As Australia heads into another fire, flood, and cyclone season, the National Assistance Card program has launched a new awareness campaign to help keep people safe during moments of stress, confusion, or crisis.
My Card, My Voice is about making sure more Australians recognise the National Assistance Card. It’s a simple but powerful tool that helps autistic people and people with brain injury communicate their needs when they’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unsafe.
Why this campaign matters
More than 1,500 Australians now carry a National Assistance Card, following the program’s expansion in early 2025 to include autistic people. A recent survey showed that 68% of cardholders feel more comfortable asking for help since receiving their Card.
But the same survey also revealed gaps in awareness. Some cardholders said emergency workers, shop staff, and others in the community didn’t understand what the Card meant - or didn’t know how to respond when it was presented.
Launching in the lead-up to International Day of People with Disability, the campaign is encouraging emergency services, frontline workers, and the broader public to:
- Look out for the Card
- Understand what it means
- Respond with patience, respect, and appropriate support
It also invites more autistic people and people with brain injury to apply for a Card, giving them a simple communication tool that can “speak” for them when they can’t.
Helping cardholders talk about the National Assistance Card
The My Card, My Voice campaign includes ready-to-use email and social media templates that make it easy to spread the word in your community. Whether you’re reaching out to your local GP clinic, a café you visit often, or a community group you belong to, these templates help you start the conversation with confidence.
By encouraging others to become National Assistance Card-aware, you’re helping create an environment where you, and other people with disability, can feel safe, understood and supported.
Helping emergency services understand the National Assistance Card
Emergency services play a vital role in keeping cardholders safe during moments of distress, confusion or crisis. By learning about the National Assistance Card, emergency workers can better understand a person’s needs and provide tailored support.
The campaign provides tools like eNewsletters, flyers, videos and social media posts that emergency services can use to educate their teams and raise public awareness. These resources help ensure that when a person presents their Card during an emergency, they’ll be met with understanding, and know they’re in good hands.
What is the National Assistance Card?
The Card includes key information about the cardholder’s disability and support needs, as well as a QR code that links to a personalised video or written message.
It can be used almost anywhere, such as:
- When interacting with police, paramedics, or emergency services
- While shopping
- On public transport
- When travelling or navigating busy or stressful environments
The Card helps others understand how best to offer support - especially when speaking is difficult or impossible.
What cardholders say
Lizz Hills, a survivor of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and a person living with brain injury, carries her Card everywhere she goes.
"Living with an invisible brain injury can be isolating. The National Assistance Card validated my experience and made my disability feel legitimate, not so invisible anymore.”
Khadija, an autistic advocate, now carries and uses the National Assistance Card when travelling through airports, following the Card’s recent expansion to autistic people.
"Being a Black Autistic person adds extra layers of challenge when I am out in the community, accessing services, or travelling. With my accent, disability, and race, interactions are not always safe or understood. The National Assistance Card gives me something tangible I can show, which helps people understand my needs, support me appropriately, and treat me with dignity."
Find out more or apply
The National Assistance Card program was created by the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
To learn more or apply for a Card, visit: www.nationalassistancecard.com.au
