What is the N D I A L G B T I Q A + Strategy?
This page explains the N D I A L G B T I Q A + Strategy, how it was made, and what it plans to do to support L G B T I Q A + people with disability.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (N D I A) is the group of people that runs the National Disability Insurance Scheme (N D I S). The NDIA now has an L G B T I Q A + Strategy.
This is the first time the N D I A has had an L G B T I Q A + strategy.
A strategy is a plan for getting things done. They are often used to plan for how important changes will get done.
The strategy is called ‘Our Bodies, Our Genders and Our Relationships’.
This strategy is to help the N D I A make L G B T I Q A + people feel safe and comfortable when talking to the N D I A.
The strategy says that the N D I A wants to make sure that ALL people are:
- Treated well and equally.
- Accepted and not judged for who they are.
- Able to make choices about their body and how to talk about their body.
- Respected for the choices they make and their relationships.
Can I tell the N D I A what I think of the strategy? YES!
- You can call the N D I A on 1800 800 110.
- You can write to the N D I A by mail or you can send an email to this email address: enquiries@ndis.gov.au.
- You can ask someone you trust to help you contact the N D I A.
How do I find the N D I A L G B T I Q A + Strategy?
You can read the N D I A L G B T I Q A + Strategy on the NDIS website.
What is in the N D I A L G B T I Q A + Strategy?
The strategy lists a lot of different things that the N D I A has already done. It also lists what it wants to do in the future.
What the N D I A has done in the past
The N D I A has done a few things to make the N D I S better for L G B T I Q A + people with disability. These are:
- Training N D I A Staff on how to include L G B T I Q A + people better.
- Talking more with L G B T I Q A + people and organisations.
- Giving organisations money to do projects, like making documents and videos with L G B T I Q A + people with disability.
- Going to important events and festivals (like Mardis Gras or other Pride parades).
- Starting an L G B T I Q A + Allies group for N D I A staff to share their stories.
What the N D I A is going to do
The N D I A wants to get better at working with L G B T I Q A + people with disability. The strategy talks about what the N D I A wants to do.
The N D I A wants to:
- Make sure that everyone who works for the N D I A respects LGBTIQA+ people with disability.
- Make sure you know that you only have to tell a person what you want to about your sexual orientation, your gender identity, your body, and your sex characteristics.
- Get better at working with the LGBTIQA+ community, and organisations.
- Make sure that L G B T I Q A + people feel comfortable talking to N D I A staff about sexuality, gender, and sex characteristics.
- Make sure that L G B T I Q A + people with disability feel safe and comfortable to tell the N D I A how they feel about the N D I S.
- Make sure that the N D I A gets a correct idea of how many L G B T I Q A + people with disability are in Australia, and how many use the N D I S.
How was the L G B T I Q A + Strategy made?
The NDIA wrote the strategy with L G B T I Q A + people. It is to make sure you are treated with respect when you are talking with the N D I A.
It is good to read the strategy because it will tell you what the N D I A plans to do to make you feel safe when working with the N D I A.
What can people do if someone in the N D I A is not following the strategy?
Sometimes L G B T I Q A + people with disability may not feel safe because of the way an N D I A staff member treats them. You can ask to speak to the staff member’s manager. You can talk to the manager about what happened.
If you are not happy after you talk to a manager, you can use the N D I A feedback and complaints web page. You can ask someone to help you.
Will staff be trained to be friendly to L G B T I Q A + people?
The N D I A L G B T I Q A + Strategy includes training for staff. It also includes new rules to make sure N D I A staff think carefully about the needs of L G B T I Q A + people.
What can people do if the N D I A is not following the strategy?
If you have a bad experience with the N D I A, you can use the N D I A feedback and complaints web page. You can ask someone to help you.
If you feel that the N D I A does not listen to your feedback, you can contact an advocacy organisation for help.
You can find an advocacy organisation here.
An advocate can help you work out what to do next. They might help you speak to the government, or they might help you talk more with the N D I A.
You can also talk to other L G B T I Q A + people at QLife. Go to qlife.org.au or call 1800 184 527 for more information.
Tap the button below to download the “What is the NDIA LGBTIQA+ Strategy” brochure”
Tap the button below to see other things you can download
Tap the button below to see a word list that explains the words underlined and bold