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Q: I've joined my local access committee but get confused by some of the jargon and acronyms people use. I don't want to have to keep interrupting to ask what they mean. Is the a list somewhere?

A: There is no official dictionary of acronyms, but we have compiled a list of the ones that are used in the disability/community sector. If there are any that we have missed, please let us know.

AAD: Australian Association of the Deaf
AASW: Australian Association of Social Workers
AAT: Administrative Appeals Tribunal
ABF: Australian Brain Foundation
ABI: Acquired Brain Injury (or TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury)
ABS: Australian Bureau of Statistics
ACA: Australian Consumers Association
ACAT: Aged Care Assessment Team
ACHA: Australian Community Health Association
ACIF: Australian Communications Industry Forum
ACL: Action for Community Living (formerly Attendant Care Coalition)
ACMH: Aged Community & Mental Health (section of DHS)
ACON: Aids Council of NSW
ACOSS: Australian Council of Social Service
ACROD: Australian Council for Rehabilitation of Disabilities (now  National  Disability Services)
ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act
ADB: Anti Discrimination Board
ADEC: Action on Disabilities within Ethnic Communities
ADHSD: Australian Department of Human Services and Disability
ADR: Australian Disabilities Review
AHEAD: Association of Higher Education and Disability (USA)
AHB: Area Health Board
AHRC: Australian Human Rights Commission
AHS: Area Health Service
AIHW: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
ALAO: Australian Legal Aid Office
ALGA: Australian Local Government Association
AMA: Australian Medical Association
APDC: Australian Psychiatric Disability Coalition
APSF: Australian Pensioners & Superannuants Federation
ASIC: Australian Securities and Investment Commission
AT: Assistive Technology
ATCC: Accessible Transport Consultative Committee
ATO: Australian Taxation Office
ATSIC: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
AUSLAN: Australian Sign Language
AUSPELD: Australian Federation of Specific Learning Difficulties Associations
AWHN: Australian Women’s Health Network

BCA: Building Code of Australia

CAA: Carers Association of Australia
CAAS: Continence Aids Assistance Scheme
CAB: Citizens’ Advice Bureau
CALD: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
CASA: Congenital Abnormality Support Association
CAT: Crisis Assessment Team (psychiatric services)
CDAP: Community, Disability & Ageing Program (UNSW)
CFS: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)
CHASP: Community Health Accreditation Standards Program
CIARR: Client Information & Assessment Referral Record (HACC)
CID: Council for Intellectual Disability
CMET: Coalition for More Equity in Transport
CNC: Clinical Nurse Consultant
CNS: Clinical Nurse Specialist
CNS: Central Nervous System
COAG: Council of Australian Governments
COD: Commonwealth Office of Disability
COP: Community Options Projects
COSHG: Collective of Self Help Groups
COTA: Council of the Ageing
CP: Cerebral Palsy
CPP: Community Participation Project
CRC: Commonwealth Respite for Carers (or Carer Respite Centre)
CRS: Commonwealth Rehabilitation Services
CRRS: Complaints Resolution and Referral Service
CSGP: Community Service Grants Programme
CSHA: Commonwealth State Housing Agreement
CSTDA: Commonwealth / State & Territories Disability Agreement
CTO: Community Transport Organisation
CTN: Consumers Telecommunications Network
CWAC: Community Welfare Advisory Council

DADHC: Department of Ageing, Disability & Home Care (NSW)
DAISI: Disability and Aged Information Service Inc (located in Lismore)
DANSW: Disability Advocacy New South Wales
DAP: Disability Action Plan
DARTS: Disabled Alternative Road Transport Service
DAS: Disability Accommodation Services
DASSI: Disability Attendant Support Service Inc
DASU: Disability Access Support Unit (DEET)
DCIS: Disability Client Information System (DHS)
DDA: Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 (Australian Commonwealth)
DDLC: Disability Discrimination Legal Centre (NSW)
DEAC: Disability Employment Action Centre
DETYA: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (formerly DEETYA)
DHCC: Department of Health and Community Care (ACT)
DHS: Department of Human Services (State Department Incorporating old H&CS)
DICE: Disability Information and Communication Exchange
DINA: Disability Information Network Australia
DIRC: Disability Information Resource Centre (Eastern Sydney)
DISTSS: Disability In Service Training Support Service
DLDU: Disability Learning & Development Unit (DHS)
DLO: Disability Liaison Officer
DMD: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (see also MD: Muscular Dystrophy)
DoCS: Department of Community Services
DOH: Department of Housing
DOT: Department of Transport
DPI: Disabled Persons International
DRC: Disability Resource Council
DRP: Disability Reform Package
DSA: Disability Services Act 1986
DSP: Disability Services Program
DSP: Disability Support Pension
DSS: Department of Social Security (now known as Centrelink)
DVA: Department of Veterans Affairs
Dx: Diagnosis

