Polio Australia is continually looking for opportunities to advocate for polio survivors in Australia on a broad scale. We have also developed some resources that may assist you to access advocacy services on an individual level: Disability Services or Migrant Services.
The advocacy work of Polio Australia is done through:
Systemic advocacy: we seek to influence and/or change a ‘system’. This includes legislation, government policy and community attitudes for issues experienced by people living with polio.
Collaborative advocacy: we work collaboratively with other organisations which represent people who experience similar health issues and/or challenges to people living with polio (e.g. multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease). We work together to increase the voice and profile of advocacy for people living with polio. Examples of our collaborations can be found on our affiliates page.
Current Advocacy
- Assistive Technology For All (ATFA) Alliance: We are currently working with this Alliance to advocate for a national streamlined approach to assistive technology for people who are ineligible for the NDIS. We are currently contributing to a joint submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
- Neurological Alliance Australia: We are currently working with this Alliance to advocate for people living with a neurological condition. We are currently contributing to a joint submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Current Submissions
2020
- Media Release: Polio Australia calls for end to discrimination against over 65s
- Letter to the Prime Minister on continuing support for the WHO
- Position statement on expanding telehealth (as part of Neurological Alliance)
- Position statement on expanding telehealth for NDIS services (as part of Neurological Alliance)
- Submission to the National Construction Code Consultation RIS
- Request to the NDIS Minister for increased fairness in grant funding eligibility (as part of a sub-group of the Neurological Alliance)
- National Disability Strategy Position Paper – Response (as part of AFDO)
- Position statement on aged care (as part of Neurological Alliance)
Government Lobbying
Polio Australia has been intensively lobbying the Federal government since 2009. This has been largely thanks to Polio Australia’s National Patron and pro-bono Government Lobbyist, Dr John Tierney OAM, a previous Senator for NSW. View some of the key initiatives achieved in these pages, or click here to see other campaigns and meetings.
Parliamentary Patrons
Parliamentary Friends of Polio Survivors Friendship Group
Roundtable Forum on the Late Effects of Polio / Post-Polio Syndrome
Funding from Department of Health
Past Submissions
2019
- Submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
- Letter to Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston on National Disability Strategy Review
- Shaping the future of disability policy for 2020 and beyond survey (copy of this survey submission is not available)
- Submission to MyAgedCare on Streamlined Consumer Assessment for Aged Care
- Commitments For The 2019 Federal Election (as part of Neurological Alliance Australia)
- Submission to the Terms Of Reference for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (copy of this submission is not available)
2018
- Submission to Australian Building Codes Board – Statement of support for accessible housing
- Assistive Technology for Older People (ATOP) Alliance communique – Equal access to assistive technology for older people with disability
2017
2016
2015
- Submission to Australian Government – National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) inequity in relation to our demographic due to the 65 year cut off.
- Submission to NDIA – ‘Towards Solutions for Assistive Technology’ – Discussion Paper
2013