We are proud to represent our members on issues that matter most to them, providing support to individuals as well as lobbying for change on a local, state and national level.
Our mission is to enable solutions for our members to live an accessible, equitable and empowered life.
As a member of Spinal Life, you can help set our course by sharing your feedback and taking part in our advocacy campaigns. If you’re not yet a member, you can sign up here.
To read our 2018-2020 Advocacy Charter, click here.
If you would like to read more about our advocacy achievements, click here.
Our advocacy principles
As an advocate for people with spinal cord damage, we will:
- support our members to advocate on their own behalf when possible, and advocate with or for our members when appropriate.
- work to identify and remove barriers to participation in mainstream services and the general community.
- advocate to all levels of government, organisations providing disability-related products and services, and other organisations with interests in physical disability.
- understand our current and future members’ needs and priorities through regular engagement on issues of importance to them.
- communicate our advocacy initiatives with our members and stakeholders, to provide an opportunity for interested people to become involved.
- provide feedback to members on advocacy efforts and the outcome of initiatives.
Our key priorities
We have developed the following key priorities to guide our advocacy efforts, in response to feedback we received from our members and clients, as well as current issues impacting the wider disability community.
You can click on each heading to read more on the topic, and download a full position statement which contains further details.
Throughout the coming months, we will be focusing on:
Accessible accommodation
We will:
- Continue to advocate to the State Government to play its role legislatively to mandate for residential accommodation to meet Liveable Housing Design Guidelines (at a minimum silver level, but preferably gold standard
- Aim to influence hotel and accommodation peak industry bodies to better understand how to improve the accessibility of their properties and how to make their accessible properties more discoverable by people with disability
Click to read our Position Statement.
Accessible local communities
We will:
- Support the development of local volunteers (member network facilitators, and community connectors) to engage with their respective local government agencies in a professional, positive and pro-active manner.
- Develop models of engagement for use in multiple local government areas and distribute amongst members information relating to influencing local government.
Click to read our Position Statement.
Employment
We will:
- Work to increase the employment participation rates of people with newly acquired spinal cord damage through return to work programs.
- Advocate and influence Local and State Government agencies to include targets for employment of people with disabilities in their strategic workforce plans.
Click to read our Position Statement.
Access to aids, funding and equipment
We will:
- Advocate and work with the NDIS, NIISQ and the Spinal Injuries Unit to ensure that all home modifications and assistive technology requirements are approved and completed in time for a person’s earliest possible discharge from the Spinal Injury Unit to allow a seamless transition from hospital to home.
- Lobby the government to fund complex equipment through MASS to allow the full funding of equipment for individuals with complex equipment needs.
- Campaign for the government to fund the Aged Care system to allow individuals with approved Aged Care packages to immediately access the highest-level package for which they are approved, without delay.
Click to read our Position Statement.
Research
We will:
- Advocate to the Australian Government and private enterprise to encourage new research and continued promising research to be incentivised.
- Continue to apply for and partner with other organisations to apply for funding to enable the delivery of and/or participation in contemporary research opportunities for the benefit of our members and the wider community of people with spinal cord damage.
Click to read our Position Statement.
Transport
We will:
- Advocate for a nationally consistent Taxi Subsidy Scheme equivalent to the benefit provided under the Victorian scheme, up to $60 per trip, to continue indefinitely and in conjunction with the NDIS.
- Advocate for more inclusive and comprehensive airline travel policies for people with spinal cord damage and other physical disabilities.
- Collaborate with the taxi industry and ride-booking services to maintain or influence an increase in the availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles.
Click to read our Position Statement.
Health
We will:
- Advocate to the Queensland Government to continue improving Queensland’s primary Spinal Injuries Unit facility and related services.
- Continue to advocate for increased accessibility and inclusiveness of mainstream health services.
Click to read our Position Statement.
Stay up to date
We regularly share advocacy updates and opportunities to be involved in The Advocate magazine, as well as on Facebook and through our email newsletter.
If you have any questions, contact us.