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, 29 December 2012 4:57:41 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.

Our daughter was assessed and found eligible for Specialst Disability Supports or Services in late 2010, as of todays date Dec 2012, we are still on the waiting list for these “supports and Sevices”. We are 20mins from Gympie DSQ, but we fall under the Hervey Bay DSQ area..which is 1.5 hours from here….therefore we are not eligible for assistance from “Bravo” in Gympie, even though it was a well known fact that they had surplus money available after an audit, I was told “You are outside our area”. I manage a family business from home, take care of an erly mother, a severly disabled, non communicative daughter and my husband now works away on a 10/4 shift. I pay out of my own pocket for help with my daughter, and have paid an aide full time for her to attend mainsteam school. What happens when we are too old to work full time??? We both have health issues, but no support as such from anywhere….apart from my DSQ LAC, who buy the way comes from Murgon….come on this is j ust not good enough…

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

• People with a disability can choose the types of support to use,
• More opportunities to participate in the community,
• People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

• Therapy and allied health services,
• Education support (technology/services/equipment),
• Life-skills,
• Recreation and community access,
• Accommodation options,
• In-home care and domestic assistance,
• Flexible in- home/outside home respite,
• Case management, planning and coordination,
• Interpreters and other communication support

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

I believe that more support is needed to enable those eligible to choose their own path..with support workers, education and employment. The present system is bogged down with so much red tape and road blocks…I am sure that a lot of people would just give up. Getting out in the community and living as a valuable community member is essential for each and every one of us, unfortunatley many disabled people are not in the position to live their lives as they would choose, the NDIS, in theory, opens doors that have been firmly locked for a long time.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards, Mrs Kim Cluff