History

A group of parents acted as advisors for the State Government in starting new and different disability services and to establish the Intellectually Disabled Persons’ Services Act, 1986. Funds were provided by both the South Australian and Federal Governments to start Parent Advocacy (known as Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion since 2015 to represent its current role) and it was incorporated in 1986.

Before that time, many parents accepted that “professionals” knew more about their children’s special needs. These parents soon realized that they were “the experts” in knowing what their child needed.  Or at least, that they should have the opportunity to be involved in the decisions being made by others about their son or daughter's needs.

In 2006 Parent Advocacy changed its name to Family Advocacy Incorporated (FAI) and to Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion in 2015. Families have changed over the past twenty years; they were traditionally made up of two parents and their children but now there are many single parents, siblings, grandparents and other family members caring for people living with disability.

Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion has helped many families to be involved in decision making and to work with disability services so that families of a person living with disability can get better opportunities for their family members living with disability.

Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion remains a small advocacy agency with a central office at 183 Archer Street, North Adelaide.

Today, Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion Inc. is funded by the Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide independent advocacy to a person living with disability and or the family that supports them.