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: Thursday, 24 January 2013 1:06:01 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.

I am over the age of 65 & on an old age Pension which does not really cater for my financial needs. My family and friends assist in many ways.

e 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,
• Less red tape, with planning done locally by people who know their community

e 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,
• Crisis and emergency support

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

The current disability system has many problems that need to be addressed.

The current system supports agencies with a vested interest in maintaining disability dependence. Bureaucracies both in the Commonwealth and State Government and in the private and community agencies continue to expend funds and energy into the maintainance of their structures, management salaries and benefits and administrative overheads.

Whilst not living in the Pilot Area of Barwon i still attended a meeting in regard to NDIS & felt that it was really “highjacked” by people representing Private Agencies & therefore outcomes may have been flawed.

Access to services and equipment to enhance independence and choice for people with disability and those affected should be through independent agencies run by people with disability and/or those committed to providing the best return to those being serviced.

All of the NDIS features listed are vital. In marking these three please note that I mean beyond lip service. Making “rights” reality and beyond “influence” to control.

Assessment

For many years people with a disability have been assessed for eligibility for a range of government programs and services on a strict medical model. Assessment has focused on medical diagnosis rather than functional ability. This approach has been criticised for many years by people with a disability as reinforcing medical intervention in the lives of people with a disability and failing

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to account for the social model of disability. The social model of disability looks at the ways a condition is affected by society and the environment, and what impact that has on an individual’s life. The medical model has also been criticised because it focuses on perceived “deficits” rather than abilities, strengths, interests and aspirations.

Some of the information needed to make a “social model” assessment of a person is best provided by the individual or people who know them and know their likes, what their life is like now and what their goals are. At the same time, there may be legitimate reasons for someone assessing support to know about the medical condition of a person with disability as this can help with planning (for example how and when will a disability become more severe?).

Under the NDIS, it will be important to know what is assessed by whom. People with disability, their families and carers will need to be assessed for eligibility for the NDIS. This is about whether a person needs a certain level of support. People who are eligible for the NDIS will then need to be assessed for the kinds of support they will be entitled to receive, such as help at home, equipment or speech therapy.

The ability to have reassessments is also important to ensure that supports can be tailored to people’s changing needs and circumstances.

Given the importance of assessment to the success of the NDIS, it is critical to think about how assessment will work.

Their are many areas of NDIS that needs to be closely investigated. Decision needs to bebased on a better Government basis rather than Political. Many hard decisions need to be made and you will need to streamline services so people with disabilities actually receive the Benefits.

The introduction i beleive will be bigger than the GST introduction so how will you fund it surely not with further overseas funding.

People with disabilities must be helped and in turn the can give back productivity to this great country.

We currently have people with disabilities in Government paid for care at say $1500 per day where with the outlay of much less than this they could be at home leadinbg a life of quality and being productive ,why are the in “Homes” because there is no money to adapt there own homes . The sums just don“t add up it is false ecomonics.

You really need to send a small dedicated team out to the coal face to find out what the reality is. My details are above for any assistane i can give. Whilst not being directly effected by the NDIS because of my age it has become a passion to ensure people with disabilities are assisted in any way i can.

I support the introduction of the NDIS

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Mr John D Cameron