CDS is a non-government organisation connected with the University of Sydney. They employ skilled professionals including researchers, psychologists, doctors and nurses.

CDS focusses on working with people with intellectual disabilities  

• to improve the lives and outcomes of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. 
• to put the voice of people with disability at the front of all that they do.

to do research. They have a group of people with and without intellectual disabilities who do research together (Inclusive Research Network).  

The Living with Disability Research Centre is at Latrobe University, Melbourne. They do research  

• to help improve practices, programs and policies that help people with cognitive and/or intellectual disabilities feel included in their communities.
• to build a solid evidence base for the disability sector and the broader community. This can help deal with the complex problems people with cognitive disability, their families and carers, face.

 Their research has 3 themes

• to help mainstream service be more inclusive of people with cognitive/intellectual disabilities
• to make disability service better at giving good services
• to build the evidence base for participation and inclusion of people with disabilities

The Centre has produced a range of evidence based training materials for direct support workers and families as well as tools for providers. These are free and online. They include:

• Active Support – https://www.everymomenthaspotential.com.au/
• Frontline Practice Leadership. Training resources on Frontline Practice Leadership
• Supported Decision Making – https://www.supportfordecisionmakingresource.com.au/
• Enabling Risk – https://www.enablingriskresource.com.au/
• Quality Hospital Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities – https://www.hospitalinclusion.au/
• Supporting Inclusion – https://rb.gy/iw18su
• Observing practice quality for frontline managers and auditors – https://www.observingstaffsupport.com.au/

They work to make sure people with intellectual disabilities get better health care. They do research, develop resources and provide education.

They want to see every person with intellectual disabilities in Australia get high quality health care. They work together with people with intellectual disabilities to make their health as good as it can be.

 They

• support the leadership of people with intellectual disabilities in their own lives and in the Centre. 
• are leaders in accessible communication and other inclusive practices. 
• respect family members and other advocates. 
• include people from diverse backgrounds. 
• listen to each other and value all perspectives.  
• are honest and open. 
• are accountable to people with intellectual disabilities and each other for what they do

It is Australia’s first Centre for Inclusive Employment (formerly known as Disability Employment Centre of Excellence). The Centre of Excellence provides best-practice, evidence-based information that can bring people and technology together and build a workforce that is more inclusive of people with disability.

It is funded by the Commonwealth Government and supported by

• Inclusion Australia
• Family Advocacy
• Disability Employment Australia
• National Disability Services
• University of Melbourne

The centre aims to improve employment outcomes for people with disability by bringing together, knowledge and resources from

• people with disability and their families
• researchers
• leading disability employment peak bodies
• service providers
• employers and industry bodies.

The centre makes sure the voices and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities will drive the work forward.

The Melbourne Disability Institute (MDI) brings together researchers from across the University of Melbourne to look at the issues important to people with disability and their families.  Some of the work they do focuses on and includes people with an intellectual disability.  

They provide a collaborative and inclusive disability research program, led by and with people with disability, to build evidence for successful policy and practice. Their policy submissions to government and independent inquiries cover a wide range of issues that affect Australians with disabilities.

IASSIDD is international, interdisciplinary and non-governmental organisation based in the USA. It promotes worldwide research and exchange of information on intellectual disabilities. You can join IASSIDD by paying a membership fee.  IASSIDD has

• research publications
• conferences in different places in the world
• podcasts
• publications
• special interest groups
• webinars