More Victorians with disability will get the support they need, ensuring they have choice, control and support to speak up and assert their rights.

Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan today awarded more than $1.6 million for advocacy funding, to help Victorians with disability and their families continue to access timely and targeted advocacy support when they need it.

This investment includes $770,000 for an additional 25 per cent funding increase through to the end of June 2021 to 23 disability support agencies under the Victorian Disability Advocacy Program – ensuring people with disability continue to have a voice.

An additional $850,000 will be invested to provide flexible and responsive outreach support during the pandemic as we roll out the vaccine.

The expanded outreach program will continue to focus on people with disability from diverse and harder to reach communities who may be experiencing additional disadvantage as result of the pandemic including people with disability from culturally diverse communities.

The following advocacy organisations will deliver supports through the second round of funding for the outreach program, to support an inclusive approach to recovery from the COVID-19 health emergency:

• Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability
• Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria
• Women with Disabilities Victoria
• Drummond Street Services
• Gippsland Disability Advocacy, Grampians Disability Advocacy and the Rights, Information, Advocacy Centre
• Victorian Council of Social Services

As part of this, $150,000 is being invested to support Aboriginal people with disability to ensure they have a stronger voice in decision making. Funding will support the development of a state-wide network for Aboriginal people with disability, along with responsive outreach supports and advocacy services in regional communities across the state.

The investment builds on the $1.9 million COVID-19 funding package for Victorian disability advocacy agencies announced in May 2020.