Specialist disability advocacy service opens in Melbourne

Advocacy support for people with disability living in Melbourne’s western metropolitan areas will be boosted following the Australian Government’s commitment of $72,000 for Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC).

Minister for Community Services, Senator Nigel Scullion, today officially opened the new Western Metropolitan Individual Advocacy Service, and said ADEC would target individual advocacy support for people with disability from culturally diverse backgrounds, their carers and families.

‘The Australian Government wants to work with the disability advocacy sector to ensure such specialist expertise is shared across all agencies, to meet the diverse needs of people with disability,’ Senator Scullion said.

‘There is a commitment that this valuable expertise is enhanced and protected through the changes to the National Disability Advocacy Program, so it can be shared more effectively amongst advocacy agencies.

‘The funding will enable ADEC to employ a full-time individual advocate, who will be out-posted at the Western Region Health Centre in Braybrook for three days a week and will spend the remaining two days at ADEC’s head office in Preston.

‘The $12.2 million Budget measure will build on such work already undertaken to improve the National Disability Advocacy Program.

‘It will assist in meeting some of the unmet need for individual advocacy services, which will be made available to people with all types of disability.

‘People with disability will benefit from having a better awareness of the existence of advocacy services, to ensure they know where to get help when they need it.

‘I am committed to working with disability advocacy agencies to ensure people with disability receive quality support when they most need it,’ Senator Scullion said.