From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:01:42 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.
As a service provider (occupational Therapist) working for a NGO with people of all ages and disabilities it is a common occurrance that essential equipment and services a client needs is often not available through government funding (MASS, Dept Communities, HACC) and the client’s themselves do not have the financial resources to self-fund equipment. This equipment and services are necessary to address needs such as musculosketal management, access to community, improved independence. Surely these are basic rights of a person with a disability??? Suporting a person to maintain themselves physically reduces costly surgical intervention and hospital stays. Supporting a person for increased independence reduses care costs. Please give these people the dignity to choose and have access to what they need for enhanced health and quality of life.
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, In-home care and domestic assistance
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
People with disabilities have to negotiate fragmented services, each with different eligibility criteria and restrictions on what services/support they can provide. There is no means of having a client centred approach to having all needs met. There simply is not the flexibility to comprehensively support people with disabilities. The NDIS will (hopefully) enable people with disabilities to determine what they need, customise their support and have the environment, equipment and services to support optimal wellbeing and particpation.
I agree for my submission to be made public