Foreword The Plan is linked to the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) Rural and Remote Strategy and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy to ensure that Aboriginal and The development of the Australian Government Plan to Torres Strait Islander people with disability will benefit Improve Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait from the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Actions Islander People with Disability (the Plan) recognises under the NDIA plans will enhance innovative cultural the importance of supporting Aboriginal and Torres approaches to service delivery for Aboriginal and Strait Islander people with disability to achieve Torres Strait Islander people with disability whilst successful and fulfilling lives within the Australian leveraging employment opportunities in remote community. communities. The Plan outlines actions the Australian Government is To improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait and can take to provide sustainable mainstream and Islander people with disability, their families and carers, disability services, delivered within a cultural framework we must build on existing services to ensure that the for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with Australian Government is providing culturally disability, their families and carers. responsive and sustainable disability support systems. The Plan sits under the National Disability Strategy To address the disadvantage faced by Aboriginal and 2010–2020 (the Strategy) second implementation plan: Torres Strait Islander people, the Australian Driving Action 2015–2018. The Strategy seeks to Government is committed to working on tangible ensure that people with disability have full access to outcomes and providing opportunities for people with broader community services and facilities. disability and for Indigenous Australians. The Plan offers an unprecedented opportunity for Collaboration and partnerships between Government Australian Government agencies to commit to actions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that will improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and will be the key to the success of this plan. Torres Strait Islander people with disability. Furthermore, this plan assists in addressing the Minister for Social Services Government’s targets for employment, education and The Honourable Christian Porter MP health under Closing the Gap measures. There are Assistant Minister for Social Services and also important linkages with the National Aboriginal Disability Services and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023. The Honourable Jane Prentice MP This Plan represents a starting point that will help Minister for Indigenous Affairs ensure positive and sustainable results in the future to Senator the Honourable Nigel Scullion be achieved by continued collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Foreword The development of the Australian Government Plan to Improve Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People with Disability (the Plan) recognises the importance of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability to achieve successful and fulfilling lives within the Australian community. The Plan outlines actions the Australian Government is and can take to provide sustainable mainstream and disability services, delivered within a cultural framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, their families and carers. The Plan sits under the National Disability Strategy 2010–2020 (the Strategy) second implementation plan: Driving Action 2015–2018. The Strategy seeks to ensure that people with disability have full access to broader community services and facilities. The Plan offers an unprecedented opportunity for Australian Government agencies to commit to actions that will improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. Furthermore, this plan assists in addressing the Government’s targets for employment, education and health under Closing the Gap measures. There are also important linkages with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023. This Plan represents a starting point that will help ensure positive and sustainable results in the future to be achieved by continued collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Plan is linked to the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) Rural and Remote Strategy and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability will benefit from the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Actions under the NDIA plans will enhance innovative cultural approaches to service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability whilst leveraging employment opportunities in remote communities. To improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, their families and carers, we must build on existing services to ensure that the Australian Government is providing culturally responsive and sustainable disability support systems. To address the disadvantage faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Australian Government is committed to working on tangible outcomes and providing opportunities for people with disability and for Indigenous Australians. Collaboration and partnerships between Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will be the key to the success of this plan. Minister for Social Services The Honourable Christian Porter MP Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services The Honourable Jane Prentice MP Minister for Indigenous Affairs Senator the Honourable Nigel Scullion
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