Rights & Inclusion Australia (R&IA) is a national Disability Representative Organisation (DRO) promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disability.
R&IA has always been a small organisation playing a big role in the international field of disability rights, beginning with our involvement in the development of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), through our affiliation until 2019 with the Rehabilitation International network, to our acceptance in 2020 into the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF).
R&IA’s ongoing work in Australia is increasing our significance as a national agent in the disability housing and support space in Australia, with a secretariat and three staff with expertise in the sector. This includes through project work undertaken with funding assistance by the ACT and Australian Governments.
Since 2020, we have also undertaken contract work in the Pacific region, working with the Pacific Disability Forum to develop built environment guidelines and standards across all 20 nations. This work continues and helps to identify R&IA as a significant contributor to accessibility internationally as well as here in Australia.
Vision
All people with disability have equal rights and opportunities in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Mission
R&IA provides advocacy and leadership to ensure the rights of people with disability are advanced through appropriate policies and funding, including accessible design responses to housing and the built environment.
R&IA Constitution
Rights & Inclusion Australia is part of the RI Asia-Pacific network - and uniquely provides opportunities for all stakeholders to work together to advance the rights and inclusion of people with disability.
Rights & Inclusion Australia’s focus is the Asia-Pacific region, and Australia’s rural and remote Australian communities – through programs relating to information exchange, capacity building and effective transition from education to employment and social inclusion. Our objectives and activities include to:
- Organise, co-ordinate, sanction and promote initiatives that protect and advance the rights, inclusion, rehabilitation, and crucial services for people with disability and their families
- Organise and promote international collaboration, policies and legislation that recognise the rights of people with disability and their families, based on effective implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Coordinate and liaise with organisations sharing a common purpose with Rights & Inclusion Australia to pursue these rights and inclusion objectives