Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 Outcomes Framework: 4th annual report

Why is this outcome area important? 

Accessible, affordable, and secure housing in inclusive communities is vital for people with disability to: 

• live independently 
• participate in work 
• connect socially.

Policy priorities

1. Housing affordability and housing stress (2 measures): Improving access to affordable housing for people with disability.
2. Housing accessibility (2 measures): Making sure people with disability can live in homes that meet their needs.
3. Social inclusion and participation (2 measures): Supporting the inclusion of people with disability in their communities.
4. The built and natural environment accessibility (2 measures):  Making sure buildings and facilities are accessible for people with disability.
5. Transport system accessibility (2 measures):  Making sure people with disability can access the public transport they need.
6. Information and communication systems accessibility (3 measures):  Supporting people with disability to be able to find and use information they need.

2025 Summary

Data are available for 10 of 13 measures. In 2025:

• 3 measures were updated (Table 3.1)
• 2 measures had data available for the first time (Table 3.2)
• 5 measures were not updated.

Of the 3 updated measures:

• 1 showed improvement
• 2 showed regression. 

 Overall, this Outcome Area has regressed since 2021.

• One out of 2 measures for social inclusion and participation is improving.
• Both measures for the built and natural environment accessibility are improving.
• The remaining 7 measures are regressing or not yet known.

Key findings

• Since baseline (2021–22 Q2), the proportion of NDIS participants who spent their free time doing activities that interested them has increased by 0.5 percentage points (65.5% in 2021–22 Q2 to 66.0% in 2024–25 Q3) (Figure 3.2). The trend dipped to its lowest point in 2023–24 Q1 (64.1%) before rising to 66.0%.
• There has been an overall increase in the average time waited for both public housing (134 days) and state owned and managed Indigenous housing (SOMIH; 422 days) since baseline. This means that more households which have a person with disability as a member are on average waiting longer (Figure 3.1). In particular the average time waited for SOMIH housing has more than doubled since baseline. Because the number of households with disability that are allocated each year for SOMIH are small, averages can be skewed if a household is allocated that has been waiting a long time. For the 2023–24 period, an increase in both the number of allocations and the number of days waited have caused the increase in the average wait time for SOMIH households.
• Since baseline, the proportion of people with disability who participated in social activities has decreased by four percentage points (Figure 3.3). Overall, the trend appears to be decreasing since its peak of 78% in 2010.

Information on each measure below includes the latest update, baseline and progress status, key demographic insights, and a chart showing the direction of the change since baseline.

*Measure wording has been revised to reflect available data more accurately or clarify the measure's intent. See relevant measure section below for more information.

pp – percentage points; SOMIH – state owned and managed Indigenous housing.

(a) This measure will be replaced in the future by 'Number of community, political, social, recreational, sporting, religious and cultural groups that have active inclusion policies for people with disability'.