Policy Reference Group

The Policy Reference Group (PRG) is a group of people with an intellectual disability from around Australia.

The people in the group:

• Have experience speaking up for the rights of people with disability
• Come from different backgrounds and communities
• Include First Nations people
• Include people from multicultural communities
• Include LGBTIQA+ people. 

The people in the group also:

• Have many years of experience in advocacy
• Know about government services
• Have been involved in changes to government policies and services
• Share their knowledge to help improve the lives of people with disability.

The Policy Reference Group (PRG) works to make things better for people with an intellectual disability.

The PRG works on systemic advocacy. Systemic advocacy is working together to change laws, policies, and systems.

The PRG:

• Shares ideas and opinions about important issues
• Gives advice about changes to laws and rules
• Helps Inclusion Australia understand what people with an intellectual disability want and need
• Helps Inclusion Australia give advice to the government.

The PRG uses the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to guide its work.

This helps the group: 
 

• Understand problems that people face 
• Think about different solutions 
• Find what works best for people with an intellectual disability. 

The group has 12 members.

Members are people with an intellectual disability.

Members come from different states and territories across Australia. 

Members are nominated by Inclusion Australia member organisations.

Inclusion Australia Policy Officers help lead the group.  

The Policy and Advocacy Manager also helps lead the group

The Policy Reference Group (PRG) takes part in consultations.

Consultations are:

• Opportunities to share ideas and experiences
• A way to tell governments and organisations what people think
• A way to help make decisions about important issues. 

The PRG helps Inclusion Australia prepare submissions. 

Submissions are documents that:

• Share opinions and recommendations
• Explain what people with disability want and need
• Help governments make decisions. 

The PRG has helped with submissions about:

• The Disability Discrimination Act Review
• The future of Supported Employment
• Disability Safeguards. 

The views and experiences of people with an intellectual disability are at the centre of everything Inclusion Australia does.

This means: 

• People with an intellectual disability have a voice
• Their experiences help guide decisions
• Their ideas help create positive change.