Optimal Care Pathway for People with Disability
We are inviting people to join a working group. The group will help develop a new Optimal Care Pathway for people with disability.
The new Optimal Care Pathway will focus on improving cancer care for people with disability. It will address barriers and aim to ensure fair access to safe, high-quality care.
About the project
Cancer Council Australia is working in partnership with:
- The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)
- The Melbourne Disability Institute (MDI)
This project is funded by the Australian government through the Cancer Patient Support Program.
Optimal Care Pathways provide guidance on how cancer care should be delivered.
They aim to ensure care is:
- Consistent
- Safe
- High quality
- Based on evidence
People with disability often experience poorer health outcomes across all stages of cancer care. This group is recognised as a priority in the Australian Cancer Plan.
About the Working Group
Members of the working group will help ensure the new pathway reflects:
- Current evidence
- Best practice in cancer care
- The lived experience of people with disability
The goal is to support health professionals and patients to make informed decisions throughout cancer care.
We aim to include members from different backgrounds and locations across Australia.
A chair to two co-chairs will be chosen from the group. They will lead the meetings and help the group make decisions. The project team. The project team will support them.
Who can apply?
We are seeking:
- People with disability before being diagnosed with cancer
- Family members or carers of a person who had a disability before their cancer diagnosis
- Medical professionals
- Allied health and supportive care professionals
- People who work in disability services. This includes support workers, service providers and advocacy groups
What is expected?
If selected, members will:
- Attend three online meetings in 2026 (each up to two hours)
- Take part in group discussions
- Share their expertise and experience
- Review draft documents and provide feedback, both during and between meetings
- Follow the agreed Terms of Reference
Payment
Community members will be paid for their time and contribution
Other members may be paid if this work is not part of their usual job.
Key dates
Applications close 6 April 2026
We will contact you by 10 April 2026
1st meeting May 2026
Privacy
We will keep information in your application private. We will only use it for this project. It will not be shared outside the authorised project team.
More information
if you need help with your application or would like more information, please contact:
Email: laura.woods@cancer.org.au
Phone: 02 8256 4106
Contact: Laura Woods, Project Coordinator
