Sociology Report: Critical Analysis of Disability Strategy Policy

This sociology report provides a critical discourse analysis of the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020 in Australia, examining its policy overview, legal context, and impact on service users and social work practices. The report utilizes Carol Bacchi's framework to analyze the policy's assumptions, particularly regarding gender equality and the rights of women and girls with disabilities. It explores the ethical considerations for social workers, including the application of social justice principles and the code of ethics, and identifies areas where the policy falls short, such as the silencing of gender equality concerns. The report concludes with recommendations for policy change, emphasizing the need to address oppressive elements and promote the human rights of all individuals with disabilities. The analysis includes an overview of related policies like the NDIS Act and the Disability Discrimination Act, and discusses the financial allocations made by the Australian government to the National Disability Strategy. The report also highlights the policy's stage in the cycle and its evaluation process, which aimed to conclude by the end of 2020, providing a comprehensive understanding of the strategy's strengths and weaknesses.

RUNNING HEAD: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
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Author Note

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Policy Landscape
The main purpose of this assignment is to conduct a policy overview and analysis. The
selected social policy for overview is “ National Disability Strategy 2010- 2020”. This strategy
has been developed over the significant work that is undertaken by the government of the nation.
The governmental departments involved in the development and the administration is the
commonwealth, state as well as the territory government in their partnership under the council of
Australian government (Commonwealth of Australia. 2011). This policy was ratified at 2008
right after the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by The Hon.
Julia Gillard MP, prime minister of Australia, Councillor Genia mcCaffery, President Australian
local Government Association and all the premier of the Australian states.
The development of the disability strategy has been the first time in the history of
Australia towards the commitment of a unified and a national approach for the improvement of
people’s life with disability. Hence, this is significant for the country of Australia. Apart from “
National Disability Strategy 2010- 2020” , some of the other policies, practices and standards in
Australia in relation to Australia includes “ The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act
2013”, “Disability Discrimination Act” and “National Disability Standards”.
The welfare and social security in the country accounts for about 35 percent of the total
expenses of government of Australia. According to the federal budget of 2019, the government
allocated $527 million for the national disability strategy policy, involving the factors of neglect,
violence as well as exploitation against people having disability (Charitakis, 2013). From the
social democracy perspective is essential, it is very much essential since it provides a broader
role towards helping people with disability. The cost of the amount of money towards the
national disability strategy for the government of Australia are on a rise at a substantial basis

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over the upcoming four years. This will progressively rise from $4.2 billion in 2016–17 to
$21.5 billion in the year 2019–20 (Althaus, Bridgman & Davis, 2007).
A policy cycle is a policy guide or heuristic; it 'conveys a structure and a pattern to a
environment that may otherwise look chaotical and unordered. According to Althaus, Bridgeman
and Davis, there are seven major steps of the policy cycle. These are the
 Issue identification
 Analysis of policy
 Identification of the policy instruments
 Consultation for testing the strength of analysis
 Decision
 Implementation
 Evaluation
“ National Disability Strategy 2010- 2020” which is the discussion of the topic is at the final
stage in the policy cycle. The policy is at the evaluation stage since it will be ending at the end of
2020. This health policy refers to the population of individual with disability residing in
Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of people having
disability has risen . The rate or the proportion of people who are affected by disability has
changed to 17% in the year 2005 (Moyle, 2016). Towards analysing the third question of
Bacchi’s framework , the representation of the problem cm about regarding the higher mortality
rates of disabled person in Australia. The history of the policy ranges back to the convention of
disabled person by United Nations which influenced Australia to develop this social policy. With
the growing population, the targeted group of personnel has increased as per the Australian
Institute of health and welfare.

