GAB/DST 4
25 February 2021
The Inquiry Secretary Parliament House HOBART TAS 7000
Dear Sir/Madam
RE: Inquiry into Disability Services in Tasmania
I was encouraged to read that there is to be enquiry into disability services here in Tasmania for those who are disabled but do not qualify for NDIS.
I was born in 1948 and contracted poliomyelitis at the age of 2, in 1950. I have permanent loss of my left leg which requires me to wear a full length caliper, which I have done all my life. I have worked full time all my working life, married and have two adult children. I am now retired and on a part pension.
Because of the cut-off age of 64 to qualify for NDIS this disqualified me from accessing any help towards my disability but have to rely on My Aged Care for any services that I may need in the future. My Aged Care was set up to cater for frail age, not a person who has a disability. We have different needs like assistive technology and mobility assistance. We need to maintain quality of life, and stay out of the acute care health system.
I recently asked to be assessed for future assistance, mainly assistive and mobility devices, even though this is not really a part of aged care packages. I have been accepted for Level 2 assistance but realize that it will be a number of years before this will be activated. I did this to hopefully cover any future needs I may have.
We have self-funded all my calipers, which in the past has required us to fly to Melbourne at our own expense (travel, accommodation and costs of new calipers). On our last visit to Melbourne I was fortunate to have some assistance from the current State Government with travel expenses which was very helpful and much appreciated. We are fortunate that we have been in a position to self- fund these trips to make life more manageable for me. I have recently purchased a scooter to help with mobility and have had modifications done to our car for a hoist to assist in being independent, all at our expense. Upgrade to a suitable car to facilitate a hoist ($5,000) and the scooter ($3,600).
I’m not sure if you know that it is estimated there are 400,000 polio survivors in Australia, many of whom aged over 50 are now experiencing post-polio syndrome (https://www.polio.org.au/about- polio-australia/) and nearly 90% of those are not covered by NDIS. This makes us the largest single physical disability group in Australia but because of our age, we are forgotten. Polio Australia could be contacted to give more insight into this.
I thank you in advance for taking the time to inquire into this anomaly with the NDIS and welcome any help in the future that may be of assistance to so many, not necessarily just polio survivors.
Yours sincerely,