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 5:10:56 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.

This is not about me and my family. For me the NDIS is about accepting as a country that we have not done enough to ensure people with disability have maximum opportunity to live the best life they can. We are behind other developed nations in terms of employment opportunities for people with disability and the correlation between poverty and disability in Australia is staggering. I don’t want to live in a country that stands by and and does nothing. The system is broke, let’s fix it. The NDIS is part of the solution.

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

• People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams,
• 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:

• Recreation and community access, Accommodation options, Positive behaviour support and psychological services

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

We need a system that offers people the opportunity to access services and create a way of life that is of their choosing. I don’t want my life, services I can access and how I spend my money and time decided for me; and I don’t think people with disability should have to put up with this situation any longer.

Every Australian Counts - Let’s put that in to action and make the NDIS a reality.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Ms Kathryn Duff