Glossary
Advocacy
Support that helps people with disability speak up, understand their rights, and make decisions. This includes independent advocacy (support from someone not connected to a service) and also microboards (a small group that supports one person to take control of their life).
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Ways to communicate other than speech. These might be body movements or gestures, sign language, technology such as computers or tablets, communication books or printed materials.
Best practice
A method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to any alternatives because it produces results that are better than those achieved by other means, or because it has become a standard way of doing things.
Built environment
Manufactured structures, features and facilities viewed collectively as an environment in which people live and work.
Choice and control
The ability of people with disability to make decisions about their own lives, including where and how they live, the supports they receive, and how those supports are delivered. This includes meaningful involvement in the design and governance of services and systems.
Civil law
A branch of law that deals with disputes between individuals, groups, or organisations. It covers areas such as contracts, property, family matters and personal injury.
Closing the Gap
A government strategy and a national agreement focused on improving life outcomes for Aboriginal peoples.
Commonwealth
The Commonwealth of Australia – commonly referred to as the Australian Government or the Federal Government.
Criminal justice system
The set of government institutions and processes responsible for responding to crime. It includes the police, courts, legal representatives and correctional services.
Cultural safety
Creating environments where Aboriginal peoples feel respected, valued and safe to be themselves. It involves recognising and addressing power imbalances, and making sure services and interactions support their identity and needs. Only the person receiving the service can say whether it feels culturally safe.
Data sovereignty
The right of Aboriginal peoples to control the collection, ownership and use of data about their communities. It ensures data is managed in line with cultural values and supports self-determination.
Disability Access and Inclusion Plan
A Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) is a plan developed by state government agencies and local councils to improve access and inclusion for people with disability. Each DAIP is tailored to the specific context of the organisation and their community, outlining practical actions to remove barriers, promote participation and support the goals of the State Plan.
Department of Human Services
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is the South Australian Government agency responsible for delivering strategies, programs and services that improve the wellbeing, safety and inclusion of South Australians, particularly those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged.
Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA) (The Act)
A South Australian law that guides efforts to improve access and inclusion for people with disability. It requires the development of the State Disability Inclusion Plan (State Plan) and local Disability Access and Inclusion Plans and promotes choice, control, and the removal of barriers.
Disaggregated data
Information that has been broken down into smaller groups to show differences between them. This can include categories like age, gender, cultural background or location.
Diversity
Any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. It empowers people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different.
Domains
The key priority areas of the State Plan, shaped by emerging themes identified during statewide consultation. Domains guide the focus of actions to improve access and inclusion for people with disability.
Inclusion
The intentional, ongoing effort to ensure that all people can fully participate in all aspects of life.
Initiatives
Activities or efforts aimed at creating change, improving outcomes, or meeting specific needs. This can include actions, responses, systems and services designed to support individuals or communities.
Intersectionality
How different aspects of a person’s identity, such as their gender, race, class, sexuality and disability can interact to create experiences of discrimination and marginalisation. Intersectionality helps us to understand how these experiences can overlap and intersect, and how they can be challenged and addressed.
Justice system
The laws, services and processes that address legal issues and disputes. This includes the criminal justice system (for people accused of breaking the law), the civil justice system (for resolving problems like housing, family or discrimination), and the youth justice system, which responds to children and young people who come into contact with the law
LGBTIQA+
An inclusive term for people whose sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics differ from the majority. It stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and other diverse identities. The + acknowledges that there are many other ways people may describe their identity and experiences.
Lived experience
The personal knowledge and understanding a person gains through direct, first-hand experience of disability.
Local councils
A system of government in South Australia under which elected local government bodies (councils) are constituted under the Local Government Act 1999 (SA).
Mainstream supports
Services provided by government or community organisations that are available to all Australians, regardless of disability status. These include essential services such as healthcare, education, transport, housing and employment.
My Aged Care
My Aged Care is the Australian Government’s central access point for aged care services, providing information, assessment and referrals to support older people who need help at home, in the community or in residential care facilities.
National Disability Insurance Scheme
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australian Government initiative that provides funding for reasonable and necessary supports to people under 65 who have a significant and permanent disability.
Neurodivergence and neurodivergent
A non-medical term describing various neurological variations from the dominant societal norm, and people with these variations in their neurological development. Neurodivergent, in contrast to neurotypical, is used to describe people who may have one or more ways in which their brain functions differently to the ‘typical’ way. Some Autistic people also refer to themselves as neurodivergent.
Out-of-home care
Overnight care for children under 18 who cannot live with their families due to safety concerns. It includes placements arranged and supported by child protection services, such as foster care, kinship care and residential care. These placements may be voluntary or court-ordered and are designed to provide a safe and stable environment.
Measures
A way to track progress and understand if things are improving over time. Measures use numbers and data and are supported by stories or feedback (qualitative data) in reporting.
Priority areas
Specific areas of focus within each domain that were identified as most important by people with disability during consultation.
Priority groups
The Act highlights seven priority groups of people that may experience overlapping disadvantage. Their needs will be considered and embedded across all State Plan measures and within DAIPs. The seven priority groups are: Aboriginal peoples with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people with disability, women with disability, children with disability, LGBTIQA+ people with disability, people with significant intellectual disability or who have high levels of vulnerability due to disability and people with disability who live in regional communities.
State authority
As defined in the Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA) to include a government department, an agency or instrumentality of the Crown, a local council constituted under the Local Government Act 1999 (SA) or any other person or body declared by regulations to be included.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is a human rights treaty that aims to change attitudes and approaches to people with disability. It reaffirms that all people with disability must enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Universal Design
Universal Design is defined by the Australian Human Rights Commission as designing environments so they can be accessed, understood and used by everyone regardless of age, size, ability or disability—and encompassing the creation of facilities, products, services and environments usable by all people without adaptations.
Youth detention
A form of secure care where young people (usually aged 10–17) are held when they are charged with, or found guilty of breaking the law. It is used as a last resort and is intended to be safe, rehabilitative and respectful of young people's rights.
Qualitative data
Information or data that describes qualities or experiences, often collected through words, stories or observations rather than numbers.
Quantitative data
Information or data that can be counted or measured using numbers. Examples include statistics, percentages and totals.