On International Day of People with Disability, a reminder that the pandemic has been especially challenging for some

Yesterday was International Day of People with Disability. This week, the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability released its report into the experiences of people with disability during the pandemic. 

Here’s what it said. 

1 - The Government did not consult with people with disability before responding to the pandemic 

The report said no Federal Government agency “made any significant effort” to consult with the disability sector ahead of its pandemic response. Further, that lack of consultation meant the Federal Government underestimated how much they had to do to help people with disability. 

2 - The Government did not do enough to ensure people with disabilities could access COVID tests 

The Royal Commission found no documents suggesting any Federal Government agency planned to ensure people with disability could access COVID tests if needed. The move “caused significant distress”, according to the report, and the Federal Government should deploy new guidelines around COVID testing for people with disability as soon as possible. 

3 - The Government should give peak disability advocacy bodies more funding

The Royal Commission found that not enough funding was provided to peak disability advocacy bodies during the pandemic, even as the need for independent advocacy grew. The Federal Government should immediately provide more funding to disability representative organisations should COVID-19 resurge in Australia, the Royal Commission said.