The Council of Social Service of NSW (NCOSS) CEO Tracy Howe said advocacy bodies were crucial to achieving much needed progress around access to employment and more meaningful community participation for people with disability.

“For too long people with disability have experienced barriers to their full access and participation in the community,” says Howe.

“This month it was incredibly disappointing to see rates of employment for people with disability fall below the rate they were at 20 years ago.

“We can do better and a strong advocacy body, led by former disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes will be crucial to turn that trend around.”

Howe said she will be looking to all candidates to recognise the important role that independent advocacy, information and representation plays across a broad range of issues affecting people with disability.

“Independent advocacy, information and representation services in NSW give people with disability a voice in the broad range of decisions that affect them; they are independent from disability service providers and free of conflicts of interest. But funding for many of these organisations is uncertain,” says Howe.

“With the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme it is unclear where funding for these services would come from into the future.

“Funding for these services runs out 30 June 2016. Before the election, NCOSS urges all candidates to ensure the voices of people with disability continue to be heard, through a commitment to ongoing funding for these services.”