dogs in the detection and warning of seizures’ (2024) 150(January) Epilepsy & Behavior 109563. Research illustrates that trained dogs can distinguish epileptic seizures from non-epileptic seizures through Volatile Organic Compound (‘VOC’) profiling.
2 https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/supports-you-can-access-menu/equipment-and-technology/assistance-animals-including-dog- guides/whats-assistance-animal & https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CoZzJae0eiPKnReR0SS0pdrRDJgMqnf8/view?usp=sharing (29 July 2024)
3 See, eg, Neil P Roberts et al. ‘Treatment considerations for PTSD comorbidities’ in David Forbes et al (eds), Effective treatments for PTSD: Practice guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (Guilford Press, 3rd ed, 2020) 417, 418–450; Tarik Qassem et al, ‘Psychiatric Co-Morbidities in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Detailed Findings from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in the English Population’ (2021) 92(1) Psychiatric Quarterly 321.
4 See especially; Kerri Rodriguez et al, ‘The effect of a service dog on salivary cortisol awakening response in a military population with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)’ (2018) 98 Psychoneuroendocrinology 202, 202-210; Sarah Leighton et al, ‘Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis’ (2022) 17(9) PLOS One e0274960.
5 Ibid. See also Nirit Haruvi-Lamdan, et al, ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An unexplored co-occurrence of conditions’ (2020) 24(4) Autism 884; Paddy McNally, Laurence Taggart, & Mark Shevlin, ‘Trauma experiences of people with an intellectual disability and their implications: A scoping review’ (2021) 34(4) Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability 927; Jacinthe Dion et al, ‘Child maltreatment among children with intellectual disability in the Canadian incidence study’ (2018) 123(2) American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 176
6 See, eg, Freya Rumball et al, ‘Heightened risk of posttraumatic stress disorder in adults with autism spectrum disorder: The role of cumulative trauma and memory deficits’ (2021) 110 Research in Developmental Disabilities 103848; Liesbeth Mevissen & Ad de Jongh, ‘Assessment and Treatment of PTSD in People with Intellectual Disabilities’, in Colin Martin, Victor Preedy, & Vinood Patel (eds), Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (Springer, 2016) 22; Sarah Wigham & Eric Emerson, ‘Trauma and Life Events in Adults with Intellectual Disability’ (2015) 2(2) Current Developmental Disorders Reports 93
7 Ibid. See also Nirit Haruvi-Lamdan, et al, ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An unexplored co-occurrence of conditions’ (2020) 24(4) Autism 884; Paddy McNally, Laurence Taggart, & Mark Shevlin, ‘Trauma experiences of people with an intellectual disability and their implications: A scoping review’ (2021) 34(4) Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability 927; Jacinthe Dion et al, ‘Child maltreatment among children with intellectual disability in the Canadian incidence study’ (2018) 123(2) American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 176.
8 Ibid.
9 See, eg, Simone Swartzentuber Emmons, ‘Animal-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in sexual trauma
survivors’, in Eric Altschuler (ed), Animal Assisted Therapy Use Application by Condition (Elsevier, 2022) 97; Sarah Leighton, Leanne Nieforth, & Marguerite O’Haire, ‘Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta- analysis, and meta-synthesis’ (2022) 17(9) PLoS One e0274960; Janice Lloyd, Laura Johnston, & Julia Lewis, ‘Psychiatric Assistance Dog Use for People Living With Mental Health Disorders.’ (2019) 6 Frontiers in Veterinary Science 166.
10 Ibid. See also, eg, Robert Viau et al, ‘Effect of service dogs on salivary cortisol secretion in autistic children’ (2010) 35(8) Psychoneuroendocrinology 1187; Sarah Maber-Aleksandrowicz, Cerian Avent, & Angela Hassiotis, ‘A Systematic Review of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Psychosocial Outcomes in People with Intellectual Disability’ (2016) 49-50 Research in Developmental Disabilities 322; Terry Crowe et al, ‘Effects of partnerships between adolescents with developmental disabilities and service dogs’ (2019) 7(1) The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy 1.
