The National Advocacy Collective (NAC) supports the rights of parents with an intellectual disability.
The NAC was started by a small group of allies and supporters of parents with an intellectual disability in 2022. Today, we are a strong group of people from across Australia who work together to support the rights of parents with an intellectual disability.
Our members include parents with an intellectual disability who are experienced self-advocates working tirelessly to uphold the rights of all parents with an intellectual disability. Inclusion Australia provides secretariat support to the NAC.
Our goal is to make sure the human rights of parents with an intellectual disability in Australia are upheld, and that they have the support they need to be the parents they want to be. We want governments to change systems so that they are fair and give parents the support they need.
We believe that:
- Everyone has the right to parent their children
- People with an intellectual disability should be able to have and raise their children with the support they need
- The rights of people with an intellectual disability to parent should be accepted as part of life, like they are for everyone else
- Wherever possible, families should be kept together, and have the support to do this safely.
You can read our NAC submissions here.
National Advocacy Collective – Supporting the rights of parents with intellectual disability
National
- First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN)
- Inclusion Australia
- Life Without Barriers
- Parenting Research Centre
- Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- ACT Disability and Aged Care Services (ADACAS)
- ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability
New South Wales (NSW)
- Family Inclusion Strategies in the Hunter (FISH)
- Family Inclusion Network, Southeast Queensland
- Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS)
- Dr Susan Collings, Western Sydney University
- Dr Margaret Spencer, University of Sydney
- Prof Iva Strnadová, University of NSW
Northern Territory (NT)
- Inclusion Northern Territory
Queensland (QLD)
- Community Living Association
- Family Inclusion Network (FIN) Southeast Queensland
- Queensland Independent Disability Advocacy Network (QIDAN)
- Moreton Bay Ability
- Parent2Parent
- Queensland Disability Network (QDN)
- Dr Kathy Ellem, University of Queensland
- Linda McKey, Family Support Services
South Australia
- South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability (SACID)
Tasmania
- Speak Out Advocacy
Victoria
- Independent Family Advocacy and Support (IFAS), Victoria Legal Aid
- MacKillop Family Services
- Positive Powerful Parents (PPP)
- Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID)
- STAR Victoria
- Dr Kate Fitt, RMIT
Western Australia
- Developmental Disability WA (DDWA)
- Prof Melissa O’Donnell, Australian Centre for Child Protection