Woman laughing in wheelchair looking at phone
Woman laughing in wheelchair looking at phone

The Pilot Council emphasised that the NDDA is an opportunity to improve the quality of data we have in the effort of helping to understand outcomes for people with disability.

The Pilot Disability Advisory Council (Council) for the National Disability Data Asset (NDDA) met on 27 October 2020. The Council discussed the overall progress of the NDDA pilot (Pilot), materials that have been produced to help communicate its goals to the disability community and practical actions to build awareness of the Pilot. The Council also discussed the National Disability Strategy Outcomes Framework, supported by a presentation from the Department of Social Services.

Since the last meeting, the Pilot’s project team has been focusing resources on the investment case for the permanent asset and on Pilot communications and stakeholder engagement. The public policy test cases and the design for the permanent asset have also been progressing.

The Council was presented the drafts of the Pilot’s website, video and presentation pack and provided advice on these. In addition, the Council discussed the proposed approach for the Pilot’s conference that is planned for late November. The Council recommended that the purpose and key audiences of the event should be clarified. The Council noted that all communications need to be driven by the presence of people with disabilities and the benefits they want to realise from the NDDA. The Council noted that it is important to be clear about benefits of the NDDA for people with disability. It was discussed that good data gives us ways to have conversations differently and make better decisions. The Council emphasised that the NDDA is an opportunity to improve the quality of data we have in the effort of helping to understand outcomes for people with disability.

The Department of Social Services presented to the Council on National Disability Strategy Outcomes. The Pilot’s public policy test cases could help inform the development of potential indicators to support the new National Disability Strategy Outcomes Framework.

Meeting attendees 

The meeting was chaired by Dr Ben Gauntlett, Disability Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission. The following members took part in the meeting:  

  • Dr Scott Avery, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University   
  • Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM, Executive Chair & Director, Melbourne Disability Institute, previous Chairman of the National Disability Insurance Agency Board   
  • Belinda Drew, CEO, Community Services Industry Australia, Chair, Social Enterprise Finance Australia   
  • Professor Anne Kavanagh, Chair of Disability and Health, Head of the Disability and Health Unit in the Centre for Health Equity, Co-Director, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health, University of Melbourne  
  • Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Director of Family and Disability Studies, University of Sydney, Head, WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, Co-Director, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health, Disability and Inequity Stream Leader, Centre for Disability Research and Policy   
  • Dr Steven McEachern, Director, Australian Data Archive, Australian National University  
  • Kevin Stone, CEO, Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability, Chair, Inclusion Australia (National Council on Intellectual Disability)    
  • Professor Julian Trollor, Head of Development Disability Department, University of New South Wales  
  • Leah Van Poppel, CEO, Women with Disabilities Victoria   
  • John Walsh AM, Adjunct Professor, The University of Sydney

Next meeting  

The next meeting of the Council of the NDDA will be on 2 December 2020.  

More about the Council

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