The DRC Still Matters 

The DRC Still Matters

The Disability Royal Commission showed us what needs to change. Now we need to make sure it happens.

During the Disability Royal Commission (DRC), thousands of people with disability shared their experiences of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation – exposing serious failures across systems, institutions and services that were meant to keep people safe.

As a result, the Commission made 222 recommendations, giving governments a clear roadmap for a safer, fairer, and more inclusive Australia for everyone.

But a roadmap doesn’t deliver change on its own.

Since the final report was released, progress has been slow and inconsistent. Many recommendations have not moved at all.

To better understand what has (and hasn’t) happened since the DRC ended in 2023, QIDAN initiated an independent analysis of the progress of each recommendation. Rather than just relying on what governments say they are doing, our independent review examines the real implementation and impact of the DRC recommendations in Queensland.

What we found is troubling. Only 3% of recommendations have been implemented in Queensland since the DRC ended.

We believe that our findings belong to the public, and we need your help to make this information accessible for everyone.

To learn more about our findings and recommendations, read our report here.

You can also learn more about what the DRC was here.

Without ongoing independent tracking, there is a real risk that the DRC will be quietly forgotten.

That’s why this work matters.

What we’re doing

We plan to build a public DRC Tracker – but we can’t do it alone.

We want the tracker to show people:

• What governments have committed to.
• What has been implemented.
• What is in progress.
• Where there has been little or no change.

Once built, the online tracker will be accessible, regularly updated, and free for everyone to use – including people with disability, families, advocates, journalists and communities.

We need your help to get there.

Ways to support

Get campaign updates

Sign up to our campaign mailing list.

You will be the first to know about any updates on the DRC Still Matters campaign and we will keep you informed as the DRC Tracker is developed.

Why your support matters

Accountability doesn’t happen on its own.

It takes time, expertise and sustained effort to analyse government responses, independently assess progress on each recommendation, and publish clear, accessible updates that communities can use.

Your support makes it possible to:

• Analyse complex government actions and reports from the Queensland and Federal Governments.
• Maintain an independent, public DRC Tracker.
• Publish regular, accessible progress updates.
• Keep disability-led accountability work visible over time.
• Hold governments accountable.

We’re raising $100,000 to support this work.

All donations support the work as a whole, ensuring the tracker will remain public, independent and accessible.

Who are we?

The DRC Still Matters campaign is a project by the Queensland Independent Disability Advocacy Network (QIDAN).

Our advocates are on the front lines where we support people with disability to address the barriers that impact their lives the most. So we know just how much the DRC recommendations would transform the lives of the people we support if they were fully implemented.

We also witnessed first hand the many people in the disability community who gave evidence to the DRC at great personal risk of experiencing further trauma.

It is this experience and knowledge that drives us and makes us so determined to make sure those stories were not shared publicly for nothing.

As Coordinator of the Network, Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI) is overseeing the DRC Still Matters campaign, and coordinating fundraising activities that will support the development of the tracker and its ongoing delivery on behalf of QIDAN.

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