It has been three years since the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) handed down its recommendations, yet experts say only 3 - 7% of reform recommendations have been implemented. The evidence for reform remains strong. For example, the employment rate for people with disability sits 26 percentage points below the employment rate of non-disabled people.
The DRC ran 2019 – 2023 and made comprehensive recommendations across a wide range of areas such as education, employment, housing, health and justice. While there have been some moves towards reforms, including law reforms, the vast majority of recommendations remain unimplemented.
Professor Alastair McEwin AM was one of the six Commissioners who led the DRC and says extensive consultation was completed as part of the DRC but now the recommendations need to be implemented.
“Thousands of Australians with a disability shared their experiences with the DRC. The focus now should be on ensuring that these contributions lead to meaningful and lasting change rather than becoming another report on the shelf,” he said. “Change only comes when people continually push for it. So, I am calling on all levels of government and institutions to champion that change.”
Prof McEwin is Professor of Practice in Disability, UNSW, working with the Pro Vice-Chancellor Inclusion and the Director, Disability Innovation Institute. Based on his experience as Commissioner, he brings his expertise to influencing and developing policies and practices for greater societal inclusion of disabled people.
The Commonwealth Attorney General has reviewed the DRC recommendations on reforming the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and draft legislation is now being considered. However, many other areas are far from reform. The 56% employment rate of disabled people has hardly changed in decades compared to the 82% employment rate for non-disabled people in employment.
Only around 34% of Australians with disability have completed Year 12 or equivalent, compared with around 66% of Australians without disability.
Prof McEwin said the recommendations focused on a wide range of public policy areas and yet public debate has tended to focus on NDIS.
“Inclusion extends well beyond the individualised disability funding approach that the NDIS provides,” he said. “Equal access to education, employment, transport, housing, health care and community participation all contribute to an inclusive society.”
Prof McEwin will be hosting a variety of events at UNSW’s Diversity Festival this month, including a panel discussion called, Do Disabled People Really Belong In Our Community? Joining him will be Megan Spindler-Smith, Acting CEO of People with Disability Australia (PWDA), and Emma Bennison CEO of Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA). They will tackle the implications of changes to the NDIS and the 2026 Federal Budget, including what they may mean for inclusion and belonging in the community for people with a disability.
UNSW’s annual Diversity Festival Diversity Festival returns 21–25 September with an unmissable week of free events and performances celebrating diversity and sparking bold conversations about equity, inclusion and belonging. See the full program at Diversity Festival 2026 | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - UNSW Sydney
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