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: Monday, 21 January 2013 8:16:29 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.

We have twin boys both with global and severe physical disabilities.

The system doesn’t work because it didn’t provide them with the crucial therapies they needed - physio, OT and speech - to have the best shot at development. Waiting lists are interminably long and we were even recommended to ‘not bother’ by our pediatrician. When therapies are given - they are not nearly enough, about once a fortnight rather than twice a week. This is supposed to be early-intervention! We were forced to do all our therapies privately.

The system doesn’t work because there is not nearly enough assistance to buy the tons of equipment our children need to live (bath chair, special-needs high chair, stander, walker…). These are unbelievably over-priced, a bath chair, for example, costing up to $5,000 and with twins - we were lucky my parents could help otherwise I don’t know what we would have done. Where there is help (in the case where Enable bought us a single special-needs pram), it took over a year to arrive and involved way too much paper-work and follow-up calls for a mother who’s already struggling. In the meantime, we had to buy one ourselves as we needed it urgently. So the help was in effect, wasted.

We will need to buy a fully accessible car, wheelchairs… the list goes on. Whilst in other countries the Govt. seriously helps families, and sometimes buys the accessible car for them with hydraulic lifts etc, Australia does nothing.

We tried to send our boys to the local special-needs school (Wairoa) but it was so terribly underfunded that we took them out for a week. The place had too few staff, no inhouse equipment or therapists. Children of all kinds of disabilities including Autism were thrown together, learning nothing and spending the entire day just trying to be ‘managed’.

I also hear news reports about abuse of special-needs children on transport schemes and when children grow-up, living in old age homes.

I have never felt so ashamed about being an Australian. Excuse my tone but I’m really angry!

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

• Ensure support and equipment is available when needed,
• Less red tape, with planning done locally by people who know their community,
• 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,
• Equipment and home/vehicle modifications,
• Education support (technology/services/equipment)

Support for Introduction of the NDIS

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

Something needs to be done urgently. I only hope that this will make a difference. And soon.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Ms Ondine Sherman