Laying or delaying the groundwork? A critical framing analysis of Australia’s National Disability Strategy from an implementation planning perspective

Abstract

National disability strategy implementation is challenging. Competing needs and interests of government and different stakeholders mean that implementation is rarely straightforward. This study undertakes a critical framing analysis of publically available responses to the draft implementation plan for Australia’s National Disability Strategy (2010–2014) provided by five peak disability organisations. We seek to understand the frames that peak bodies advocate in order to further the interests of people experiencing disability while mapping these against the broader Australian disability policy context and good policy practice more generally. Our research reveals that the peak bodies promote frames which focus on consistency, responsibility, resourcing, inclusivity, co-production, innovation, leadership, accountability and language. In relation to these frames, the final government implementation plan demonstrates a shift in which process-related frames of resourcing and innovation are incorporated into the plan while the other predominantly actor-oriented frames are excluded and thus represented as natural and incontestable.

Keywords:

• National Disability Insurance Scheme
• critical frame analysis
• disability
• policy
• consultation
• Australia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.