Northern Territory Disability Strategy

The Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities (TFHC), through the Office of Disability (OoD), is developing a Northern Territory (NT) Disability Strategy (the strategy).

To make a strategy and action plan that will work in the NT, we need to understand what is important for people with disability.

We will work together with people with lived experience of disability, their networks, family and carers, the sector and industry stakeholders and the broader community

The strategy will:

• show principles, a vision, goals, outcomes and priority areas for 2022-2032
• describe what people with disability in the Territory need to have a good life and to make an accessible and inclusive society where people with disability can reach their full potential
• tell us where we are now, what we want in the future, how we will achieve it; and how we will know if we have made a difference
• help government and community work together to make change
• show how the NT is fulfilling its:
  • obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability
  • commitment to Australia’s Disability Strategy (ADS), which is to be released in late 2021.

Who is the strategy for

This strategy is for everyone in the NT.

It will aim to achieve outcomes for all people with disability, including people with significant, or mild to moderate disability.

It also will consider the different experiences of disability, including:

• physical
• sensory
• cognitive
• developmental disabilities and
• mental health conditions.

How you can help

You can help by doing any of the below:

• Have your say on the strategy by filling in a survey or making a submission on the Have Your Say website,
• Share the flyer PDF (380.2 KB) or put this up around your community, work place or school.
• Put up a post on social media using the attached social media tile PNG (804.6 KB) and suggested words:
  • “Have your say on the NT Disability Strategy and share your ideas on what we need for people with disability in the NT to have a good life. For more information, go to the Have Your Say website.”
• Hold a workshop to talk about the Strategy. You can promote this using the poster PDF (368.0 KB) and include your workshop details in the editable text box.
• Talk about it.

Development and implementation roadmap

For information about the key stages and important milestones, read the Strategy roadmap.

To ensure that engagement is inclusive, transparent and safe, the engagement will be guided by the OoD engagement framework. Read more about the framework.

Who will oversee the strategy’s development

The NT Disability Advisory Committee and the Children and Families Standing Committee will oversee the development of the strategy.

It will also involve:

• a steering committee - who will guide the consultation approach and development of the strategy.
• working groups - who will inform the development for the Strategy and will ensure stakeholder input and support a process for co-design.

You can contact members to talk about the Strategy, those things that are important to you and your input to the consultation.

Read more about the steering committee and working groups.

Consultation

Your comments and ideas are invited for the development of the NT Disability Strategy and first three year Action Plan.

Your experiences, values and ideas will inform the development of the strategy.

To read the consultation materials and submit your comments, go to the Have Your Say website.

Submissions close 31 December 2021.

Workshops and engagement activities

There will be online and face to face consultation activities in October and November 2021.

They will be held by the Darwin Community Legal Services, Disability Advocacy Services and the Office of Disability.

Before you attend

Before you attend, you should:

• Contact the host to register your interest and for more information.
• Let the host know if you have access needs to consider.
• Read the NT Disability Strategy discussion paper and the draft strategy on the Have your say website.
• Think about what we need for people with disability in the NT to have a good life.