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Glossary: Words and abbreviations used in this plan

We define key terms below and acknowledge that people have different definitions. Language has changed and continues to evolve.

Ableism: Describes discrimination based on a person’s disability.

Aboriginal self-determination: The ability for Aboriginal people to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development. It also describes self-determination as a right that relates to groups of people, not only individuals.

Accessibility: The extent to which people with disability can access something like an office, worksite or public area.

Australia’s disability strategy: A 10-year national plan for inclusion, providing an overarching approach for government to meet obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Co-design: The process of involving people with disability in designing, delivering and evaluating a policy, program or service.

Changing Places: Public toilets with full-sized change tables and hoists in major public spaces that meet the needs of people with disability.

Commonwealth: The Commonwealth Government of Australia.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Ratified in Australia in 2008, the United Nations Convention sets out obligations for equality and non-discrimination, accessibility and the right to live independently and be included in the community.

Data: Facts or information about a topic or group of people.

Disability Act: The Disability Act 2006 (Vic) provides a whole-of-government and community response to the rights and needs of people with disability including a requirement to have four-year state disability plans.

Disability action plans: An important way that state government departments and local governments ensure they are delivering inclusive and accessible services.

LGBTIQ+: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer.

National Agreement on Closing the Gap: Enables Aboriginal people and governments to work together to overcome the inequality experienced by Aboriginal people and achieve life outcomes equal to all Australians.

NDIA: The National Disability Insurance Agency, which is the government agency responsible for the NDIS.

NDIS: Jointly funded by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, the National Disability Insurance Scheme provides access to disability supports for eligible people with disability.

Outcomes framework: A tool used to work out if actions are making a difference in people’s lives. We will use the outcomes framework to work out if the plan is making improvements to the lives of people with disability.

Person-first language: Person-first language puts the person before their disability – for example, ‘person with disability’. Person-first language is used to emphasise a person’s right to an identity beyond their disability.

Priority area: An area of the plan where we will be taking action to make improvements – for example, transport and education.

Representation: Making sure all people get an equal chance to be included or have their say.

Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability: Seeks to understand the experiences of people with disability and recommend important safeguards. The commission is due to conclude in September 2023.

Safeguards: Actions taken to prevent abuse and neglect.

SDA: Specialist Disability Accommodation under the NDIS.

Systemic reform: These are new areas of focus that will help the Victorian Government work differently to deliver inclusion and access and uphold rights. There are six areas:

  • co-design with people with disability
  • Aboriginal self-determination
  • intersectional approaches
  • accessible communications and universal design
  • disability-confident and inclusive workforces
  • effective data and outcomes reporting.

TAFE: Technical and Further Education institutions (TAFEs) provide training in technical and vocational subjects and are part of the Australian higher education and training system.

Underserviced groups: Groups of people who, because of systemic discrimination or disadvantage, often miss out on important services or having their voices heard.

Universal design: Making spaces, policies and programs that are inclusive, accessible and can be used independently by all people.

Victorian Aboriginal affairs framework 2018– 2023: The Victorian Government’s overarching framework for working with Aboriginal Victorians, organisations and the wider community to drive action and improve outcomes.

Victorian Disability Advisory Council: A group of people with lived experience of disability who provide advice to the Minister for Disability about how to make Victoria more inclusive and accessible.

Vision: In this plan the vision represents what we hope will happen if the actions do what they are meant to do.

Wellbeing: Wellbeing includes physical, mental and social health. Wellbeing can be described as how you feel about yourself and your life.

Whole-of-government: Term used to refer to activities or projects that every department of the Victorian Government will be part of.

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