About future data development

This website reports on the Outcomes Framework, which is part of Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 (the Strategy). The Outcomes Framework was developed through conversations with people with disability. It says what needs to be tracked to know if things are improving for people with disability.

Rather than limit reporting to information that was available in 2021, people with disability wanted the Outcomes Framework to track some things that cannot currently be reported. This includes questions where the data about the lives of people with disability and the systems that support them does not currently exist. It also includes some questions where some data do exist but improvements to the data are needed before it can be reported on. Over the life of the Strategy, governments will work together to create and improve data so these measures can be reported.

More measures are expected to be reported soon. In October 2023, information from Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey was released for the first time to report on the measures under the Community Attitudes outcome area. The Australian, state and territory governments are also working together on a National Disability Data Asset (NDDA) that is expected to allow more measures to be reported. However, collecting new data takes time. For some measures it may be several years before there are data that can be used.

Other data and research will also be helping governments make better policy and deliver better services for people with disability (see Data and research | Disability Gateway).