NDIA Accountability Project

Lack of therapy impacting niece's quality of life

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: Sunday, 20 January 2013 11:55:50 AM

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 disability system doesn’t work for my family and friends because the lack of coordination between different providers leaves big gaps in the care and services provided. This leaves my niece with a lack of therapy which sacrifices her current and future quality of life and my brother with large expenses to try to fill in these gaps. When my niece finishes school the options for where she can go during the day are limited and expensive. A friend with disabilities struggles to maintain her independence living in her current accessible unit in a diverse inner suburb because the current disability funding models make it difficult for her to access the extra care she needs each day. Without this small amount of additional care she is likely to have to move to an institution in an outer suburb away from the rich community life of the inner suburbs. Surely better coordination between disability service providers to provide more home care should be less expensive than the cost of living in an institution or extended hospital stays due to difficulties accessing additional home assistance.

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

  • Ensure support and equipment is available when needed,
  • The ability to receive services when needed and in the way that suits the person,
  • Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

  • Therapy and allied health services,
  • Equipment and home/vehicle modifications,
  • In-home care and domestic assistance

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

I think that people with disabilities should be able to easily access the services and therapies that they need to live independently in the general community

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Ms Katherine Gifford