Assistive Technology

Submission 9

I wish to start with what I consider decimating factors, I am a full time father (yes 100% of the time no assistance), I have been fully employed since the age of 15 and I have been a tax payer for the same period of time.

My daughter is currently provided assistance under the National Insurance Disability Scheme; my experience so far has been less than satisfying. The delays in equipment approval and time waited for equipment to arrive are in my opinion less than satisfactory. The system has been difficult to navigate and has been extremely stressful to deal with.

My 3 year old daughter has been the person that has suffered due to these delays. The lack of assistance with equipment desperately required for her development has led to further concerns with her hips, that may now possible require surgery to fix. The impact of not having assistive equipment for her to be able to interact with other children is in my opinion devastating to psychosocial development.

Due to delays in equipment I have taken it upon myself to manufacture equipment myself to assist her. The equipment I have made due to delays includes a standing frame, a seat, modifications to her stroller and a bath seat. I have received a buddy roamer walker funded by the NDIS, just for approval on this equipment was a 10 week wait, again this was just approval. I have requested a tricycle for my daughter so she can gain some independence while out for morning walks as opposed to being seated in a stroller. This request was denied as it was not justifiable to fund and no other alternative solution or assistance was given. I request a member of NDIS attend an appointment with our physiotherapist so assess my daughter and the excited she was riding this tricycle, I was told that NDIS staff do not do this. So I question how can someone sitting behind ask assess the benefits of such equipment from behind a desk?

I wish for nothing more than my daughter in time to be able to do all the things I have had the enjoyment of doing. To see what my daughter has to live with on a daily basis is heart breaking. It is my perception that the NDIS has little to no concerns about members that require assistance and I assume that is why members are assigned a number, so they can be treated as a number.

I have challenged several parliament members to spend a weekend with my daughter and myself to see how this system has let us down. I offer this challenge to yourself however I doubt that you will accept as you would see the true failures of this system.

I will finish with a question. Would it be more beneficial to the Australian tax payer to spend a few thousand dollars today to assist a child to have a tax paying career in a few years or to continue to turn a blind eye to children with such requirements to save a few dollars today to have to pay a disability pension for the rest of a life time?