From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Friday, 21 December 2012 4:31:42 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.
The present system is inflexible, antiquated and non responsive to the individuals needs and rights. It is despicable that even in this day and age, my son and family cannot get access to the things that we need. With the introduction of the NDIS Scheme my son and family will have hope for the future.
As a working parent/Carer, I do not have access to suitable or appropriate respite under the current system. There is never enough respite to go around; my needs are not more important than other families, but there is currently no equity of access despite the RIAP system which is currently in place. My husband and I have to take turns to care for our child, one of us always misses out on parent/teacher night; or a dinner as a couple. The present system does not support couples any more than it does single parents. NDIS will be provide a much needed overhaul of the way services should be provided.
Friends who currently have adult children will also have hope, as they age and enter the age care system; they for the first time in their lives will not have to be anxious about the future. How they are going to support their loved ones on limited incomes.
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, Better access to education and work opportunities, More employment of people with disability and less reliance on social welfare, More rights for people with a disability, People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams, People with disability can choose who comes into their home, The ability to receive services when needed and in the way that suits the person, Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family, Minimising the number of times people have to tell their story in order to get support, Less red tape, with planning done locally by people who know their community, Access to reliable information about support options, Removal of age barriers to services for children, People with disability/family will influence the types of support and services offered, 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:
Support for families and carers, Accommodation options, Flexible in-home/outside home respite
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
I want choices for my son and for my family, NDIS will give us choices for the future and peace of mind that he will have options to suit his needs, not that of a service provider constrained by budgets and outputs!
Please don’t waste time with more beauracracy, please get this up and running soon.
I agree for my submission to be made public