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Policy Overview
The National Disability Strategy (The Strategy) offers a 10-year national life
development program for Australians, their families and caregivers. The framework proposed by
Bacchi in regards for the analysis of the chose policy, it can be stated as per the question 1 of the
framework that clarifies over the problem represented to be in the specific policy. In the context
of the national disability strategy , the main challenge is disability and the rights of the individual
with disability. The challenge as per the question 1 of the policy framework revolves around the
context of disability that people are dealing and aiming to bring a transformation within their
lives. Individuals who are disabled want their fundamental human rights to be realised as well as
recognised (Hallahan, 2015). The discrimination an the lack of proper job, better health care
facilities, chances to engage with family and visiting entertainment places are some of the
challenges faced by majority of the disabled population in Australia. This policy aims to develop
the strategy with strong role for the local government towards its implementation. The main
purpose of the National Disability strategy is to drive an improved performance related to the
mainstream services towards the delivery of the outcomes for people having disability,
development of a higher level of policy framework for guiding the governmental activity across
the disability specific region of the public policy .
In light of Bacchi’s framework, the language used in framing the policy strategy has been
polite and informative. The ideas , assumptions that has underpinned the language used in the
policy includes the commitment towards greater collaboration and co-ordination by the
government towards addressing the challenges faced by people with disability (Bletsas &
Beasley, 2012). The identification of these are significant to address the basic needs and the
rights of people with disability.

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As addressing the question 2 of bacchi’s framework, the policy approach showcased social
democratic values within the philosophy of social and economics which supports the social and
the political interventions for the promotion of the social justice for the disabled population
within the framework of liberal democratic policy of national disability strategy by the
government of Australia (Buckmaster & Clark, 2018). Languages such a efficiency of the current
policy approach together with the time limits of settling down the target or the aim of the policy
by 2020 are some reflecting shrinking welfare. In consideration of the current time, the national
disability strategy 2010- 2020 is at the end stage of the policy framework, that is the stage of
evaluation. The policy developed under the welfare state of the government of Australia is
currently under evaluation stage within the policy cycle. This stage is crucial to denote and
analyse the efficiency of the policy towards the targeted group of people and the rate of its
achievement towards the policy goals by the end of 2020. In the context of analysing this policy,
it can be stated that this social policy is a social democratic endeavour since supports the social
and the economic interventions of the society for the promotion of the social justice among the
framework of liberal democratic policy in Australia.
Issue number 1 – Lack of equality for women and girls with disability
This section of the essay will critically analyse the highlighted issue of the gender
equality in the light of disability. From the perspective of asocial justice, this issue has been long
recognised as one of the major human rights challenge and one of the core development goal of
the country. Women and the female population in Australia having disability continues to
experience a widespread denial of their basic human rights till date (Goodwin, 2011). This
section thus constitutes the problematizing of the “problem representation” of the policy makers.

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In light of the question 4 by the Bacchi’s framework, the context of gender equality has been
silenced in the “National Disability Strategy 2010-2020”. The policy developed in consistent
with the Article 29 of the CRPD, National Disability Strategy aims to ensure that individual
having any sort of disability remains actively engaged within the procedure of the
implementation of the policy. However, according to the data gathered from the national NGO
and WWDA, the policy has failed to ensure human rights of girls and women with disabilities in
Australia (World Health Organization. 2010). The shrinking welfare state of Australia and the
neo liberalism are currently effecting the service providers regarding their spending due to the
discrimination and lack in providing health care and other facilities related to disability to the
female population.
In the context of the question 5 of Bacchi’s framework, the effects of this silencing over the
social practice is benefiting the social workers to practise discrimination of the female
population. To summarize in the context of question 5, the real issues that has been prevailing in
the country due to the implementation of the policy are the development of vast gaps and the
areas of neglect. All the aspects of the “National Disability Strategy 2010-2020” are un-gendered
and ignores the gender equality which one of the basic human rights principles. It is furthermore
a shameful factor to recognise how the policy is indispensable toward the advancement of the
human rights of the girls and women with diabetes (Charitakis, 2013). The policy framework that
includes the gap of advancing the rights of the people having disabilities in Australia, ignores as
well as excludes the reproductive and the sexual rights of people having disabilities. The
extremely limited measures followed by engendered measures within the policy are influencing
several forms of challenges related to violence against people with disabilities, specifically
women and the female population of Australia.

