‘They helped me understand what I had to do and could do.’
Through your donations Barwon Disability Resource Council received a $10,000 grant from the Give Where You Live Foundation to support those working for and beside people with disabilities, their families and careers to address their needs, achieve their outcomes and to lessen disadvantage and discrimination through advocacy at an individual and systemic level.
Barwon Disability Resource Assert 4 All Advocacy program carries out individual advocacy and systemic advocacy. With the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), advocacy is even more vital to assist individuals to navigate the NDIS and to continue to provide advocacy support for all issues that fall outside of the scheme. The NDIS does not have advocacy within individual plans. Unlike other disability service provision, advocacy is not an item under the NDIS.
Advocacy is for people in crisis, or abuse and neglect to achieve measurable outcomes for every individual, so that they are immediately out of the crisis situation. Advocates ‘stand beside’ people with disabilities to help them speak up for what they need, empower them in their rights and greatly lessen their disadvantage.
A client commented that: ‘They helped me understand what I had to do and could do.’
Another client commented that: ‘Our advocate gave us confidence, kept us positive for the right outcome for our son. Disability administration only started to listen to our plight once we were appointed our Advocate. Can’t thank you enough’.
Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) conducted a Cost-Benefit analysis of the value of advocacy, which shows that for every dollar invested by governments in advocacy, there is a saving of $3.50. The DANA Cost-Benefit analysis also found that investing in advocacy leads to a range of benefits including improved educational and employment outcomes and that it frees up resources in the justice system, health and accommodation services and helps to relieve the load on careers and service providers.