The Australian public and disability community are being left in the dark about COVID-19 contagion rates, locations and deaths for people with disability.

The system of reporting aged care contagion and deaths is imperfect, but at least a system exists.

And while the public is told the age, gender, and aged care breakdown of those who die from COVID-19, a shroud of secrecy hangs over what COVID-19 is doing to Australians with disability despite this group being uniquely vulnerable.

In England and Wales it has been estimated people with disability comprise two-thirds of all COVID-19 deaths.

Mr Robert must step up and direct the National Disability Insurance Agency and the NDIA Quality and Safeguards Commission to publish live data on;

• The location of outbreaks in disability group homes and other disability facilities
• The number of NDIS participants who have contracted COVID-19
• The number of NDIS participants who have died due to COVID-19

This won’t capture all COVID-19 disability deaths, but it would be a huge improvement on the current information blackout.

Mr Robert needs to step up now and ensure our public disability agencies are doing this important meaningful work now.

SUNDAY, 9 AUGUST, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT: LIAM HOULIHAN 0438 366 400