ECCV welcomes the exposure draft of the Disability Inclusion Bill, which was introduced as part of the ongoing review of the Disability Act 2006 (Vic).
ECCV’s submission supports a new principal Act for promoting disability inclusion in Victoria. Although the Bill incorporates a range of measures to shift attitudes and behaviours about disability, ECCV believes that it can be strengthened further through a combination of measures, including:
- A greater commitment to cultural safety for people from migrant and refugee backgrounds
- Comprehensive education and capacity-building to ensure that organisations can comply with the requirements of the Bill
- Stronger diversity requirements for membership of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council
- Extending the positive duty to promote disability inclusion to all bodies, not just the public sector, through a staged process
- Ensuring that the Disability Inclusion Commissioner has proportionate powers to enforce compliance with the positive duty
- Strengthening the accountability framework for disability impact assessments, disability action plans and the State Disability Plan
To achieve lasting cultural change, ECCV believes that the Bill must be supported with long-term investment and a measured approach to implementation. Our laws and services continue to fall short for people with disability in Victoria, and it is important that the new Bill can effectively and proactively promote the inclusion and participation of all Victorians.