Disability Inclusion in Victoria: What the $2.2 Billion School Investment Means
On 5 May 2026, the Victorian Government announced that the 2026/27 Victorian Budget would invest more than $2.2 billion to support students with disability in schools. The announcement also confirmed that every Victorian public school now accesses Disability Inclusion funding. I CAN Network welcomes this investment — and we were proud to be in the room when it was announced.
Among those present at the announcement was I CAN Network’s own Cylan Waldhart — and their presence there was no coincidence. Cylan’s journey through school as an Autistic and ADHD student is a living example of why inclusive education, appropriate adjustments and well-funded school supports matter.
What is Disability Inclusion in Victoria?
Disability Inclusion is the Victorian Government’s reform for strengthening support for students with disability in Victorian government schools. It was rolled out across the state from 2021, with all government schools transitioned by Term 1 2025. The reform includes a tiered funding model, the Disability Inclusion Profile and initiatives designed to build schools’ capability in inclusive education.
Tier 2 school-level funding and support helps schools strengthen their capacity to identify student needs, plan supports, make reasonable adjustments and purchase resources. It can support targeted programs, specialist staff and other school-wide approaches for students who require supplementary, substantial or extensive adjustments.
What Disability Inclusion meant for Cylan
The Tier 2 supports put in place at Cylan’s school provided funding for additional programs and supports — playing a vital role in ensuring they received the adjustments they needed. For Cylan, Disability Inclusion is not just a policy or funding model. It had a direct impact on their experience of school.
The main effect which Disability Inclusion had on my school experience was the funding my school, Geelong High School, received. This was funding which didn’t exist prior to Disability Inclusion. What Tier 2 supports did for me was it increased my teachers’ time and capacity to support students who are Autistic and have ADHD, like me.
— Cylan Waldhart, I CAN NetworkA $2.2 billion investment in disability support in schools
The Budget allocates more than $2.2 billion to disability support in schools, including $2.1 billion for individualised disability support for students with complex needs, $39 million for the Students with Disabilities Transport Program, $29 million for more accessible school buildings and $24 million for High Intensity Outside School Hours Care.
The announcement also states that every public school in Victoria now accesses Disability Inclusion funding. For autistic and neurodivergent students, this matters because school-level funding can help build the time, capability, programs and environments needed for more inclusive participation in education.
How this connects with support for autistic students
Disability Inclusion supports students with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs. For autistic students specifically, Victoria’s Autism Education Strategy connects Disability Inclusion with broader work to create inclusive classrooms, build staff capability and strengthen support for autistic students.
I CAN’s own evaluation work, alongside independent evaluation of our mentoring programs, has also found positive changes in areas including belonging, social connection, Autistic identity, self-esteem and hope. You can explore the evidence behind our programs on our Independent Evaluations page.
This is a welcome and meaningful investment in support for students with disability across Victoria. For I CAN Network, the focus remains on what that support can make possible in practice: students being understood, included and given the opportunity to thrive at school.
We are proud of Cylan for representing our community and our values at this announcement, and we look forward to seeing this investment translate into real, lasting change for students across the state.
