From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 9:47:07 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.
Too often I see families who are struggling to cope with the care needs of a person with a disability. They struggle emotionally and most struggle financially to purchase the aids and equipment needed to improve the quality of life of the person with a disability and to allow that person to reach their potential and remain a participating member of their community. My own family experience highlights the difficulty in obtaining access to allied health such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy, having to fund raise to purchase equipment and to provide extra activities for the family member. The Enable scheme is insufficient in providing essential items such as feeding tubes which are necessary for the preservation of nutrition and indeed, for life. The strain of never having enough money, either for the person with the disability or for other children and family members, means that the carers are often depressed and emotionally as well as physically exhausted. Ever y day is a challenge and many families face these challenges with little or no support. Respite care is inadequate and often very limited in offering appropriate care, especially where there is a person with complex care needs.
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 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, Equipment and home/vehicle modifications, Support for families and carers, Flexible in-home/outside home respite
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
So that every person with a disability can exercise their right to choose, to achieve their potential, to reach their goals and to live their lives with dignity. So that every person with a disability can become ‘visible’, be seen as valuable and as a contributor to society. So that every member of the family unit can have their needs met, not be disadvantaged (especially siblings of a person with a disability), have access to support and services (including equipment, aids and allied health) when needed, and be confident that their needs are important as well. So that respite care will be more accessible and appropriate to the person’s needs, age group, interests and community.
I agree for my submission to be made public