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Disability Rights
Advocacy Service Inc

Safeguarding and promoting the rights and interests of people with a disability, their families and carers.

Phone: 08 8351 9500

Disability Rights Advocacy Service is part of the national network of disability advocacy organisations funded by the Australian Government.

About Us

DRAS is a community organisation that is run by our members and our Board, which is made up of people with a disability. We are part of the national network of disability advocacy organisations funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Social Services. 

What we do

Our advocates listen to people with a disability and learn from them, so that we can work alongside them to promote and defend their human rights. It means helping people with disability to get a fair go. It means helping people with a disability to enjoy all the things they are entitled to – all the things a person who doesn’t have a disability can access.

 

Our locations

 

Disability Rights Advocacy Service has three office locations in South Australia:

 

Our Brooklyn Park office represents people who reside within greater metropolitan Adelaide, Mount Barker, Adelaide Hills and Murray Bridge.

Based in Mount Gambier, our South East service assists people throughout the South East and Coorong region. 

 

People living within the Riverland region can access our Riverland office, which is based in the township of Berri.

graphic of group of people

Our services are FREE!

DRAS is an NDAP Scheme Certified Disability Advocacy Organisation and has met the requirements for certification against the National Standards for Disability Services for the provision of Systemic and Individual Advocacy.

About the National Disability Advocacy Program

OUR MISSION

Safeguarding and promoting the rights and interests of people with a disability, their families and carers. We do this through our four governing principles:

  1. People with disabilities have the same rights as other members of the Australian community.

  2. People with a disability should be able to maintain and develop their culture without prejudice or disadvantage and should be encouraged to understand and embrace other cultures.

  3. People with a disability should be able to receive services necessary to enable them to achieve their maximum potential as members of the community.

  4. People with a disability are entitled to participate in decisions that affect their lives and to receive services in a manner that results in the least restriction of their rights and opportunities.

OUR BOARD

Our Board of Management is made up of people with a disability from across the Adelaide metropolitan area and South East South Australia. Board members are drawn from our membership and elections are held every two years at our Annual General Meeting in November.

 

Chair

Deputy Chair

Secretary

Treasurer 


Members

George Poniatowski

Shaun Lorrain

Colleen Braddick

Hung Pham

Le Thi Ai My

Nadia Field

 

OUR STAFF

  • David McGinlay
    Chief Executive Officer

  • Ling Giang
    Finance Office

  • Donna Crosbie
    Executive Assistant

  • Sue Cain

       Team Leader (Individual Capacity Building)

  • Tegan Cross 

       Individual Capacity Building

  • Sarah McInnes

       Individual Capacity Building

  • Carina Foerster 

      Individual Capacity Building
​​

  • Bob Harrap
    Team Leader (NDIS Appeals)

  • Phoebe Dryden
    Advocate - NDIS Appeals

  • Abi Foulkes

       Client Services - NDIS Appeals
 

  • Aaron Morony
    Team Leader (National Disability Advocacy Program)

  • Kit Yuan
    Advocate - National Disability Advocacy Program

  • Chris Hansford

       Advocate - National Disability Advocacy Program

  • Donna Tomczack

  • Advocate - National Disability Advocacy Program

  • Kayla Dickeson
    Advocate - Systemic Advocacy

  • Mark Biram
    Advocate - Riverland

  • Kiri Baker
    Advocate – South East

THE NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR DISABILITY SERVICES

All disability advocacy organisations funded through the National Disability Advocacy Program must comply with the Principles and Objectives of the Commonwealth Disability Services Act (1986) and the National Standards for Disability Services.

Disability Rights Advocacy Service must show that it follows the Standards, which are:

  1. Rights - The service promotes individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making and actively prevents abuse, harm, neglect and violence.

  2. Participation and Inclusion - The service works with individuals and families, friends and carers to promote opportunities for meaningful participation and active inclusion in society.

  3. Individual Outcomes - Services and supports are assessed, planned, delivered and reviewed to build on individual strengths and enable individuals to reach their goals.

  4. Feedback and Complaints - Regular feedback is sought and used to inform individual and organisation-wide service reviews and improvement.

  5. Service Access - The service manages access, commencement and leaving a service in a transparent, fair and equal and responsive way.

  6. Service Management - The service has effective and accountable service management and leadership to maximise outcomes for individuals.

 

Further information on the revised National Standards can be found by clicking the link to the right. 

Easy English version of the NSDS Standards.

ihca-certification
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