Disability Royal Commission

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) was established on the 4 April 2019 and will run for three years until 2022.

Royal Commission Information

• Hearing Dates – Dates for hearing of the Disability Royal Commission are available at the following page on the Royal Commission website: https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/hearings/Pages/default.aspx
• Submission Information – If you are enquiring about making a submission to the Royal Commission, please refer to the Disability Royal Commission website at  https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/submissions/Pages/default.aspx

• Assistance with Submissions – If you need assistance with the submission process, you can:
  • Contact the Disability Royal Commission information services:
    • Phone: 1800 517 199 (9am – 5pm)
    • Email: DRCenquiries@royalcommission.gov.au
  • Request support from an NDAP advocacy service to assist in the writing of a submission, or for support to attend a hearing. To find your local NDAP service go to https://disabilityadvocacyfinder.dss.gov.au/disability/ndap/
    (For those in the Rockhampton or Gold Coast region, ADA Australia is the NDAP advocacy provider, see below for more information)
• Auslan Submission Information – The Royal Commission has also translated the submission process into Auslan which can be found at: https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/submissions/Pages/default.aspx#auslan
• Telephone Counselling – A free national telephone counselling and referral service for people who are affected by the Disability Royal Commission will be available from sometime in October 2019. Please check www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers/royal-commission-into-violence-abuse-neglect-and-exploitation-of-people-with-disability for updates on the availability of counselling services.

Assistance with Submissions and Appearances for the Disability Royal Commission

ADA Australia offers free advocacy support for residents of the Rockhampton and Gold Coast regions  to access and be heard in the Disability Royal Commission.

If you do not live in Rockhampton or the Gold Coast, use the NDAP finder webpage to find other advocacy services also providing this Royal Commission support in other areas around Australia. https://disabilityadvocacyfinder.dss.gov.au/disability/ndap/

An ADA Australia advocate can assist people in Rockhampton and the Gold Coast to:

• participate in the Royal Commission and plan the best way to tell their story
• communicate with the Royal Commission about required communication supports (e.g. interpreters, accessible interview techniques, recordings)
• refer people to other agencies for ongoing counselling and/or psychological support as needed, and
• deal with other related issues faced by people engaging with the Royal Commission e.g. accessing services, finding housing, stopping discrimination or making complaints.