Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – 25 July 2019 evaluation mechanisms and public reporting. These action plans should also address inequality in initial access to the NDIS, including the cost of assessments to demonstrate evidence of disability and ensuring access forms are available in a variety of accessible formats and community languages. The action plans should be developed in close consultation with people with disability from these community groups and their representative organisations. 26. The Commission is concerned that women and girls with disability comprise only 37% of NDIS participants.22 In 2015, 18.6% of women and 18.0% of men in Australia had disability.23 There is currently no policy, strategy or action plan focusing on gender inequality in the NDIS. The Commission encourages the NDIA to develop a specific strategy to ensure that women and girls have equal access to, and outcomes from, the NDIS. 27. The Commission is also concerned about issues faced by children and young people with disability in accessing and using the NDIS, including a lack of accessible and age-appropriate information and supports to express their views. The Commission recommends that the NDIA develop a dedicated strategy for children and young people. 28. The Commission welcomes the NDIS Thin Market Project to improve the availability of supports, including in geographically rural/remote areas, support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants and support for CALD participants.24 The Commission suggests that this work be strengthened with independent data collection and reporting on participant outcomes disaggregated by gender, age, location and ethnicity. Recommendation 7: The Australian Government develop and adequately resource action plans for the implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy, the Rural and Remote Strategy and the Culturally and Linguistic Diversity Strategy. Recommendation 8: The Australian Government develop an NDIS Gender Equality Strategy and an NDIS Children and Young People Strategy, each supported by an action plan with concrete goals and timeframes. Recommendation 9: The Australian Government address inequality in access to, and outcomes from, the NDIS, by: a. providing ongoing support for the NDIS Thin Markets Project b. improving the collection and reporting of disaggregated data c. addressing barriers to access, including proving eligibility. 9