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

Why is this outcome area important?

People with disability are experts in their own lives and have the same rights as people without disability. Community acceptance of the rights and experiences of people with disability:

• will maximise individual power and autonomy
• support economic participation, social inclusion, safety and equality. 

Policy priorities

1. Safety from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation (2 measures): Making sure services for people with disability are high quality and safe, and that people with disability are safe.
2. Trauma-informed policy, processes and programs (2 measures): Improving access to services that support people with disability who have experienced trauma.
3. Violence against women and their children (4 measures): Keeping women and children with disability safe from violence, abuse and neglect.
4. Rights are protected and upheld (4 measures): Protecting the rights of people with disability, decreasing discrimination, and improving access to supports that help people with disability stand up for themselves and make their own decisions.
5. Access to justice (2 measures): Supporting access to justice for people with disability.
6. Equitable treatment in criminal justice system (2 measures): Reducing the use of criminal justice interventions when responding to the needs of some people with disability.

2025 Summary

Data are available for 10 out of 16 measures. In 2025:

• 5 measures were updated (Table 4.1)
• 4 measures had baseline data added (Table 4.2)
• 1 measure was not updated.

Of the 5 updated measures:

• 2 showed improvement
• 3 showed regression.

Overall, this Outcome Area is showing mixed progress since 2021.

• Two out of 10 measures showed improvements and 1 showed no change.
• Three out of 10 measures showed regression and for 4 measures the change is not yet known.

Key findings

• 66% of assessed clients reported improved choice and control in 2023–24, 4 percentage points higher than at baseline (62%), indicating an improvement since the start of the Strategy (Figure 4.3). In 2021–22, the percentage decreased to 59% but has steadily increased to its highest peak in 2023–24 (66%).
• 38.1% of NDIS participants aged 15–64 responded that they felt able to advocate for themselves in Q3 of 2024–25, an increase of 0.8 percentage point since Q2 of 2021–22 (37.3%), indicating an improvement since the start of the Strategy.
• There were 3.1 complaints related to abuse and neglect per 1,000 NDIS participants in 2023–24, an increase of 0.8 from the baseline of 2.3 in 2020–21 (Figure 4.1). In 2022–23, the number of complaints related to abuse and neglect per 1,000 NDIS participants increased to 3.2 complaints per 1,000 NDIS participants, before decreasing to 3.1 in 2023–24. Alongside this increase, the overall number of complaints received increased from 7,843 in 2020–21 to 29,054 in 2023–24. The rise in complaints of abuse and neglect may reflect a growing awareness among NDIS participants of their rights and the Commission’s role in protecting them.
• 76% of Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) clients with disability in 2023–24 experiencing domestic and family violence were provided with assistance for accommodation when needed, dropping 6 percentage points (82%) since the Strategy began (Figure 4.2).
• 61% of lodged complaints related to disability discrimination were successfully resolved by conciliation in 2023–24, a decrease of 11 percentage points (72%) from baseline, indicating a regress since the Strategy began (Figure 4.4). After a peak in 2017–18 where 74% of lodged complaints were successfully resolved by conciliation, the trend has fluctuated considerably. Since baseline (71%; 2020–21), the proportion of lodged complaints successfully resolved dropped to its second lowest at 61% in 2022–23 and remained there in 2023–24.

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.

^**Confidence status: care should be taken when looking at the reported progress status for this measure as there is some uncertainty in the data.

AHRC – Australian Human Rights Commission; NDAP – National Disability Advocacy Program; NDIS ­­– National Disability Insurance Scheme; pp – percentage points; SHS – specialist homelessness services.