NDIA Accountability Project

Mother’s experience of disability and need for NDIS support

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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: Monday, 14 January 2013 9:34:25 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 make this submission both as the mother of a person with a disABILITY and in my voluntary capacity as President of a non for profit organisation assisting people with different ABILITIES.I have been involved with disAbility issues ever since my daughter was born some 43 years ago now.I often refer to my daughter as my “window into disAbility issues”.I can speak with a great deal of expertise as the mother of a person with a disABILITY but I can only imagine what it is like for her actually living with her disABILITY every day of her life and the many,many issues that she faces because of it. Ranging from bureaucratic red tape,accessibility, and in far too many cases intolerance,not being accepted for who and what she is and allowed to reach her full potential in life,whatever that might be.When she left school there was no support system and no focus on ABILITY,just negativity.Sure things are SLOWLY changing and they need to because peoples lives are being wasted in the n ever ending struggle to gain equality.Able bodied people take so much for granted,and I truly believe that a society is judged by the way that it treats its most vulnerable members and it is a sad reflection on us all if we don’t make things better,NOW.The system was in crisis forty years ago,today it is completely broken and inequitable.I hear too many accounts of people not being able to access early intervention programmes,unable to get respite and so it goes on .The N.D.I.S. MUST come into fruition it is far too important for too many people for it not to.

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

  • More employment of people with disability and less reliance on social welfare,
  • People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams,
  • The ability to receive services when needed and in the way that suits the person

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

  • Therapy and allied health services, Life-skills, Flexible in-home/outside home respite

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

I support the N.D.I.S.because I want to see a“ FAIR GO“for ALL Australians,an Australia where EVERYBODY counts,where everybody can become contributing members of society and not have restrictions placed upon them by a bureaucratic outdated system. The N.D.I.S. is long,long overdue and without it I do not dare to think what life will be like for future generations of people with different ABILITIES. To me the introduction of the N.D.I.S.is not a political issue,it is one of Human Rights.It is EVERYBODYS God given right to reach their full potential in life,and be and do what they want in their lives. Sadly the issue of disABILITY is not going to go away,numbers will increase.The time for talking is over,the time for action is here,NOW!

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

MRS SUSAN CAROVIGNO