Striving to remove barriers that prevent us from building Vibrant, Diverse, Inclusive, Accessible Communities!
The Disability Wellbeing Index (DWI) is presented as Australia’s first validated, disability-specific measure of wellbeing, developed by Monash University’s Centre for Health Economics with partners through extensive consultation with people with disability. It captures domains such as relationships, daily living, home, health, learning, work, finances, respect and dignity, safety, and participation, grounding policy measurement in lived experience.
The authors explain that generic health tools have not reflected what matters to people with disability, creating an evidence gap that weakens evaluation of reforms. By focusing on outcomes defined by people with disability and aligning with inclusive design that helps remove barriers, the DWI provides data that supports fair comparison across programs and time. inclusive design
Because it is short, practical, and holistic, the DWI can be used for policy reform tracking, program evaluation, research, and advocacy. Examples include assessing the impact of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) housing initiatives by comparing wellbeing before and after moves into accessible homes, and identifying where inequalities persist for different groups. accessible housing
Looking ahead, the Index can inform evidence reviews (for example, the federal Evidence Advisory Committee (EAC) linked to NDIS reforms) and support accountability by measuring dignity, autonomy, and participation—outcomes people with disability say define a good life. Used well, it helps governments and services remove barriers and value multidimensional wellbeing, not just health status. remove barriers
Read the full Article: How the new Disability Wellbeing Index can better inform policies for people with disability
By: Gozde Aydin, Samia Badji and Kim Bulkeley
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