Disability data cubes are available for subsets of data from the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS) collection. Prior to January 2009 this dataset was known as the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement National Minimum Data Set (CSTDA NMDS).
The publications associated with these cubes may also be downloaded in full. Additional disaggregation of data may be requested using the ad hoc client request form. A charge may apply for ad hoc data requests to recover costs.
The cubes
What is a cube?
A data cube is a multidimensional representation of data which provides fast retrieval and drill down facilities.
What cubes are available?
2010-11 DS NMDS service user data
2009-10 DS NMDS service user data
2008-09 CSTDA NMDS service user data
2007-08 CSTDA NMDS service user data
2006-07 CSTDA NMDS service user data
2005-06 CSTDA NMDS service user data
2004-05 CSTDA NMDS service user data
2003-04 CSTDA NMDS user data
What data do the cubes contain?
The values (measures) in the data cubes are:
- All service users of NDA-funded specialist disability services
- Service users of government provided services
- Services users of non-government provided services
The data items (dimensions) in the data cubes are:
| Data item |
Explanation |
| Age |
Age in years. This is generated from date of birth, which is also used to statistically reduce multiple counting of service users across service types and reporting periods. |
| Sex |
Male or female as nominated by the person. |
| Country of birth |
The country in which the person was born. |
| Primary disability |
Disabilities are grouped into broad categorisations in terms of the underlying health condition, impairment, activity limitations, participation restrictions and environmental factors.
The primary disability is the disability group that most clearly expresses the experience of disability by a person. The primary disability group can also be considered as the disability group causing the most difficulty to the person (overall difficulty in daily life, not just within the context of the support offered by this service). |
| Indigenous status |
Whether or not a person identifies themselves as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. |
| Presence of other disability |
Disability group(s) (other than that indicated as being 'primary')that also clearly express the experience of disability by a person and/or cause difficulty for the person. |
| Living arrangements |
Whether the person lives alone or with other related or unrelated persons. |
| Need for support or assistance in activities of daily living |
The need for personal help or supervision in each of the areas of: self care, mobility, communication, interpersonal interactions and relationships, learning, applying knowledge and general tasks and demands, education, community and economic life, domestic life and working. |
| Residential setting |
The type of physical accommodation in which the person usually resides ('usually' being 4 or more days per week on average). |
| Need for interpreter services |
Requirement for interpreter services as perceived by the person seeking assistance. |
| Existence of an informal carer |
Whether someone, such as a family member, friend or neighbour, has been identified as providing regular and sustained care and assistance to the person requiring support. |
| Labour force status |
The self-reported status the person currently has in being either in the labour force (employed/unemployed) or not in the labour force. |
| Individual funding status |
Whether or not a person is currently receiving individualised funding under the NDA. |
How do I use the cubes?
When a data cube is opened (in the 'View' tab), the table shows 'All service users' as the default measure, by 'age and sex' as default dimensions.
To view any of the other measures, first close the Table of Contents pane by left-clicking the 2 upward-pointing arrows next to 'Table of Contents'. Then use the left mouse to drag the icon for the measure onto the column headings, and drop the icon when a left-pointing arrow appears. The additional measure will appear in a separate column. To remove any measure from view, right click its column heading and select 'Hide <measure>' from the menu.
To add a dimension to the table, left click its icon and drag it towards the top left hand of the table. To display it as an additional column dimension, wait till a left-pointing arrow appears and drop the icon. To display it as an additional row dimension, wait till a downward-pointing arrow appears and drop the icon. To remove a dimension, right click its label in the top left hand of the table and select 'Hide <dimension>' from the menu, or you can replace the dimension by selecting 'Change <dimension> to <other dimension> from the menu.
If there are too many column and/or row headings to appear in the same screen, there are arrows that allow you to scroll through the column headings and row headings.
If you want to collate totals and present percentages of totals, select the 'Edit' tab and right click the table icon. This provides additional options for data presentation in the 'View' tab.
How do I export data from cubes?
The data can be exported either to Excel or Word. In 'View', right click the table area and select 'Export table' from the menu. Choose how many rows you want to export, and whether to export to Excel or Word. After selecting 'OK', select 'Open' or 'Save' rather than the default 'Cancel' button. (If you select 'Excel' and 'Open', then next select 'Yes' rather than the default 'No' button.) To save the file (which is an htm file with extension .do) select 'Save as' from the top-left menu, scroll through the file type options to assign .xls (or .doc as appropriate), give the file a name and save it in the directory of your choosing.
Privacy issues
Due to the multidimensional nature of the disability cube, extra steps have been taken to ensure the confidentiality of service user data. These are:
- Individual ages cannot be viewed, the lowest level to which age can be drilled is the 5 year age group level (e.g. 45–49 yrs).
- When viewing service users (consumers) at the 10 year age group level all people aged 60 and over have been grouped together. When viewing service users (consumers) at the 5 year age group level all people aged 65 and over have been grouped together.
- Speech, hearing, vision and deafblind disabilities have been grouped together to form a category called 'sensory disability'.
- The variable 'State' has not been included in the cube so that consumers cannot be identified by their location.
The data in the disability cubes are presented as a national picture of services received by people with a disability. To view the data at the jurisdictional level, please view the appropriate disability support services report.
More information
Disability publications include more detailed information about NDA-funded services in Australia.