Support for students with disability and their families
You and your child can access a free support service to help you navigate the education and broader service system and access support for your child.
About the Disability Advocacy Futures Program (DAFP)
The Disability Advocacy Futures Program (DAFP) is an existing program, delivered by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. It provides funding to advocacy services to support individuals and families with a person with disability to navigate and access NSW Government services.
The NSW Department of Education has partnered with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice to support these services so that they can provide students with disability and their families support under the DAFP. This includes assistance to navigate education and broader service systems to succeed in school and in life, and state-wide services for persons from culturally and linguistically diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds across NSW.
Students with a disability and their families are encouraged to reach out to their school as the first point of contact.
However, if additional support is required, the DAFP is available for:
- students with disability and their families
- school staff who work with a student with disability.
The goal of the DAFP is to help you, your child and their school to address specific, individual issues as they arise.
Organisations contracted by the DAFP will provide support to students with disability and their families by:
- providing personalised advice and guidance in the education space to students with disability and their families
- working one-on-one with students with disability and their families to address specific issues
- providing representation to students with disability and their families
- helping navigate the NSW public education system (and other related government systems), and access services and support.
There are many situations where you may decide that you need support. Some examples include:
- understanding the support options available for your child at school
- connecting your child with external support
- assisting you with getting necessary documentary evidence to support diagnoses and reasonable adjustments for your child in the school
- requesting help to negotiate support for your child at school
- supporting you when raising a concern.
The DAFP provides you with an organisation that you can contact for guidance and support when accessing the school system.
If you or your child have a disability, you can access support through the DAFP.
DAFP organisations provide their services based on location. Please see the list below.
Additionally, support organisations are available if you or a family member identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or have a language background other than English.
Once you have identified the organisation to support you, you can contact them using the phone number provided below.
If you, providers and schools cannot find a resolution to the student’s needs, providers can refer the matter to the department’s Feedback and Complaints team by submitting a complaint, compliment or suggestion form.
Requests for advice and support from the organisations listed under the DAFP are free.
To learn more about what the department is funding, please refer to the Program Guideline (PDF 83 KB).
List of organisations
Six organisations are funded as part of the DAFP to provide support services.
These organisations are split by location, with two additional organisations dedicated specifically to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and culturally and linguistically diverse students with disability and their families across the state.
A list of each organisation is below:
| Area/location | Advocacy organisation | Contact details |
|---|---|---|
Hunter New England, Northern NSW, Mid North Coast |
Advocacy Law Alliance Incorporated |
P: +61 (2) 4927 0111 or 1300 365 085 |
Western, Far Western NSW |
Advocacy Law Alliance Incorporated |
P: +61 (2) 4927 0111 or 1300 365 085 |
Southern NSW, Illawarra Shoalhaven, Murrumbidgee |
ACT Disability Aged Carer Advocacy Service Limited |
P: +61 (2) 6242 5060 |
Northern Sydney, Central Coast |
Action for People with Disability Inc |
P: +61 (2) 9449 5355 |
Western Sydney, Nepean Blue Mountains |
Advocacy Law Alliance Incorporated |
P: +61 (2) 4927 0111 or 1300 365 085 |
Sydney, South Eastern Sydney |
People with Disability Australia Incorporated |
P: 1800 843 929 |
South Western Sydney |
People with Disability Australia Incorporated |
P: 1800 843 929 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander |
First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) Ltd |
P: +61 (2) 9267 4195 |
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse |
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW |
P: 1800 629 072 |
Related information
- Information about the DAFP from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
- General information on support services for parents.
- Need help in making a complaint? Information about support persons and advocates.