Speak Out December 2020

• strongly recommending that early childhood supports be reclassified so that it is no longer "high risk", • greater governance and oversight over auditors, including a review of their pricing structures, and the creation of a complaints process. Members can read the full submission here. The Association has also been heavily involved in the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) and has provided six separate submissions, in addition to providing feedback around the communication strategy of the Royal Commission process itself. The Disability Royal Commission released its interim report at the end of October and referred to the Association’s submissions several times. Key issues raised by the Association and referred to in the report, referencing these submissions include • inaccessible complaints procedures for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, or who have complex communication needs, • health staff not communicating to people with disability or their families, rather talking about them, or making decisions without consultation, • the need for additional funding to research the health outcomes of Autistic people and people with intellectual disability, • the difficulty for students with disability and their parents to make complaints and have issues with violence, abuse and neglect acknowledged and resolved in education settings, • the potential reluctance on behalf of health professionals to treat people with a disability due to their value judgements, • people with disability facing a range of systemic and practical barriers to accessing the justice system,

• the ongoing impact of colonisation on the lives of First Nations people with disability, including health outcomes, disadvantage and intergenerational trauma, and the need for greater self-determination in First Nations communities. Members are a vital part of this process. The surveys completed, queries submitted, comments and themes raised on social media, as well as opinions given by working groups on certain topics, are used to help pull together these submissions with the expert knowledge of the Policy and Advocacy Team to make sure the voice of speech pathologists are heard, as well as those who may not have a strong voice. The Association will continue to provide submissions related to the Disability Royal Commission’s requests, public hearings, and issues papers. Members can read all of the previous submissions on the submissions page of the Association website.

Amy Fitzpatrick Senior Advisor Disability Erin West Professional Practice Advisor

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December 2020 | Speak Out