Back
26 Jul

Brain injury remains invisible to federal governments

In 2022-2023 the Federal Government doubled the Disability Representative Organisations grants (DRO) from $2.6 million to $5.2 million annually – an incredible policy change that will see so many lives in the disability sector improved – however, the government failed to recognise and fund brain injury organisations in this new grant scheme, a fundamentally flawed outcome that leaves some of society’s most vulnerable, and well over 400,000 Australian’s underrepresented at an organisational level. 

We know from the government’s own figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that they estimate that 1 in 45 Australians live with a brain injury. And we also know this number sharply increases for those in our prison population. Corrections Victoria estimates 42% of their male inmate population presented with a brain injury.   

This situation highlights the difficulties that those with brain injury struggle with, the organisations that advocate policy and societal change aren’t even recognised and are in fact overlooked at the highest levels when it comes to grant opportunities – so how does government and society view those with a brain injury? 

We acknowledge that the government has doubled its financial commitment to the disability advocacy sector – which is a commendable policy outcome for the sector. The government is clearly committed to furthering financial investment into the disability advocacy sector but, we need to see them recognise and fund brain injury organisations that are the only professional and structured voice for those that live with a brain injury in Australia. We can’t leave behind half a million Australian’s. 

 

Sources: 

  • Australian Insitute of Health and Welfare. (Accessed July 2024) Disability in Australia: acquired brain injury