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, 3 January 2013 4:53:39 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 have a son with severe cerebral palsy, and as a result have been a carer as well as parent to him for 23 years. My husband and I are now planning for the ‘next stage’ of our lives, and planning for ongoing care is of course central to this. He is a very capable young man, who has completed a university honours degree and is now doing part-time work, and looking for full-time work. He requires intensive support several times every day, to get him up, dressed, showered, toileted, and into and out of his motorised wheelchair. My husband and myself have provided him with this support for all his life, with very little formal respite support. The difficulty now, is that for to access the level of care he needs he will require considerable funding, ie enough for approx 6hours every day. The process in Victoria is to apply for Individual funding through a DSR, but to even have this application ‘approved’ requires the individual/family to ‘prove’ that there is urgent and immediate need for these funded supports. Then, once the funding is approved there is a very long wait for funding to actually become available. My health is deteriorating (breast cancer survivor), as is my husband’s. Under the current system, we have to claim an urgent need, even though this may not be exactly the case at the time of applying. However, once the application has been approved there is such a long wait for funded services, that the situation most probably will become urgent before any funding becomes available. This current system is not the best way to support an individual with disability, and his family, plan for their future needs. Family carers need to have reassurance that the needs of their adult children will be met. Individuals with disability have the right to plan for their future, including their working life, knowing that their basic needs due to their disability (whether this be toileting, personal care, etc) will all be met.

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

• Ensure support and equipment is available when needed,
• The ability to receive services when needed and in the way that suits the person,
• People with disability/family will influence the types of support and services offered

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

• Recreation and community access,
• Support for families and carers,
• In-home care and domestic assistance

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

Individuals with disability should be able to access adequate formal supports when they are needed - without having to jump through hoops and suffer huge wait lists. Individual must be able to choose the best services and supports for their needs -

Submission

must be individualised, not ‘one size fits all’. The funding needs to be guaranteed - so it is not subject to changes in successive governments, etc. Services and supports for individuals with disability should be a right - not a privilege, and not a charitable donation.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Ms Nanette Herry