From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:37:01 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.
I am the eldest of 3 children, with my youngest brother being born severely disabled. 36 years ago, there was little, if any support for my family in Brisbane. If it was not for the attitude of my parents and their proactive stance to ensure could live as full and enjoyable life as my sister and I, I doubt that I would have a brother still here today.
As grew older, particularly when he turned 18, essentially all education and services offered ceased or were not available due to long waiting lists or not suited to a high dependency individual.
About this time, my parents, with support of family and friends, went about the task of establishing a suitable respite accomodation place that could go to
- once completed, my parents had their first holiday in 21 years, without children, since their honeymoon.
They also worked with family and friends to establish an on-going day respite for those over 18 who could not go in to “open employment or further education” the government remit at the time.
My mother has essentially been a full-time carer for the last 36 years for a severely disabled son, which would have saved the government a considerable amount of money compared to if he was in a full-time government-funded accomodation environment.
During the years of my parents dedication to quality of life, they too have faced many hurdles - breast cancer, diabetes, triple bypass. While dealing with these personal issues, there was always the need to consider and care for him.
Now with my father in his 70s and my mother nearly there too, the time has come for them to ensure is settled out of the family home, while they can still have their say and be happy with the environment he moves in to.
In this regard and given the severe shortage of suitable options, again with the support of family and friends, they have purchased land near the family home so they can build a suitable residence for 3 disabled persons to live, with full time care, while remaining in the local area to continue with their usual daily activities.
All that is required now is for the government to come to the party and provide on-going funding/support for my brother and his housemates by way of a lifestyle care package. Instead, an offer was made for a room in a most unsuitable nursing-home style residence more than an hour away from the family home this is not an appropriate “government solution” for my brother.
If an appropriately funded and managed disability system was in place with services that suited the individual needs of those with a disability, then over the
years, the time and financial burden would not have rested with individuals such as my parents. Yes, over the years more support has been provided, however there is still a long way to go before the government provides appropriate and suitable support for those with disabilties, instead of relying on others to provide that support and finances.
As an able bodied memeber of this great country, I have been lucky enough to have been offered so many opportunites that a differently abled person is often not afforded. Equity in provision of services is what is required now, not to keep talking about it for years to come.
The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:
People with a disability can choose the types of support to use, 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 support the National Disability Insurance Scheme given the potential it has to offer much needed services to those with a disability. For too long, there has been a reliance on family, friends, charities and not-for-profits to provide support for those with a disability.
I agree for my submission to be made public