We recently held our 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday, 20th November, presenting an overview of the organisation’s activities and operations over the past year. The AGM highlighted several points of interest from our most recent 2023 Annual Report, including program data, intake stats and the organisation’s mission, vision, and values.
RIAC has been at the forefront of empowering communities and individuals living with disabilities, advocating for their rights, and enhancing their well-being across 22 local government areas in regional Victoria and southern New South Wales for nearly 40 years.
The statistics in the Annual Report show that over the course of the year, RIAC supported various matters across all its programs, including the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP), NDIS Appeals, Volunteer Coordination HACC-PYP Program, Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), and Home and Community Care Program HACC- PYP for both over and under 65 years of age. Additionally, 11 people received support through the First Nations Disability Advocacy Program (FNDAP or VDAP).
The Intake Program recorded 1938 enquiries across all programs, with 1020 via phone, 543 via email and 361 via the RIAC website. To ensure that everyone who comes to RIAC receives some assistance and is never turned away, we established an Intake Advocate role, allowing us to triage enquiries and provide different levels of service, dependent on the needs of each client. Other advocacy agencies have adopted this model due to its success.
Our mission is to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are supported and upheld by building the capability to remove barriers and have control of their own lives. The organisation’s vision is to be the leading advocacy and support provider that gives voice to people experiencing disadvantage to live the life they choose. We value respect, independence, action and collaboration.
We are grateful for the support we have received from our members and stakeholders this past year. We remain committed to advocating for the rights of people with disabilities by removing barriers, promoting self-control, and offering opportunities for growth and development. We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to making an even more significant impact in our community.