From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:09:35 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.
My 33 year old brother is physically and mentally disabled. He works in a supported workshop with the Endeavour Foundation, which he enjoys. My 59 year old mother cares for him full time. He sometimes has behavioural issues, which can be hard to manage or control (given he is six foot tall, and weighs 100kg), including socially inappropriate behaviours. I expect that when my mother is no longer able to care for him I will have to take over care for him. At this moment it does not look likely that he will ever be able to live independently. He cannot cook for himself, or manage his money, and has poor hygiene awareness.
I would like to provide him with speech therapy, physical therapy and further life skills training, and also with access to personal interest classes such as wood working or gardening, to increase his quality of life. He doesn’t read or write and I would love him to participate in further educational classes to improve these vital skills. The waitlist through the current public system is many years long for access to such services (where they are even available) and funding them myself is prohibitively expensive.
Additionally, I would also like to send my brother on a holiday or away for weekened respite occassionally, but this is also prohibitively expensive.
While the impact of the great work the Endeavour Foundation does is felt keenly by my family, the state/federal disability services are effectively non-existent. I have met some lovely staff of Disability Services Queensland, but with a six year waitlist for services, it doesn’t help my brother or my family.
The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:
Ensure support and equipment is available when needed, Better access to education and work opportunities, 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:
Life-skills, Employment support, Support for families and carers
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
I know how lucky my family, and my brother are, that he doesn’t need expensive medical equipment to survive, or to be mobile. I know there are many families all over the country fighting daily to be able to afford the medical treatments or equipment their loved ones need, just to survive.
I very strongly feel, that in the year 2013 we should be able to do better than just survival. From a personal perspective, I would love to see my brother’s quality of life improve. From a more general perspective, I support the NDIS for a
multitude of reasons. I believe every Australian should have access to quality heathcare, education, and support that they require to live a fulfilling life.
I agree for my submission to be made public