First Nations Disability Data Scoping Study

The First Nations Disability Data Scoping Study aims to identify data gaps in First Nations and disability prevalence, administrative and community-led data infrastructures. An important objective of the project is to deliver improvements in identifying the extent of disability in First Nations populations as previous siloed data collections have underestimated prevalence. Access to relevant, appropriate, culturally safe, local and national First Nations disability data is critical to enabling community-controlled organisations and the wider disability sector, including government, to design and deliver responsive policies and programs to improve outcomes with and for First Nations peoples with disability. The Scoping Study will develop a First Nations Data Strategy to strengthen approaches to collection, administration and analysis of First Nations and disability data to provide sufficient focus to all experiences of disability in regional, remote or urban contexts, gender, age or other intersectional lenses.
The Scoping Study was developed in partnership by First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN), Department of Social Services, National Indigenous Australians Agency, Worimi academic Dr Scott Avery, other members of the Coalition of Peaks and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The two-year project commenced in mid-2022 as an action under the Closing the Gap Disability Sector Strengthening Plan. The project is funded by the Commonwealth through the Sector Strengthening Plan Virtual Funding Pool. The project supports Priority Reform Four, including commitments to ensure communities have access to, and the capability to use locally relevant data, can inform how data is disaggregated, ensure a focus on diverse experiences (regional and remote) and aligning with principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty.