Today marks Wear it Purple Day, a national day of celebration to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for rainbow young people.
The NDIA is committed to ensuring that people with disability from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual, sistergirl and brotherboy (LGBTIQASB+) communities have an equal and equitable chance to benefit from the NDIS.
We are currently in the process of updating the NDIA LGBTIQASB+ Strategy.
To kick off this work, we met with a number of participants, carers, family members, and representative organisations at the LGBTIQASB+ Summit held at the Victorian Pride Centre in July.
The Summit was an opportunity for people with disability from LGBTIQASB+ communities to come together from across Australia to help shape the priorities for the updated LGBTIQASB+ Strategy.
Key topics discussed were how the NDIA can better support LGBTIQASB+ families, including chosen family, and LGBTIQASB+ participants in rural and remote communities.
Daniel McDonald, a First Nations LGBTIQASB+ man with a disability (hearing impaired) and a Visual Artist for over fifteen years was one of the Summit facilitators.
Daniel said, "I'm really hoping that the NDIA can improve their skills and knowledge about our community…. The best thing about moving ahead from 2024 are all the improvements that are going to come."
One of the first changes we are making, based on feedback from First Nations community members, is to highlight the experiences of Sistergirls and Brotherboys. These are First Nations transgender women and men.
You may have noticed the extra 'SB' at the end of LGBTIQASB+-this change ensures these important identities are recognised in the NDIA.
Many of the ideas about how to make the NDIS stronger have come from the disability community.
We are grateful to everyone who gave feedback at the Summit, completed a survey or was part of our advisory group.
Co-design, consultation and engagement will be ongoing as we update the LGBTIQASB+ Strategy.
Your feedback helps us make the NDIS better for everyone.
Keep an eye out on socials to hear from our summit facilitators about the day.
