There is currently no comprehensive strategy or mechanism in Australia that captures the incidence, prevalence, extent, nature, causes and impact of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect against people with disability. There is currently no national process to collectively report on available data of the experiences of people with disability in Australia in a person-centred way, understand data quality issues, or to identify and fill data gaps.
There is some data available on the incidence and prevalence of violence against women with disability, most notably in relation to family, domestic and sexual violence. However, there are serious methodological restrictions in the main survey instruments used in Australia to capture data on violence against women. In its 2018 publication on ‘Family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia’, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare specifically identified the lack of data on family, domestic and sexual violence in relation to particular cohorts of at-risk population groups, including people with disability.
To read the full report compiled by Carolyn Frohmader, for and on behalf of Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPO Australia), please click on the link below.