The National Assistance Card now available Autistic people across Australia, a big step toward improving accessibility in services and our communities.
The official launch of the Card’s national rollout to Autistic people was held last month at an event in the City of Melbourne Bowls Club. The event featured speakers from Amaze, a top autism advocacy group.
The National Assistance Card is a personalised tool to help people share their support needs in daily life and emergencies.
The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania first launched the card for Tasmanians living with brain injury in 2021. Today it’s one of the tools people can access to help them take part and be safer in the community.
“We know from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability that people with disability often face significant barriers to being heard and understood. Personalised tools like the National Assistance Card can help bridge that gap by enabling cardholders to communicate to others the support they need – whether they're accessing services or experiencing distress in an emergency,” Marie-Clare Couper, Executive Officer of the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania, said.
Autistic advocate and ambassador for the National Assistance Card, Bryce Pace, said the National Assistance Card enables people with a disability to discreetly disclose their disability and non-verbally explain how someone can best assist them.
“I see so much potential for this card, especially for people with non-visible disabilities such as autism who are still widely misunderstood.”
“The card can be shown to customer service and frontline workers, such as at restaurants, shops, and grocery stores. It's also useful in emergencies with police and paramedics.”
“Because it includes a summary of the impacts of a person’s disability or health condition, and advice for how others can help them, in their own words – it’s different to a lot of other tools.”
Alexa, Team Leader at Autism Connect, shared why she believed the National Assistance Card can make a real difference for Autistic people, whether it’s at the local pharmacy, in student accommodation, or when needing more confidence to go to a peer support group.
A cardholder attending the launch event online described the benefits they have experienced from using the Card, “I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for this Card. I sometimes run away and have meltdowns, and the police are sometimes involved. Since having the Card, my interactions with them have all been positive. The Card has helped de-escalate the situation and helped me get the support I need.”
Over 200,000 Australians have a formal diagnosis of autism, and experience challenges in the community. Many Autistic Australians report having bad experiences when out and about in community, catching public transport, or doing some shopping. The lack of understanding and awareness about the communication barriers Autistic people may face contributes to these poor experiences. Recent reviews, such as the Disability Royal Commission and the National Autism Strategy, called for better public understanding and more support in the system.
The expansion of the Card comes after consultation with the Autistic community. It is backed by a national awareness campaign. A downloadable Launch Kit is available to help organisations and individuals promote the initiative.
The National Assistance Card is available to Autistic people and people with brain injury. Applications can be made online at www.nationalassistancecard.com.au
