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: Wednesday, 23 January 2013 2:20:47 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 disability system is completely fractured and inequatable. You can live on one side of a street in a LGA that provides some services that someone across the road won’t get. There are way too many silos providing support and people with case managers often get more support than those that don’t.

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

• Ensure support and equipment is available when needed,
• People with a disability can choose the types of support to use,
• More rights for people with a disability,
• People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams,
• People with disability can choose who comes into their home,
• 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,
• Minimising the number of times people have to tell their story in order to get support,
• Less red tape, with planning done locally by people who know their community,
• Removal of age barriers to services for children,
• People with disability/family will influence the types of support and services offered,
• 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, -Support for families and carers, -Accommodation options, -In-home care and domestic assistance, -Flexible in-home/outside home respite, -Case management, planning and coordination, -Crisis and emergency support, -Positive behaviour support and psychological services, -Interpreters and other communication support

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

As you can see, there is no way I could chose just 3 of the above in terms of priority as all are so important. It is for that reason and a million more that i support the scheme.

I have worked as a case manager for 16 years and still feel sick at having to deliver news to families entering the system that they will only get a few hours respite (if they r lucky) that the wheelchair for their 7 year old is $5000 more than the funding, that the ramp to get their daughter into the home will use ALL the funding for her lifetime of renovations, that the physio will come only once a term for early intervention, that the continence products will cost $1000’s over etc..

I could go on and on and until people are in the system, they had no idea just how awful and broken it is. They are absolutely shocked at how little support there is and how much money is needed of e most basic of things their child born with a disability needs.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards, Ms Robyn Cooney