Commonwealth cash boost for disability-focused community groups

Posted on 02 Jul 2024

By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia

The federal government has acknowledged the vital role played by community groups in helping Australians with disability to be heard.

Canberra will invest more than $40 million over the next two years in self-advocacy and peer programs designed to support people with disability to engage with the community.

Community-based services will be able to apply for the one-off grants under the Peer Support and Capacity Building program.

The new grant program will target eligible, small, community-based, disability led organisations that have established peer support and self-advocacy programs.

The grants, which will be available soon via GrantConnect, will complement grants administered by the Department of Social Services (DSS) under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) program.

The ILC program allocates grants to organisations that support the economic, social, and community participation of people with disability, regardless of whether they are eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

“Peer support and self-advocacy organisations are central to supporting people with disability to feel connected within our community and to learn from the experience of others.”

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten.

The Minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten said community-based services played a unique role in helping people with disability to build confidence and advocate for themselves.

“Peer support and self-advocacy organisations are central to supporting people with disability to feel connected within our community and to learn from the experience of others,” said Mr Shorten.

He said the grants came at a critical time in NDIS history and that there had never been a more important time to strengthen the services that support people with disability to engage confidently and self-advocate for what is right for them.

“The future of the NDIS is in peer-led work, with support for decision-making at its heart. This is the vision of the NDIS Review – to make sure participants have the power and knowledge to navigate how best to use their NDIS funds.”

Mr Shorten said the grants would provide additional funding to enable organisations to continue to support people with disabilities to engage in the community and live more independently.

“It will ensure these organisations are well resourced, as we progress work with people with disability and the disability community to co-design and develop important reforms to the NDIS.”