EACH: Extended Aged Care at Home
EEO: Equal Employment Opportunity
EOT: Equal Opportunity and Tribunal
ER&R: Eastern Respite and Recreation (located at Maroubra Junction)

FaCS: Commonwealth Department of Family & Community Services
FRG: Functional Related Group (rehabilitation/health)

HACC: Home And Community Care
HCS: Home Care Service of NSW
H&FS: Health & Family Services (Federal Department)
HICOA: Head Injury Council of Australia
HOH or HH: Hard of Hearing
HREOC: Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (now AHRC)

ICAC: Independent Commission Against Corruption
IDEAS: Information on Disability – Equipment Access Services Inc (located in Tumut)
IDS: Intellectual Disability Services
IHAS: In Home Accommodation Support program
ILCNSW: Independent Living Centre of NSW
IPTAS: Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Scheme

LCSA: Local Community Services Association
LGA: Local Government Authority
LGSA: Local Government & Shires Association
LTCS: Lifetime Care & Support Scheme

MAA: Motor Accidents Authority
MD: Muscular Dystrophy
MDAA: Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW
MH: Mental Health
MLAK: Master Locksmiths Access Key
MND: Motor Neurone Disease
MOTTAC:  Ministry of Trasport Taxi Advisory Committee
MOW: Meals on Wheels
MS: Multiple Sclerosos

NAATI: National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters
NATC: National Accessible Transport Committee
NCDCO: National Caucus of Disability Consumer Organisations
NCOSS: NSW Council of Social Services
NDARC: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre
NDAC: National Disability Advisory Council
NDS: National Disability Services (formerly ACROD)
NDAN: New South Wales Disability Advocacy Network
NEDA: National Ethnic Disability Alliance
NESB: Non English Speaking Background
NFBCA: National Federation of Blind Citizens of Australia Limited
NGO: Non Government Organisation
NICAN: National Information Communication Awareness Network
NRMA: National Roads and Motorists Association

OOI: Occupational Overuse Injury
OFT: Office of Fair Trading NSW
OPA: Office of the Public Advocate
OT: Occupational Therapist
OTEN: Open Training and Education Network

PADP: Program of Aids for Disabled People (Area Health Services)
ParaQuad: The Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association
PBF Australia: Paraplegic Benefit Fund Australia
PBS: Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
PDCA: Physical Disability Council of Australia
PDCN: Physical Disability Council of NSW
POWH: Prince of Wales Hospital (located at Randwick)
PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PWD: People With Disabilities

RAP: Rural Access Program (Federal)
RAPS: Recreation and Peer Support Inc
RBS: Royal Blind Society (now known as Vision Australia)
RDA: Riding for the Disabled Association
RDSI: Regional Disability Support Initiative (DHS)
RHA: Rental Housing Association
RNSH: Royal North Shore Hospital (located at North Sydney)
RRCS: Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney (located at Ryde)
RRTC: Rehabilitation Research & Training Centre
RSCIP: Rural Spinal Cord Injury Project
Rx: Therapy

SAAP: Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
SAC: (HACC) State Advisory Committee
SACS Award: Social and Community Services Employees (State) Award NSW
SCI: Spinal Cord Injury/Injuries
SCIA: Spinal Cord Injuries Australia
SHIFT: Services for Homeless, Intellectually Disabled, Frail & Transient
SIA: Spinal Injuries Association (formerly PQAQ)
SNA: Support Needs Assessment (DHS – disability)
SOS: Spinal Outreach Service
SPA: Spinal Muscular Atrophy
SPRC: Social Policy Research Centre
SSCIS: State Spinal Cord Injury Service
ST: Speech Therapy
SWD: Students With Disabilities or Student with a Disability
SWISH: South West Inner Sydney Housing Co Operative Limited

TAC: Transport Accident Commission (Victoria)
TADAS: Traveller’s Aid Disability Access Service (Victoria)
TADNSW: Technical Aid to the Disabled (located at Ryde Hospital)
TADAS: Travellers' Aid Disability Access Service
TAFE: Technical and Further Education
TAWPP: Training And Workforce Planning Package
TCS: Taxis Combined Services
TEDCA: Tertiary Education Disability Council of Australia (Ltd)
TIO: Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman
TIPD: Tertiary Initiatives for People with Disabilities
TIS: Translating & Interpreting Service
TTSS: Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme
TTY: Telephone Typewriter – is an attachment to a telephone used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing to facilitate communication in print in the same way as voice is used on a telephone.

VFA: Vision Foundation Australia (formerly Association for the Blind)
VI: Vision impairment or visually impaired

WAT: Wheelchair Accessible Taxi
WHO: World Health Organisation
WWDA: Women with Disabilities Australia

YAFS: Youth & Family Services (DHS)