In 2006, the Australian government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs initiated a review of its programme that funds advocacy for people with disabilities. Many people in the Australian advocacy sector believe the proposed changes will damage advocacy and hence adversely affect the lives of people with disabilities.
Selected documents relevant to the review process and outcomes are available here.
"Muzzling disability advocacy": an article by Brian Martin laying out the arguments against the proposed changes to disability advocacy. A version was published in Inclusive Lives (Queensland Parents for People with a Disability), Vol. 10, Issue 1, May 2007, pp. 6-10.
"Advocates make great difference": an article in the Illawarra Mercury, 1 November 2006, on Citizen Advocacy and the FACSIA review.
FACSIA "Consultation paper", September 2006: This is FACSIA’s plan for the National Disability Advocacy Program. It is labelled a consultation paper, but subsequent consultations involved telling advocacy agencies what the department planned to do.
Selected submissions to FACSIA
Families for Change: Spring 2006 issue focusing on advocacy
Social Options report: Social Options Australia was commissioned by FACSIA to report on the National Disability Advocacy Program. This is its report, dated July 2006.
This site is maintained by Brian Martin, bmartin@uow.edu.au