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This article uses an historical perspective to explore how constructions of disability influenced policy and services for people with intellectual disabilities in Western Australia (WA) from the time of British colonisation until the present day. The authors approach the discussion from a critical disability perspective in the analysis of disability constructs, political responses and social change, incorporating the Foucauldian concept of biopower to explain the physical infrastructure, classification and dividing practices that produced 'docile subjects'. The authors argue that changing social constructions of disability since the 18th century affected the lives of people with disability in WA and continue, through their embodiment in infrastructure, to influence present-day practices, even after policy has changed. This approach illuminates the interplay between metaphorical and literal constructions of disability and allows the legacy of past assumptions to be examined.

This article uses an historical perspective to explore how constructions of disability influenced policy and services for people with intellectual disabilities in Western Australia (WA) from the time of British colonisation until the present day. The authors approach the discussion from a critical disability perspective in the analysis of disability constructs, political responses and social change, incorporating the Foucauldian concept of biopower to explain the physical infrastructure, classification and dividing practices that produced 'docile subjects'. The authors argue that changing social constructions of disability since the 18th century affected the lives of people with disability in WA and continue, through their embodiment in infrastructure, to influence present-day practices, even after policy has changed. This approach illuminates the interplay between metaphorical and literal constructions of disability and allows the legacy of past assumptions to be examined.

Evaluability assessment focuses on the readiness of organisations to carry out evaluations. Scholars argue that evaluability assessment needs to focus on internal evaluation systems and tools and their capability to measure programmes and services reliably and credibly. Even so, literature on best practice guidelines on evaluability assessment within the context of the not-for-profit sector appears to be rare. We seek to begin to fill this gap by presenting lessons learned from Ngala, Western Australia, when we reviewed the organisation's evaluation practice and culture in 2018/2019. The Service Model and Outcomes Measurement Audit project assessed the extent to which service models within Ngala aligned with the organisation's standardised service model and individual service contracts, as well as consistency of outcomes, data collection and reporting practices. Insights obtained from the project and their implications for evaluability assessment practice are discussed.