Our background

The Queensland disability advocacy sector has a long and proud history of working together to achieve positive change for people with disability.

1940 – 1950

1945: Commonwealth Rehabilitation (CRS) was established, and volunteer organisations extended their service for people with disability.

1960 – 1970

1968: First Special Olympics
1970: Australians living with disability were able to connect with their local communities for the first time. Evident with their involvement in their own treatment and / or their own movement.

1980 –1990

1980: PWDA established
1981: UN declared this as International Year of Disabled Persons
1982: TASC established
1986: Disability Services Act 1986 (Cth) - introduction of formal recognition of disability advocacy, advocacy standards and advocacy accreditation.
1967: SUFY established
1987: QAI established

1990 – 2000

1991: ADAA established
1992: UN nominated 3 December to be International Day of Disability
1992: Disability Discrimination Act
1992: the Combined Advocacy Groups of Queensland (CAGQ) was created and advocated for the needs of advocacy organisations and people with disability alike.
1995: Women with Disability Australia – incorporated as an independent organisation run by women with disability for women with disability
1995-96: Deinstitutionalisation Chalinor Centre
1997: Mackay Advocacy Inc commenced
1999: First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) was created
1999: Capricorn Citizen Advocacy (Rockhampton) commenced.

2000 – 2010

2001: Rights in Action established
2001: Amparo Advocacy established
2007: Australia signed UN’s Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability and Optional Protocol

2010 – 2020

2013: NDIS was introduced
2017: NDIS commenced in Qld
2019: Disability Royal Commission established
2020: NDIS transition to full scheme across Australia; Human Rights Act commenced in Qld.

2020 – 2030

2021: Protest rallies outside QLD Parliament House and MPs office to extend its funding for disability advocacy
2022: the Queensland Independent Disability Advocacy Network (QIDAN) was established.
2022: Pathways established
2023: Mob4Mob established; DRC Report published (Sept/2023); and NDIS 10 year review report published (Oct/2023)