The Royal Society Society for the Blind
254 Angas Street
Adelaide SA 5000
GPO Box 1185
ABN 37680837839
Review of NDIS Costs
Productivity Commission
GPO Box 1428
BARTON ACT 2600
:
Productivity Commission Issues Paper – National Disability Insurance Scheme Costs
March 2017
Dear Commissioners
The RSB redacted
The RSB is a member of the Australian Blindness Forum the peak body that represents the blindness sector who provide support and services to over 100,000 Australians with vision loss. The ABF has prepared a sector response to this enquiry and the RSB supports the response and suggestions for change.
The RSB would like to highlight that a number of questions referred to issues and suggested solutions that the ABF and RSB responded to in the 2011 Response to the Productivity Disability Care
and Support Draft Report
Data –we advised that the proposed participant numbers were inaccurate as only Government data was being used, many of the blindness sector service providers did not receive Government funding and many of their clients were not registered within Government programs.
Alternative Funding Options/Cost Reduction – the ABF and the RSB indicated that they could provide a better targeted support and rehabilitation leading to increased independence through a block funded model. The current NDIA Planning Process is inefficient, in many cases inappropriate and not catering for episodic support.
We identified back in 2010/11 that our sector was not broken as was the wider Disability sector; we have always had an Individual Focused approach with Consumers participating in Management and Service Development of the sector.
We would also like to re-emphasise that the blindness sector is primarily an episodic service with minimal ongoing support. Early intervention upon diagnosis of vision loss/trauma and appropriate episodic response when a person’s situation changes people who are blind or vision impaired will be able to participate independently in the community.
Attached is the RSB’s and ABF’s submissions from 2011 which make a number of recommendations that require SERIOUS CONSIDERATION BY THIS REVIEW. As part of the blindness sector the RSB believes that our recommendations are provided to ensure that people who are blind or vision impaired are given the opportunities to achieve independence. .
If the review of the NDIS does not change the NDIA’s approach to the Planning process, provide Program Funding for the blindness Sector. The NDIS will fail the participants who are blind or vision impaired.
If you wish to discuss any issues raised in this letter please do not hesitate to contact me.