Australia Not Yet an Inclusive Society

Compared with the average Australian, people with disability are over four times more likely to experience reduced social and economic participation, according to research organisation, the Summer Foundation.

The Summer Foundation has worked with research collaborators, and international expert, Professor Barry Willer, to develop a tool to measure levels of participation in home, social and productive pursuits (work, study and volunteerism) as well as social inclusion, including the use of electronic social networking for social participation.

“Our group also gathered large-scale normative data with Australian adults of working age, making it possible to compare outcomes of people with disability to the average Australian,” the Foundation said.

“The launch of the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised during Social Inclusion Week highlights the significant work needed to ensure that people with disability are able to build lives enriched by social and economic participation and feel part of an inclusive society,”

Research Manager with the Summer Foundation, Libby Callaway said.

“The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) aims to impact the social and economic participation of people with significant and permanent disability, but to date measuring this has been a challenge.

“The NDIS is a substantial step towards addressing the significant disadvantage experienced by people with disability in Australia. However, to achieve an inclusive Australian society, all levels of Government, business, non-government organisations and the wider community have an important role to play.”

The Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised, and normative data booklet, can be downloaded from the Summer Foundation website, and used without charge.

The Summer Foundation is one of  Australia’s leading organisations on research regarding young people in nursing homes.