NDIA Accountability Project

Bureaucracy impacting support for adult children with disabilities

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: Friday, 4 January 2013 11:24:43 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.

At almost every level of government, the process to access support is time- consuming, with much duplication. It’s particularly frustrating as I have two severely disabled adult children and frequently need to hire carers just to enable me to deal with the bureaucracy for one of kids, meaning I take extra time off work etc.

Despite this, the outcome is that there’s frequently no funds available to meet genuine needs that have been identified, meaning the above is an even greater waste of time and effort, at considerable cost to everyone involved.

Dealing with the bureaucracy is often more difficult than dealing with the disability itself (despite the disability being crippling and life-shortening with 2 young women in wheelchairs).

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

  • Ensure support and equipment is available when needed,
  • Minimising the number of times people have to tell their story in order to get support,
  • 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:

  • Therapy and allied health services,
  • Education support (technology/services/equipment),
  • Support for families and carers

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

The current system is wasteful, inefficient and inadequately funded as well as demeaning to all those who have to deal with the current system on a regular basis.

The promise of the NDIS is better coordination between all services, adequate funding, and surety for the future, with the option of the disabled directing their allocated funding to better suit individual needs.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards, Mr Mike Dwyer