A Disability Budget Impact Statement: Making Government Accountable

By:
Prof. Margaret Reynolds
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This paper will outline the rationale and process for developing annual disability budget statements,which analyse how government distributes its resources to reflect announced policy commitments. This project has involved elected representatives and the bureaucracy working together with the disability sector to create a "whole of government" approach to disability policy planning. In Tasmania 22% of the population are living with a disability and this is increasing as the population ages. Yet the voices of this considerable number of citizens are not usually heard. We wanted to utilise the insights and expertise of people living with disability to inform policy makers and create productive partnerships. It was also important to ensure that the government provided practical outcomes which reflected its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People and Australian anti discrimination legislation.


Keywords: Disability Policy, Government Accountability, Anti Discrimination Legislation, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People
Stream: Disability, Health
Presentation Type: Plenary Presentation in English
Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Prof. Margaret Reynolds

Executive Officer and Visiting Professor, National Disability Services
Department of Political Science, University Of Queensland
Hobart / Brisbane, Tasmania/Queensland, AUSTRALIA

Margaret Reynolds has a long career in special education and has worked to develop equal opportunity policy and eliminate discrimination. She was elected to the Australian Parliament in 1983 and served as a senator and minister for sixteen years. In recent years she has lectured in Human Rights and International Relations and has represented Australia at a number of United Nations Conferences.
She is currently responsible for the Tasmanian Division of National Disability Services. She has published a range of articles and monographs and is a regular guest speaker at national conferences.

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