Wednesday, 3 May 2023

Ministers statements: Victorian Disability Advisory Council

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (12:16): I rise to update the house on the Andrews government’s continued consultation with the disability community and in particular the wonderful meeting I had on Thursday 20 April with the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, or VDAC as they are commonly referred to. This is an amazing group of people who are working so hard for the benefit of the communities that they represent and advocate for. Chaired by Chris Varney, the founder of I Can, the largest autistic-led organisation in the country, the council provides independent advice to the government on issues that affect disabled people in Victoria and plays a key role advising the government on the implementation of Inclusive Victoria, our state’s disability plan. This plan is designed to make Victoria a more inclusive and accessible place for the 1.1 million Victorians living with a disability.

The Labor government has invested in new Changing Places around the state, which now number over 100, with more to come. Victoria has nearly half of all of the Changing Places facilities that exist across Australia. We have also provided grants for 27 universal design projects around the state. These include beach wheelchair access matting in Anglesea, a dementia-friendly sensory garden in Chiltern and accessibility upgrades to playgrounds and play equipment right across Victoria. We have also continued to support the Change Your Reactions public education campaign, which promotes better attitudes towards people with autism.

At our meeting, the VDAC members shared their passions and priorities for disability inclusion, and over the coming weeks the members will introduce themselves to the public more widely through a series of online videos. These videos provide an opportunity for the members to tell their personal stories and highlight the ongoing work to make Victoria a more inclusive community for people with any form of disability. As Martin Heng says in his video, disability inclusion is a mindset that everyone can adopt. We value the voices of those with lived experience of disability, and I look forward to working with VDAC to progress our important work together.