About the Royal Commission

Terms of Reference

The Commissioners will examine all groups that provide services to those who have a disability.  These groups include government, institutions and the community.   For those of us with ME/CFS that can include groups such as Centrelink, the NDIS, schools, insurance companies, hospitals, health practitioners, care providers, housing agencies, funding providers and research institutions.

The scope of the Royal Commission is therefore exceptionally broad.

The objective of the Royal Commission is to establish ways for these groups to protect people with disability.  This means that the Commissioners can examine what has prevented people reporting a problem, examining a problem, or taking action.

The desired outcome is one of change, so that people with disabilities are better supported to live a safe and independent life.

What issues will be examined

The Royal Commission will run for three years in total.   The scope of the Commission’s enquiries include:

• all types of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability
• the quality and safety of all services and supports
• the harm people with disability experience because of their many different needs and circumstances, including all age groups, genders, sexual orientations and cultures
• the important role that families and carers play
• the role of people who work with people with disability
• examples of the positive work that people are already doing to fix these problems
• what people have already found out and recommended in this area.

The Commission will consider individual experiences, as well as problems that repeatedly occur.

The Commission aims to make telling your story accessible, and most importantly, to ensure that you are safe from repercussions.

Outcomes

Once the Royal Commission closes its inquiry stage, it will produce recommendations for change that potentially:

• improve the way services are run;
• change the laws;
• lead to improvement and/or implementation of policies for the future.