CANBERRA has many things to be proud of, but the ACT is not leading the nation for people with disability, says Advocacy for Inclusion’s head of policy Craig Wallace. 

“We have a largely segregated education system, inaccessible healthcare and missing diagnostic services, we have too many people in corrections and too many children in care, there is close to zero accessible and affordable housing, people struggle with high costs of living and poor subsidies for basics like transport while others are forced to hunt for vital services over the border,” he says.   

“Now covid and cost of living pressures trap people inside their homes in conditions of misery while carers and support systems snap at breaking point.”

“As we said following last week’s ACT Budget, we are disappointed not to see investments which respond to pressing issues raised across the consultation process. Going forward we hope to see early action on diversion from the justice system, protections for people in closed spaces, universal design for learning in inclusive education, responses which centre people with disability in the covid response and market development to ensure new regulations actually deliver accessible housing.  

“The ACT also has an important opportunity to push the Albanese federal government to deliver for people with disability through better income support and discrimination protections that work.”