The Disability Royal Commission represents a significant milestone in Australia’s efforts to address the systemic mistreatment of people with disability. By centring lived experience, it brought critical scrutiny to the structures, policies and practices that have too often failed to uphold safety, autonomy and human rights.
For people with physical disability, the Commission underscored the necessity of accessible environments, effective safeguards and inclusive systems that support independence and participation. Its findings offered a robust foundation for long-term reform, with meaningful progress.
However, without decisive action, adequate resourcing and clear timelines for implementation, the promise of the Commission risks becoming symbolic rather than transformative. Genuine change now depends on governments moving beyond acknowledgement to deliver concrete, measurable reforms in partnership with Disabled People’s Organisations, Disability Representative Organisations and the Disability Community. Physical Disability Australia will continue to advocate for the full implementation of these recommendations, to ensure that Australians living with physical disability are enabled to lead ordinary, meaningful lives.
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Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
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Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
Curabitur sit amet magna faucibus, pharetra velit non, bibendum dui. Duis facilisis venenatis lacus in eleifend. Praesent condimentum blandit ante, nec dictum ligula vulputate sed. Phasellus nibh mi, rutrum in tempus in, fringilla et neque. Morbi egestas nunc massa, vel hendrerit eros facilisis scelerisque. Aliquam viverra faucibus justo, at eleifend lectus viverra id. Sed neque orci, suscipit et mi ut, finibus aliquam ante. Vestibulum nec imperdiet justo. Phasellus tincidunt velit a ligula viverra imperdiet. Etiam tincidunt id erat non gravida. Maecenas vitae commodo orci, vel semper mi. Aliquam blandit dui id ligula maximus convallis. Maecenas sodales nisl sit amet purus elementum, a porttitor lorem semper. Maecenas venenatis tortor non mi auctor, ut pharetra mi rutrum. Nulla quam nunc, euismod a consectetur in, cursus at sapien.
Over 4.5 years the Disability Royal Commission had 32 public hearings, 1785 private sessions, 7944 submissions, 28 research reports and 837 witnesses.
From this extensive work and effort, 4872 pages were submitted in the final report collated in 12 volumes, culminating in 222 recommendations – of which 7 involved a split.
This critical inquiry has been a beacon of hope for our community, shedding light on the challenges, barriers and injustices faced by individuals with disabilities.
PDA firmly urges the federal government to wholeheartedly acknowledge and implement all recommendations resulting from the Royal Commission into Violence Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
PDA is working with AFDO and our Disability Australia National Peaks Consortium partners to lobby all levels of government to implement all recommendations in the shortest possible timeframes. PDA will also be providing a submission to the soon-to-be-opened consultation on the Federal Government’s response to the DRC (https://engage.dss.gov.au/drcausgovresponse/).
To read the Report, go to:
https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/final-report
https://www.health.gov.au/news/disability-royal-commission-drc-progress-report-2025
The Disability Royal Commission (DRC) was established in April 2019 in response to persistent community calls for an investigation of violence against, and the neglect, abuse and exploitation of, people with disability. Incidents of this nature have been occurring for a long time and continue today. The DRC investigated:
The DRC held a number of Public Hearings around Australia on various settings in which people with disability may have been subjected to mistreatment.
The DRC also collected evidence through responses to Issues Papers that it had published. Issues Papers included:
The Commission produced a range of progress reports. Some were general and others directed specifically to state government departments.
https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/progress-reports
There were 2 main ways that we could tell our stories about Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation. Submissions were made in writing, by phone, by a video or audio recording or by attending a private session.
In these submissions details were provided on:
Private Sessions allowed you to tell your story directly to one of the Commissioners in a confidential setting. Your identity, and anything you told the Commissioner in the lead-up to and during a private session, was protected from disclosure by law. Now, on completion of the DRC, your information remains protected – except in very specific circumstances related to offences against an Australian law and where the DRC considered it appropriate to communicate it to a law enforcement agency
We provide systemic advocacy to uphold the rights and voices of Australia’s physical disability community.
We build community, connection and relationships to support our members and the wider disability community.
We are a leading force working with Government and other Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) in improving the lives and inclusion of people living with disability.
Please be advised that we do not provide individual advocacy support. If you require this, please see the “See Services Link“.
Join us at a PDA hosted events such as our monthly Social Hour and Webinars.
We also encourage members to get involved in one of our committees and organisational groups. Email team@pda.org.au for more information.
Members are also invited to take part in forums and roundtables (including exclusive paid opportunities). Detailed information will be emailed to members as they become available.
Physical Disability Australia (PDA) was established in 1995. Its founding members were people living with physical disability who recognised that they were not being represented within the advocacy space at that time.
Whether you’re living with a disability, know someone who is, or simply believe in equal rights — your voice matters.
Together, we can break barriers and build a more inclusive world.
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