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This week, the government released its initial response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
The Disability Royal Commission was Australia’s largest inquiry into the experiences of people with disability, hearing from almost 10,000 people across Australia over four and a half years.
In the Government’s response to the recommendations put forward by the landmark Disability Royal Commission, it outlined its acceptance of only 13 of the 172 recommendations.
Among the recommendations the Federal Government will support includes improved training for disability employment services staff and including homelessness in Australia’s Disability Strategy.
However, the Government hasn’t committed to 36 of the recommendations including establishing a Disability Rights Act.
The government says it's committed to the vision set out in the Royal Commission's findings, but reaction from the disability community has been mixed.
AFDO Expert Advisor on the Disability Royal Commission and Lawyer, Natalie Wade, explains the notion of establishing a Disability Rights Act was a very strong recommendation that requires further consideration by the government.
“Something that has happened since the Disability Rights Commission provided their report is that The Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights have put forward recommendations of their own for a federal human rights act,” Wade says.
“Whether through a Federal Human Rights Act or through a Disability Rights Act…I'm pleased that the government will give it further consideration.”
But CEO of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, Ross Joyce, believes the government should have taken more of the recommendations onboard.
“Nothing's changed…for people with disability in terms of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation that it is happening to them. That has historically happened to them. We want to see that changed, and we want to see some quick and steady action taking place,” Joyce says.
Sophie Cusworth, acting CEO of Women with Disabilities Australia, agrees. She explains the need for stricter laws against the non – therapeutic sterilisation of women and young girls living with disability.
“When we talk about gender-based violence against women with disabilities, we need to think about the unique forms of violence that women with disabilities disproportionately experience. And that includes things like forced sterilisation, which remain lawful in Australia,” Cusworth says.
In Women with Disabilities Australia’s submission to the Royal Commission, the organisation called for a nationally consistent legislation to be enacted to prohibit the sterilisation of adults and children without their prior fully informed and free consent.
“The government’s response…has failed to commit to this, with only two state governments accepting the recommendation in principle, and the Commonwealth stating that this is the responsibility of states and territories.”
It is worth noting that the UN has been making recommendations to Australia to enact legislation to prohibit forced sterilisation since 2005.