Women with Disabilities Victoria (WDV) welcomes the Victorian Government’s investment in supporting women and gender diverse people with disabilities.
We welcome the support for students with disabilities in this budget. The $2.2 billion investment in education reflects a broad approach to inclusion that will make a difference for children and young people with disabilities and their families.
We also welcome continued funding for family violence and sexual violence prevention and response systems. This funding is critical to the work of improving safety for women and gender diverse people with disabilities, who experience disproportionately high rates of violence.
Importantly, the 2026-27 State Budget also provides investment in disability supports. In partnership with the Commonwealth, the Government is investing $2.5 billion in disability supports, which includes $2.4 billion over five years to deliver Foundational Supports.
The 2026-2027 State Budget includes $42 million for advocacy, support, and liaison services for Victorians with disabilities. While we await clarity as to what this funding means for the sector, we warmly welcome the confirmation of another year of boost funding. This funding has become vital to ensuring that we can continue to meet rising demand, respond to system complexity, and deliver critical support to people with disabilities across Victoria. Its continuation reflects a clear recognition by the Government that independent, structural, and systemic advocacy is essential to a functioning disability system.
WDV is encouraged by the signals in this budget and looks forward to working in partnership with government and the disability community to shape the next phase of advocacy funding. Timely clarity about future funding arrangements will be critical to ensuring continuity and stability across the sector.
Now that the Budget has been delivered, WDV will continue to advocate for further investment ahead of the election in November.
WDV CEO, Dr. Trishima Mitra-Kahn said, “Ahead of the election, WDV will continue to advocate for freedom from violence, economic security, and a continued focus on the health and wellbeing of the women and gender diverse people with disabilities in our state. The government delivered a surplus this week. We would like to see some of that surplus go towards ensuring that our community can lead lives of their choosing.”