{
  "id": 11993180,
  "title": "The disability royal commission laid bare violence, abuse and neglect. Three years on, what’s changed?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/the-disability-royal-commission-laid-bare-violence-abuse-and-neglect",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T19:06:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation AU",
    "slug": "the-conversation-au",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/the-disability-royal-commission-laid-bare-violence-abuse-and-neglect-three-years-on-whats-changed-293203"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Three years ago, the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability tabled its final report, a massive 12-volume document containing 222 recommendations. Recently, over 20 disability advocacy groups released Australia's first independent progress report to assess how those recommendations have been implemented. Unfortunately, none of the ten recommendations examined have been fully implemented, with four showing no real action and one going backwards.\n\nEstablished in April 2019, the royal commission was the longest-running and most expensive in Australia's history, costing nearly A$600 million. It was also the most accessible, with multiple options for people to share their experiences and receive support during the inquiry. More than 1,500 personal narratives were published, offering a powerful glimpse into the lives of people with disabilities and the challenges they face.\n\nThe commission's recommendations are broad, calling for a new disability rights act, a dedicated disability department and minister, and an independent national commission to report annually to parliament. The government has largely accepted 172 of the recommendations, with only a few genuinely implemented. The Commonwealth government has accepted 13 recommendations in full and 117 in principle, while 36 are still under further consideration and six have not been noted.\n\nDespite some progress, such as a new disability employment program and funding for individual advocacy, the government has not met its promise of six-monthly public progress reports. The taskforce overseeing implementation has been disbanded, and an independent analysis found that only 3% of recommendations were genuinely implemented, with no updates on more than half.\n\nDisability ministers are responsible for implementation, so they should be transparent in their reporting and accountable to the public. The Commonwealth still needs to provide answers on the disability rights act and the National Disability Commission, while state and territory governments must be open about any changes to their commitments. As the royal commission's legacy continues, it remains crucial to measure the progress made and identify areas for improvement.",
  "summary": "People with disability shared their harrowing experiences with the royal commission. But not everyone’s happy with the pace of change since.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}