Abstract:

Data about services directly provided or funded by government, under the umbrella of the Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement (CSDA) are presented in this report which provides an overview of the service recipient and service data. It also describes the data collection, how it was conducted and indicates some of the limitations important for purposes of interpretation, giving a detailed description of the results of the 1996 data collection, concentrating mainly on the national perspective. Many of the recently developed performance indicators for disability services are outlined and the data quality of the 1996 collection is discussed, highlighting possible changes to future collections. Service recipient data incorporated disability, country of birth, indigenous origin, communication, frequency and area of support, income source, and accommodation. Service data covered state distribution, service income from governments, auspice, operating periods, and staff hours.