NDIA Accountability Project

Experiences with disability services and mobility challenges due to secondary progressive MS

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

From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Spam: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Friday, 18 January 2013 12:28:31 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.

The major problem that I face and have faced during the last twenty years is the availability of services available in what is seen as rural/remote. Where services are available it is what is available rather than what are your requirements.

It has been difficult trying to access the funding initially then having a support network.

I do feel very much alone and am not sure what the future will hold for me.

I have secondary progressive MS and have used a wheelchair totally for mobility for in excess of sixteen years.

Very little options available here are easy, cheap or accessible with one one exemption of the house that I share with my uncle. A modification completed at his expense and my hassle trying to gain access to the very limited funding available at the time.

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

  • People with a disability can choose the types of support to use,
  • More employment of people with disability and less reliance on social welfare,
  • People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

  • Equipment and home/vehicle modifications,
  • Employment support,
  • Flexible in-home/outside home respite

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

It will hopefully be a better system where the criteria will be better targeted to the person with the disability and their situation rather than the group/disease with the better lobbying ability.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards, Ms Maureen Webb