Urgent need to invest in disability advocacy services across South Australia

01 March 2022

Urgent need to invest in disability advocacy services across South Australia

In the lead up to the state election, JFA Purple Orange is calling on the next South Australian government to urgently invest in vital independent advocacy services to protect the rights and wellbeing of South Australians living with disability.

Other states already invest in these services across individual, systemic, and membership organisation streams, however successive South Australian governments have not provided meaningful funding over many years. The $400,000 per year currently allocated to one state-wide provider of individual advocacy falls well short of what is required to meet current demand.

‘We believe that all South Australians living with disability should have access to high-quality, well-resourced, independent advocacy services,’ JFA Purple Orange CEO, Robbi Williams said.

‘The value of these services for both connecting people to their community and providing an essential safeguard cannot be overstated.’

On Wednesday, Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink and Shadow Minister for Human Services Nat Cook will appear at a Pre-election Couch Series webinar hosted by the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) to discuss key issues in the upcoming election.

‘We are looking forward to hearing from Minister Lensink and Nat Cook, who wants to be the minister after the election,’ Mr Williams said.

‘It is the perfect opportunity for both to demonstrate to the disability community that they are committed to addressing this critical gap by investing in independent advocacy and providing long-term funding certainty.

‘The New South Wales Government is investing $13 million a year under its Disability Advocacy Futures Program so a commitment of $3 million in South Australia would be a reasonable starting point based on the comparative populations of the two states.

‘This investment could start to rebuild individual, systemic, and representative advocacy and ensure that independent services are available for those who need them, including people living with disability who are socially isolated, have complex communication needs, or are residing in institutional care or aged care facilities. 

‘Advocacy services need to be available across the whole state, including for those living in regional, rural, and remote areas where distance creates even greater barriers for people to access the essential supports they need.

‘After two years of the Covid 19 pandemic, we know that many people currently find themselves living in greater isolation without independent advocacy support. There is an urgent need in our community for this investment.’

For more information visit https://purpleorange.org.au/news-resources/state-election/advocacy-services.  

 

Media Enquiries 

Lana Thrupp:  

Phone: 0408 831 914 

Email: lanat@purpleorange.org.au