Disability advocate Kristen Desmond said the removal of the portfolio sent "a very strong message to people with disability about how important this government thinks those constituents are".

"I'm really disappointed about that - really disappointed," she said.

"We've got a disability Royal Commission starting, and the government doesn't seem to think it's important enough to have a minister that can work with what comes out of that.

"It's very disappointing that we now don't have someone in charge of disability policy in this state."

The Minister for Disability Services until Sunday was Jacquie Petrusma, who has stepped down from Cabinet for health reasons.

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A government spokesperson said it will be incorporated into the larger human services and community development portfolio, which is the responsibility of Roger Jaensch and also includes child and youth services, sexual assault support services, and providing community programs for vulnerable people. Roger Jaensch also holds the portfolios of housing and Aboriginal affairs.

Mr Hodgman said Mr Jaensch was "passionately committed to supporting people and organisations in our communities that support those most in need", and Labor MLC Jo Siejka said she would continue as opposition spokesperson for disability.

Meanwhile, Premier Will Hodgman will also take over the portfolio of prevention of family violence, and Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff will add Minister for Mental Health to his responsibilities.

Laurel House chief executive Justine Brooks said having a designated family violence portfolio was a step in the right direction, although she wished sexual violence prevention was also given a ministry.

"Not all sexual violence happens within the family unit, and there's a level of hush-hush shame about it, and there shouldn't be," she said. "But I applaud their step in the right direction by actually creating a new portfolio, we really support that."

Mr Hodgman said he would continue the "nation-leading" reforms already happening in prevention of family violence in Tasmania.

On mental health, he said that the issue was "a priority area for our government", and that Jeremy Rockliff would lead its strong focus on mental health and wellbeing.