11 See, eg, Mary Renck Jalongo & Lori Breece, ‘Mitigating Physical and Psychological Disabilities: Service Dogs for Children’, in Mary Renck Jalongo (ed), Children, Dogs and Education (Springer Link 2018) 229.
12 See, eg, Brenna Maddox et al, ‘Mental Health Services for Autistic Individuals Across the Lifespan: Recent Advances and Current Gaps’ (2021) 23(10) Current Psychiatry Reports 66; Cos Michael, ‘Is Being Othered a Co-Occurring Condition of Autism?’ (2021) 3(2) Autism in Adulthood 118; Vanessa Vogan et al, ‘Tracking health care service use and the experiences of adults with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability: A longitudinal study of service rates, barriers and satisfaction’ (2017) 10(2) Disability and Health Journal 264.
13 See, eg, Simone Swartzentuber Emmons, ‘Animal-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in sexual trauma survivors’, in Eric Altschuler (ed), Animal Assisted Therapy Use Application by Condition (Elsevier, 2022) 97; Sarah Leighton, Leanne Nieforth, & Marguerite O’Haire, ‘Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta- analysis, and meta-synthesis’ (2022) 17(9) PLoS One e0274960; Janice Lloyd, Laura Johnston, & Julia Lewis, ‘Psychiatric Assistance Dog Use for People Living With Mental Health Disorders.’ (2019) 6 Frontiers in Veterinary Science 166; Robert Viau et al, ‘Effect of service dogs on salivary cortisol secretion in autistic children’ (2010) 35(8) Psychoneuroendocrinology 1187; Kerri Rodriguez et al, ‘The effect of a service dog on salivary cortisol awakening response in a military population with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)’ (2018) 98 Psychoneuroendocrinology 202.
14 See, eg, Nirit
Sarah Leighton, Leanne Nieforth, & Marguerite O’Haire, ‘Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis’ (2022) 17(9) PLoS One
e0274960; Janice Lloyd, Laura Johnston, & Julia Lewis, ‘Psychiatric Assistance Dog Use for People Living With Mental Health Disorders.’ (2019) 6 Frontiers in Veterinary Science 166; Nirit
Australian Autism Alliance, Submission No 45 to Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme, Parliament of Australia, Inquiry into the Operation of the National Redress Scheme (September 2024) 20-21;Simone Swartzentuber Emmons, ‘Animal-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in sexual trauma survivors’, in Eric Altschuler (ed), Animal Assisted Therapy Use Application by Condition (Elsevier, 2022) 97
15 See Man Chi Coco Tsang et al, ‘‘Community members aren’t aware that assistance animals come in all shapes and sizes and help people with all kinds of disabilities’ – Experiences of using assistance animals within community living in Australia’ (2023) 18(6) Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology 942. 90% of participants agreed that more public education was needed regarding assistance animals and public access rights.
16 See, eg, Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, Royal Commission told that people with disability experience high rates of violence and abuse at home (Web Page, 8 March 2022) ; Elena Campbell et al, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Unlocking the Prevention Potential: Accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence (23 August 2024), p 59; Anne Volant et al, ‘The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse: An Australian Study’ (2008) 23(9) Journal of Interpersonal Violence 1277; Daniel Mota- Rojas et al, ‘Animal Abuse as an Indicator of Domestic Violence: One Health, One Welfare Approach’ (2022) 12(8) Animals 977.
17 See generally Kylie Butler and Jasmine MacDonald, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Violence against family animals in the context of intimate partner violence (April 2024).
