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: Monday, 24 December 2012 11:29:18 AM

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.

As our son is now 33 years old and has severe disabilities. He desperatly needs a plan for the future. This plan would need to be in action right now in order to eensure that he does not hit an emergency where he would be left to the present system which would mean being placed in accommodation where ever it can be found. This would be the most miserable outcome for a young man who is non verbal, deaf and visually disabled and who also has a significant intellectual disability. Our sons only language or understanding of his world is familiarity. We are getting very close to being in the aging carers group. Our son is totally dependant on his two parents and there is no back up for him. We migrated to Australia nearly forty years ago and apart from his parents, his sister who is 34 years old and a little niece there are no other people in his day to day life. Due to the severe nature of his disability there is no informal supports who could fill the gap even for a very short ti me. We have tried to talk about a plan with the people from ADACH but they cannot produce what does not exist and what does not exist for our young man is the ability to make a plan and put it into action before the emergency. Please Listen and Act.

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,
• 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:

• Equipment and home/vehicle modifications,
• Accommodation options,
• Case management, planning and coordination

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

I support this scheme as I see it as the only hope for my son to have a decent planned life after we can no longer care for him. That is my very personal reason for supporting this scheme. I also support the words of the campaign that Every Australian Counts. I see the NDIS as a more loving and caring way to assist people. At present some of the services are almost like a competition. Respite is competitive which is insane. Imagine if the health system was competitive. Twenty people need an appendectomy but only ten people can have it. Thats what if feels like. Also the long wait for equipment is soul destroying. I also feel that there is a lot of lost talent to the Australian community due to the long haul is trying to get service. This impairs peoples ability to be a part of the community. I am hoping to see a less black and white system. An example of this is adequate equipment support not being available to non pensioners. Wheelchairs, car and house modifications etc are way beyond the means of the average person. So my hope is the NDIS will address these. My biggest personal hope is that I see my son in his own home independent of our us. Please Government people look at your own children and ask yourselves what do you

• want for them. The answers would be something like to feel loved and secure
• and free from terrifying fear.
• You are empowered to provide this security for my son who has severe multiple disabilities which cuts off from him the ability to communicate and understand. His only way of understanding is familiarity.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Mrs lCathy O’Sullivan