Access to mainstream support services

Population groups

• Indigenous status

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by Indigenous status?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by Indigenous status. In 2024, 67% of First Nations people with disability and 81% of non-Indigenous people with disability could access mainstream support services.

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  Indigenous status	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  First Nations	67%	(58.3%–76.2%)	85%	(74.8%–94.4%)
  Non-Indigenous	81%	(79.5%–81.8%)	89%	(87.7%–89.6%)
  All persons	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.
  3. Indigenous status is voluntarily self-reported based on the ABS Indigenous Status Standard.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Gender

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by gender?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, grouped by gender. In 2024, 85% of men with disability could access mainstream support services, compared with 76% of women with disability (please note that the proportion for 'Non-binary/Other' gender category has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Gender	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Men	85%	(83.1%–86.2%)	90%	(88.9%–91.6%)
  Women	76%	(74.8%–77.9%)	87%	(85.7%–88.2%)
  Non-binary/other	#58%	(44.1%–71.9%)	n.p.	n.p.
  All persons	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  • # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.
  • n.p. (not published) Data have been suppressed to avoid identifying individual people.

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.
  n.p. (not published) Data have been suppressed to avoid identifying individual people.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Age group

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by age?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by age group. In 2024, 87% of people with disability aged 18–24 could access mainstream support services, compared with 76% of people with disability aged 25–44.

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  Age group	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  18–24	87%	(84.6%–89.0%)	93%	(91.5%–94.8%)
  25–44	76%	(73.7%–79.0%)	88%	(86.6%–89.7%)
  45–64	77%	(75.1%–79.2%)	86%	(83.9%–87.5%)
  65 and over	85%	(83.3%–86.2%)	91%	(89.7%–93.3%)
  All ages	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Cultural and linguistic diversity status

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by cultural and linguistic diversity background?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) status. In 2024, 82% of people with disability from CALD backgrounds could access mainstream support services, as did 80% of people with disability in the non-CALD group.

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  Cultural and linguistic diversity status	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  CALD	82%	(79.6%–84.9%)	89%	(86.8%–90.3%)
  Non-CALD	80%	(78.4%–80.9%)	89%	(87.5%–89.6%)
  All persons	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.
  3. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) cohort includes people not born in a main English-speaking country and/or who mainly speak a language other than English at home.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Location

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by location?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by location. In 2024, 82% of people with disability in greater capital city areas could access mainstream support services, compared with 78% of people in the rest of state or territory locations.

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  Location	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Greater Capital City	82%	(80.5%–83.3%)	90%	(88.6%–90.7%)
  Rest of state/territory	78%	(75.7%–79.4%)	86%	(84.3%–87.8%)
  All locations	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.
  3. Locations are based on the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs) classification.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Severity of disability

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by severity of disability?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by severity of disability, and compared with people without disability. In 2024, 71% of people with severe or profound disability could access mainstream support services, compared with 82% of people with milder forms of disability.

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  Severity of disability	% of people who can access mainstream services when needed	95% Confidence Interval
  Severe or profound disability	71%	(68.1%–74.2%)
  Other disability status	82%	(80.9%–83.3%)
  All with disability	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)
  Without disability	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.
  3. Severe or profound disability means always or sometimes needing assistance or supervision with self-care, mobility, and/or communication.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Disability group

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by disability group?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by disability group, and compared with people without disability. In 2024, 80% of people with sensory or speech disability could access mainstream support services, compared with 71% of people with intellectual disability.

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  Disability group	% of people who can access mainstream services when needed	95% Confidence Interval
  Sensory and speech	80%	(78.7%–82.3%)
  Intellectual	71%	(66.9%–74.6%)
  Physical restriction	78%	(77.0%–79.6%)
  Psychosocial	73%	(71.0%–75.4%)
  Head injury, stroke or acquired brain injury	73%	(67.0%–78.7%)
  Other disability	76%	(74.4%–77.8%)
  All with disability	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)
  Without disability	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.
  3. Components will not add to total as people may report impairments related to more than one disability group. In such cases, people are counted separately for each disability group but are only counted once in the aggregated total.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Education

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by level of education?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by highest level of education. In 2024, 83% of people with disability who completed Year 12 could access mainstream support services, compared with 78% of people with disability who completed a certificate or diploma.

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  Highest level of education	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  None or below Year 12	81%	(78.2%–83.5%)	86%	(82.0%–89.1%)
  Year 12	83%	(80.2%–85.8%)	90%	(88.2%–92.4%)
  Certificate/Diploma	78%	(76.0%–79.9%)	86%	(84.3%–88.0%)
  Bachelor Degree or higher	81%	(79.7%–83.0%)	90%	(89.1%–91.4%)
  All persons	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Employment status

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by employment status?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by employment status. In 2024, 82% of people with disability who were not employed could access mainstream support services, compared with 79% of employed people with disability.

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  Employment status	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Employed	79%	(77.3%–80.6%)	88%	(87.3%–89.4%)
  Not employed	82%	(80.1%–83.0%)	89%	(87.6%–91.1%)
  All persons	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview
  

• Sexual orientation

  Does the proportion of people with disability who can access mainstream support services when they need them vary by sexual orientation?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of people with and without disability (aged 18 and over) who can access mainstream support services when they need them, by sexual orientation. In 2024, 81% of straight (heterosexual) people with disability could access mainstream support services, compared with 73% of people with disability whose sexual orientation was gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other.

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  Sexual orientation	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Straight (heterosexual)	81%	(80.0%–82.3%)	89%	(87.8%–89.7%)
  Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other	73%	(69.6%–77.3%)	87%	(83.7%–90.8%)
  All persons	80%	(79.1%–81.3%)	89%	(87.7%–89.5%)

  Notes

  1. The measure was calculated as the number of people who answered 'Strongly agree' or 'Somewhat agree' to the question 'Think[ing] about general health, income support or other general support services, do you agree or disagree that you can access them when you need them?' divided by the number of people who responded to the question. People who were not sure or did not provide a response were excluded from the calculation.
  2. For this measure, people with disability are those who have disability or long-term health condition, regardless of whether they self-identify as having disability or a long-term health condition.

  Source: DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.

  Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – Australia’s Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us | Data source overview