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: Saturday, 22 December 2012 5:29:23 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.

There is not enough support for people with disabilities or their families. I am personally unable to work as I am my 6 year old Autistic son’s primary carer and I have no family nearby to help, so we are always struggling financially. His specialised education is quite expensive, as will his therapy soon be once he turns 7 in a few months and is no longer eligable to access the ‘Helping Children With Autism’ funding. We have no assets to speak of, which makes me terrified for my son’s future after my husband and I are no longer able to care for him. I worry that it will fall to my daughter to support her brother.

There needs to be more support for carers and more services available for the disabled. To put it simply, there needs to be a whole lot more money spent in this area, as it only gives the bare minimum of the assistance actually required by people in this situation in its current form.

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

• Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family,
• Removal of age barriers to services for children, 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:

• Support for families and carers,
• Accommodation options,
• Flexible in-home/outside home respite

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

Because the current system for dealing with people with disabilities and their carers/families is completely underfunded, and having so many different departments and organisations with a say in how the funding is spent makes for a confusing and frustrating system.

There needs to be a lot more money invested in this (which if spent correctly will actually save the government money on care in the long term), and a more centralised governing body to deal with how the funds get distributed.

On a personal level I hope that the NDIS will cater for my son’s needs once my husband and I are no longer around, and that all my (now 9 year old) daughter has to do is love him and support him emotionally rather than becoming his primary carer - she didn’t ask for that responsibility and shouldn’t have to bear the financial burden that we as his parents currently bear.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Mrs Karen Rapley