Submission to the Inclusive Communities Fund consultation
Submission to the Inclusive Communities Fund consultation
The Alliance supports the intent of the Fund. Building the capability of community organisations
so that Autistic people and other people with disability can genuinely take part in social,
recreational, arts, sporting, cultural and community life is consistent with Australia’s Disability
Strategy 2021 to 2031 and with the National Autism Strategy’s recognition that community
inclusion reduces social isolation.
The Fund should build lasting inclusion in mainstream community life, not create new
segregated programs or short-term activity that ends when grant funding stops. Whatever the
broader policy context, the submission’s focus is on ensuring Autistic people have
access to meaningful, evidence-informed opportunities for inclusion, connection and
participation.
Building more inclusive communities is complementary to, and cannot be assumed to replace,
the individual enabling supports some people with disability require to access and participate in those communities.
In shaping this submission, the Alliance posed three clear framing points:
- The Fund should complement, and cannot substitute for, individual supports
- The Fund should also be designed for invisible disability
- The Fund should work for Autistic people with very high support and dependency needs and people with complex communication needs.
These were supported with credible evidence that informed the 8 strong recommendations to the Consultation reviewers.
Click here to read the Australian Autism Alliance Inclusive Communities Fund Submission
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