From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:33:30 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.
The system is far too disjointed - there is not one source of information that clarifies what you are and aren’t entitled to and whether things are means tested or not. We have only found out about most entitlements that we have attempted to access through word of mouth and in some cases have missed out on entitlements for years because nobody advised us of all the schemes / entitlements that were available. in addition, when you finally find out about something, the form filling required is mind numbing, too bureaucratic, non empathetic and seems to be based on saying “No” as a standard response, which then requires more emotional effort and forms to justify why you or your loved ones should be entitled to something. This process has also meant our disabled daughter and us as careers have missed out on payments because they were initially rejected, then finally accepted, except they only started when accepted not backdated to when we first applied - this is dreadful. There is also very poor or non existent accommodation options for younger adults - in most cases they are required to go into an Aged Care Facility!
The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:
Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family, Access to reliable information about support options, People with disability/family will influence the types of support and services offered
The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:
Employment support, Accommodation options, Case management, planning and coordination
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
It provides a fund that should improve the lives and care of a very vulnerable group of Australians who are personally impacted by disability and their loved ones who are responsible for their care.
I agree for my submission to be made public