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Social work ethics
The principle of the social justice underpins the definition related to the social work as
the profession, the code of ethics as well as the standard related to education and practice.
According to AASW. (2010), the context of social justice is the main factor within the social
work of the country of Australia. The code of ethics are enshrined in the AASW, expresses the
responsibilities and the values which are integral within as well as characterises the social
working profession (Frohmader, 2014). The code of ethics by AASW is basically intended for
assisting the social workers, individually as well as collectively or acting at an ethical and
accountable manner within the pursuit of the professional targets. The elements of the policy are
quiet problematic since they differ in the knowledge, understanding and finally the
implementation over the targeted group. The contexts of the values, principles from the code of
ethics varies widely towards the contribution of the issues which impacts individual. According
to the code of ethics by NASW, the ethical principles are based over the core values of the
services of social work (Mendes, 2006). These values are services, social justice, worth and
dignity of person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence and more. The
related ethical principles are helping people in need as well as addressing social challenges,
challenges of social injustice by social workers, respect of the inherent dignity and the worth of
person, recognition of the central importance of human relations, behaviour at a trustworthy
manner and practice within the areas of competence towards the enhancement and development
of professional expertise.
Recommendation

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In light of the Question 6 of Bacchi’s framework, the oppressive element of the policy in
discussion needs to be questioned, disrupted as well as replaced. As identified in the previous
section, the issue regarding the lack of gender equality in the light of disability is one of the
major factor that this policy lacks to address till decade (Goggin & Wadiwel, 2014). The
potential oppressive elements regarding the male dominant and patriarchal society which forms
the basis of this national disability strategy 2010-2020 needs to be modified and revised for
aligning the aims and the targets of the policy towards a common goal of societal welfare
irrespective of gender or sexual differences (Didi et al., 2016). Relating to the highlighted issue
above, it is important to initiate a change in the policy for addressing factors such as right to
freedom from violence, access towards justice, equality in recognition, legal capacity as well as
representation within all the individuals who are disabled including the female population
(Moyle, 2016). It is essential to strengthen the national disability strategy towards advancing the
human rights of female population of Australia with disabilities. As per the principles of
transcending, one of the recommendation for the change of this policy can be through Simulated
Social Policy Advocacy Tutorial Presentation. The tutorial presentation in collaboration with the
highlights of the challenges that the policy does not address ill help in better understanding of the
transformation of the policy.

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References
AASW. (2010). Code of ethics. Australian Association of Social Workers.
Althaus, C., Bridgman, P., & Davis, G. (2007). A policy cycle. Australian policy handbook.
Bletsas, A., & Beasley, C. (Eds.). (2012). Engaging with Carol Bacchi: Strategic interventions
and exchanges. University of Adelaide Press.
Buckmaster, L., & Clark, S. (2018). The national disability insurance scheme: a chronology.
Department of Parliamentary Services, Parliamentary Library.
Charitakis, S. (2013). An introduction to the disability strategy 2010–2020 with a focus on
accessibility. Ars aequi, 1, 28-35.
Charitakis, S. (2013). An introduction to the disability strategy 2010–2020 with a focus on
accessibility. Ars aequi, 1, 28-35.
Commonwealth of Australia. (2011). National disability strategy 2010–2020.
Didi, A., Soldatic, K., Frohmader, C., & Dowse, L. (2016). Violence against women with
disabilities: is Australia meeting its human rights obligations?. Australian Journal of
Human Rights, 22(1), 159-177.
Frohmader, C. (2014). Gender Blind, Gender Neutral’: The effectiveness of the National
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Goggin, G., & Wadiwel, D. (2014). Australian disability reform and political participation.
In Reform and Rhetoric in Australian Social Policy Symposium.

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Goodwin, S. (2011). Analysing policy as discourse: Methodological advances in policy analysis.
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