Systemic Advocacy
Members' Issues Register
DDWA are always interested to hear from our members and supporters about the issues they face in accessing services and supports in the community.
Our Members Issues Register captures what members are telling us so we can take action to address these issues with government and others.
You can read our current register by clicking the button below.
Please email ddwa@ddwa.org.au if you have any issues you would like to raise.
How the government needs to help people with developmental disability
This book, designed in Easy Read format, tells the WA State and Australian Federal Government what things they need to spend more money on to help people with developmental disability. It has been developed from our members issues register developed over recent years, and in consultation with our advisory group of people with developmental disability.
We'd like all DDWA members and the wider community of our network to read this and support our recommendations.
The book has also been sent to Federal and State politicians and we will be following up to encourage discussion on "How the Government needs to help people with developmental disability".
Recommendations are listed by topic in the areas of support services and activities for people with developmental and intellectual disability (including neurodiverse people), and their families.
DDWA Focus Areas
Australia is a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This is one of seven core human rights treaties to which Australia is a party.
Human rights are defined in the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 as the rights and freedoms contained in the seven core human rights treaties to which Australia is a party.
As part of Developmental Disability WA’s work in systemic advocacy, we work with our members and others to uphold these human rights and inform decision makers about priorities for the rights and needs of people with intellectual and other developmental disability and their families.
To be part of the voice to create positive systemic change you could:
- add your views in surveys
- take part in research
- apply for a grant to further your activities (where available)
- make, or contribute to, a submission to a departmental, government or other inquiry
- appear before a parliamentary or other committee or forum,
- or having your say any other way, then please read on, or contact us to find out more.
Summit Report
This year, our topic was Living with Significant Intellectual Disability in WA: Challenging the Gaps
In March 2024, Disability Assembly Western Australia (DAWA) held a Summit Event
focused on the topic, ‘Living with Significant Intellectual Disability: Challenging the
Gaps’. This topic was chosen because DAWA received multiple communications from
families living with significant ID, stating they believe they are being overlooked and
misunderstood. A concerted effort was made to ensure the inclusion of a broad range
of people with intellectual disability (PWID) who could speak for themselves. The cohort
was largely parents, carers, and siblings of PWID who could provide informed input on
behalf of those who could not speak with their own voice, and a small number of
representatives from a range of disability service providers, advocates, peak bodies,
and other subject matter experts.
To read the Full Report click on the button below:
This is an Easy Read book about what happened at the Summit.