Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012

From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:18:51 PM

Please consider this email a formal submission by me to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012.

The current disability system has many problems that need to be addressed.

My husband and l have been looking after our 29 year old son at home for 12 years in March this year. Our beautiful son requires 24 hour full support as he cannot do anything for himself as he has a severe hypoxic brain injury sustained after a suicide attempt in hospital where he was being treated for depression when he was just 17. injuries were non compensible and we as a family did not want to go through the courts as we had been through too much already so after very little help we bought our beautiful son home. wass always going to come home where he belongs but we had to do it way too quick without any proper rehabilitation. It then took a long 8 years to receive an individual support package for . The first 8 years we only had help that was cobbled together and non recurrent from year to year which only added to our stress and worry about the future. As a family we still worry constantly about the future and what it means to as we age a s parents and full time carers. The National Disability Insuance Scheme is our best hope for the future and l hope and pray that it becomes a reality for everybody with a disability in Australia

The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:

• Ensure support and equipment is available when needed, Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family,
• Older parents and families will not worry what happens when they can no longer provide support

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

• Therapy and allied health services,
• Accommodation options,
• Case management, planning and coordination

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

I have been to many conferences and presented at various forums and have met many people with a severe disability and their families and carers over the years. This is the first ray of hope for many of us that can really make a difference to so many lives not just of the person with the disability but their whole family and that has to be fantastic for the whole of Australia. l hope and pray that the NDIS will become a reality in the near future and will keep doing my best to help make it happen.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Mrs Vanda Fear