The ‘Australian Cross Disability Alliance’ is now ‘Disabled People’s Organisations Australia’.
The ‘Australian Cross Disability Alliance’ has changed its name to ‘Disabled People’s Organisations Australia’, or DPO Australia, to better reflect its membership of representative organisations of people with disability.
DPO Australia is an alliance of peak disability organisations made up of and governed by people with disability. Its member organisations are People with Disability Australia (PWDA), First Peoples Disability Network (Australia), National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) and Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA).
Gayle Rankine, Chairperson of First Peoples Disability Network said, “In changing our name, we acted on feedback from our members, constituents and stakeholders that ‘cross disability alliance’ wasn’t well understood. As direct representatives of people with disability, led by people with disability, the name DPO Australia accurately reflects our role as self-determining organisations of people with disability”.
“The name Disabled People’s Organisations Australia makes it much clearer to people with disability who we are, and this makes our engagement and representation of people with disability stronger” Acting President of PWDA, Bonnie Millen said. “The term ‘DPO’ is also well understood in Australia and internationally within the disability rights movement”.
“DPO Australia will continue to provide high level advice, to represent the views of people with disability, engage extensively with our members and stakeholders and undertake a range of activities to progress the rights of people with disability”, said Suresh Rajan, NEDA President. “We look forward to continuing our productive working relationships with governments and the disability and human rights communities within Australia and internationally.”
Karin Swift, WWDA President stated, “The United Nations has recently affirmed the central role of representative organisations of people with disability, or Disabled People’s Organisations, in progressing our rights. DPO Australia is part of the disability rights movement that places people with disability at the centre of decision-making in all aspects of our lives. This is known internationally through the motto, “Nothing About Us, Without Us”.
DPO Australia has appointed an interim Director, Therese Sands, who is a well-respected disability advocate, and who has been seconded to DPO Australia from her role as Co-Chief Executive Officer of PWDA.
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Disabled People’s Organisations Australia is an alliance of four national Disabled People’s Organisations (organisations made up of and led by people with disability). The ACDA was founded by, and is made up of the First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN) representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) representing people with disability from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, People with Disability Australia (PWDA) a national cross disability organisation and Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), the national organisation representing women and girls with disability.
People with Disability Australia (PWDA)
First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN)
National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)