Disability Royal Commission - Women With Disabilities Australia

In 2019, the Australian Federal Government announced that they would be conducting a Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability – also known as the Disability Royal Commission (DRC).

A Royal Commission is a government public inquiry into an important issue in Australia.

Disabled People’s Organisations including Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) and disability advocates spent decades raising awareness of the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation that people with disability face in their lives. People with disability across Australia experience violence at higher rates and in more specific ways than other groups of people.

As the only national representative body for women and girls with disability in Australia, WWDA will play a crucial role in the DRC and make sure the voices of women and girls, feminine-identifying and non-binary people with disability are heard.

Throughout the duration of the DRC, WWDA will be making submissions to issues papers, working with other Disabled Peoples Organisations, contributing to advisory groups and providing information and support to women and girls with disability. The Disability Royal Commission is due to be finished by April 2022 but has now been extended to September, 2023.

“We encourage all women and girls with disability to tell their story to the Disability Royal Commission and to help make a difference”.
The WWDA Team

How to take part in the DRC

If you are an Australian woman or girl with disability and have experienced any form of violence, abuse, neglect and/or exploitation, you can tell your story to the DRC.

You can share your experiences by making a submission or applying for a private session with a Commissioner. To help you share your story, free support and counselling are available.