18 Ibid. See also Elena Campbell et al, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Unlocking the Prevention Potential: Accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence (23 August 2024), p 59; Betty Jo Barrett, ‘Domestic Violence, Companion Animal Abuse, and Help-Seeking: The Mediating Role of Fear of Lethal Violence’ (2022) 32(5) Women & Criminal Justice 467; Maya Gupta & Shelby McDonald, ‘Co-Occurrence of Animal Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence’, in Aubrey Fine et al (eds), The Routledge International Handbook of Human-Animal Interactions and Anthrozoology (Routledge, 2023).
We are Australia’s Disability Representative Organisations, and our job is to protect and support the rights of people with disabilities. We are also Australians with disabilities.
Right now, our community is going through a tough time. Some people with disabilities are taking out their anger and frustration on others in the community. We say this kind of behaviour has no place here. We know how hurtful and damaging this can be because we have experienced it ourselves.
This type of behaviour is called lateral violence. Lateral violence often happens in groups like ours that are already being left out in society. Right now, this is happening a lot in the disability community, especially on social media. Social media can be a great place to find support and information, but it can also be very toxic and unsafe. Sometimes people on social media say mean, hurtful and untrue things. This is a type of violence and abuse. We say this is very wrong.
As Australia’s Disability Representative Organisations, we want to say that this kind of violence is never okay, no matter where it happens. People with disabilities should feel safe with one another while we advocate for change. We want to stay focused on the important work we need to do to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
It’s normal and helpful to have different opinions, but it’s not okay to call each other names or be mean. In a world that’s becoming more divided and harsh, we must stand up for each other’s rights.
Let’s not let anger and frustration tear us apart. Instead, let’s come together and be stronger as we work together to make important change.
This statement has been endorsed by:
Australian Autism Alliance (AAA)
Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)
Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA)
Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA)
Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)
Down Syndrome Australia (DSA)
First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN)
Inclusion Australia (IA)
National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)
People with Disability Australia (PWDA)
Physical Disability Australia (PDA)
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)
“People with disability are set to benefit from 31 new accessible bathroom facilities, thanks to the Australian Government’s $3.7 million investment into the next stage of the Changing Places initiative.
Changing Places facilities go beyond standard accessible bathrooms and have been designed to provide people with complex needs and their caregivers access to suitable, safe, and specialised bathroom facilities.
The Commonwealth is partnering with the states and territories to fund 40 to 50 per cent of the cost of new facilities. The investment will deliver 13 facilities in New South Wales, 11 in Western Australia, four in the Northern Territory, two in South Australia and one in Tasmania.
Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth said this round of funding will add to over 300 Changing Places around Australia, expanding the coverage of facilities across the country for people with disability and their carers.
“These Changing Places do change lives. They mean that people with disability have the same opportunity to get out and about in their community and fully participate in activities that many of us take for granted,” Minister Rishworth said.
“One of our commitments under Australia’s Disability Strategy is for all governments to work together and ensure every public space is accessible and the record number of facilities to be delivered in this round of funding demonstrates of commitment to that goal.”
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Bill Shorten said this funding builds on the 2022 election commitment to provide funding to see a ‘Changing Places’ facility built in every Local Government Area in Australia.
“Accessible infrastructure is an important way of ensuring people with disability can participate in local and community life,” Minister Shorten said.
“Changing Places allow people with complex needs and their carers to take part in community life without concerns.
“The $3.7 million in funding is part of the $32.2 million announced in the Albanese Government’s 2022-23 October Budget to build facilities in Local Government Areas across Australia.
“We are delivering on our promise to create a more inclusive Australia for the one in six Australians living with disability.”
Funding has now flowed through to the states and territories to commence construction works.
Facilities are at various stages of development, with all 31 Changing Places facilities expected to commence construction in the next 12 months.
More information about Changing Places is available on the Department of Social Services website [https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers-programs-services/changing-places].”
Physical Disability Australia, as Australia’s peak body for people with physical disabilities, has grave concerns about the constitutional and human rights implications of the Government’s proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Amendment Bill.
In response, PDA joins other Disability Peak Bodies in calling on members of the Senate to vote “NO”.
To read our organisation’s position on this issue, go to:
1800 732 674
