While people with disability in Australia are living longer,81 they still have a life expectancy up to 20 years lower than a person without disability.82
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a life expectancy about 17 years lower than the general population,83 and the rate of disability is almost twice as high as that among the general population.84 This suggests that the lower life expectancy for people with disability has a significantly greater impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability.
Reduced life expectancy is a result of a number of factors, including lower levels of education, lack of access to health care, lower socioeconomic status, lack of access to community services and support, lower levels of employment and other factors. (See also Articles 24, 25, 27 and 28)
