First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) is the national voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. Our Policy & Research team turns community knowledge into practical reforms, shaping laws, programs and budgets so First Nations people with disability can live with safety, dignity and self-determination.
We champion the rights of First Nations people with disability. Our policy and research work is led by mob with lived experience and grounded in culture, Country and community.
Maree Kalkeeyorta, photo by Belinda Mason OAM ©
What we do:
- Policy leadership: submissions, inquiries, Cabinet briefings and Budget asks grounded in community-controlled evidence.
- Systems reform: co-design of culturally safe supports (NDIS and non-NDIS), justice, health, housing, education and safeguarding.
- Research & data: community-led studies, yarning methodology, and outcomes tracking.
- Accountability: monitoring government delivery under the NDIS Review, Disability Royal Commission (DRC) and Australia’s Disability Strategy.
- Partnerships: working across governments and the community-controlled sector to embed culture, Country and kin into service design.
Image story: Children with disabilities have the same right to education and opportunities as other children; they have the right to play and be a part of the yarning circle; they have the right to be protected and kept safe; and they have the right to be listened to and have a say in their lives. Artwork by Uncle Paul Calcott ©
Current priorities
Delivering the First Nations Disability Forum (DRC Rec 9.10)
All governments accepted in principle DRC Recommendation 9.10 and began consulting on options for a First Nations Disability Forum, a shared decision-making mechanism to embed our voices in national disability policy. FPDN is advocating for a properly resourced, independent, First Nations-led Forum with clear powers, participation pathways from local to national level, and guaranteed engagement by ministers and agencies. Engage DSS First Nations Forum Consultation.
What we want:
- Standing membership representing diverse Nations, disability experiences and regions (including remote).
- Formal links to Disability Reform Ministers and the Closing the Gap structures.
- Dedicated secretariat funding and transparent public reporting.
Foundational Supports that reach community
Foundational supports are being designed by governments to provide disability support for all people with disability, including those outside the NDIS. Government timelines previously indicated a phased start from mid 2025, with design and consultation work continuing. With the launch of Foundational Supports now delayed, FPDN is focused on culturally safe, place-based supports delivered through and with community-controlled organisations, so people aren’t left without help when they don’t qualify for, or exit, the NDIS.
What we want:
- Dedicated consideration, planning and funding for First Nations people and communities
- Navigators on Country, information and peer support embedded in ACCOs and First Nations disability orgs.
- Early childhood and school inclusion supports that recognise cultural obligations and language.
- Secure, long-term funding and workforce development in regional and remote communities.
NDIS reforms – rights, rules and implementation
Parliament passed the NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act 2024, in force from 3 October 2024. The changes set up new rules and settings that will shape eligibility, supports and planning. FPDN is scrutinising the rules and implementation to ensure reforms uphold the UNCRPD, UNDRIP, and work for First Nations families, not against them.
What we want:
- Culturally safe assessments and planning tools.
- No adverse impacts from new rules until foundational supports are actually in place.
- Data transparency on outcomes for First Nations participants.
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Review
An official Issues Paper for the DDA review is now live. The DRC found the DDA is not fit-for-purpose; this is the moment to fix coverage gaps, strengthen positive duties, and make the law work for First Nations people with disability facing intersectional discrimination. FPDN is leading evidence to centre culture, kinship and connection to Country in anti-discrimination protections.
Responding to the Disability Royal Commission
Government has announced an initial response package focusing on safeguarding, human rights and inclusion. FPDN is tracking delivery and pushing for the First Nations recommendations, including Rec 9.10, to be implemented with proper funding, governance and accountability.
How our policy work creates impact
- Community-controlled evidence → We run research and engage with Elders, families and mob to set priorities.
- Clear reform roadmaps → We translate community guidance into specific legislative, budget and program changes.
- Relentless follow-through → We monitor progress against the DRC, NDIS Review, and Australia’s Disability Strategy outcomes and report what’s working, and what isn’t.
Our policy focus areas
NDIS and foundational supports
Access, planning, pricing, workforce, and culturally safe service models.
Safeguarding and human rights
Stronger prevention, reporting and oversight across mainstream and community settings.
Health, mental health and AOD
Integrated, culturally anchored care and transport/access on Country.
Justice and child protection
Ending over-representation, raising the age, disability-aware diversion and supports.
Education and early childhood
Inclusion, reasonable adjustments/accomodation, language and culture in classrooms and ECE.
Housing and infrastructure
Accessible, climate-resilient homes and community facilities designed with Country.
Data & accountability
Better data on First Nations disability outcomes across the Closing the Gap framework.
Link to Policy Submissions Library
View our Policy Submissions Library
Closing the Gap
Priority Reforms Agreement
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap has been built around four Priority Reforms that have been directly informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These reforms are central to the National Agreement and will change the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031
Outlines a vision for a more inclusive and accessible Australian society where all people with disability can fulfil their potential as equal members of the community.
Disability Representative Organisations
The Disability Representative Organisations program provides the opportunity for people with disability, and their representative organisations, to have their views communicated to the Australian Government.
FPDN is active across the First Nations policy sector as well as the mainstream disability sector. We are a member of the Coalition of Peaks and a partner to all Australian governments on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. We are also the First Nations Disability Representative Organisation, actively representing the voices of First Nations peoples across Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and related governance structures.
Additionally, FPDN consistently advocates for the rights of Indigenous peoples with disability globally and promotes the need for an intersectional approach. We have participated in the UN Conference of States Parties to the CRPD when possible, and in 2025 attended the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva.
FPDN also partners with academic institutions to support important research that helps fill the significant data gap relating to First Nations people with disability. Dr Scott Avery from Girra Maa Indigenous Health, School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, is a proud and longstanding community research partner of FPDN.
