From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:59:16 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 goverrnment needs to get serious and put adequate funds into the NDIS to enable a long term, proactive, reliable service for people with a disability. Currently we have a complicated, inefficient, reactive emergency based system which keeps information to itself, rather than equip carers and those with a disability to deal with their lives.
For Carers: Our expereince has been extremely self driven. Informtion from government personnel has been random, sometimes inaccurate, rarely available when we need it, and overly complicated. For example to apply for any assistance such as continence aids, endless forms always requiring a Doctors information and signature are required. Our daughter was born with her disabilities and they will not change over her lifetime, rather she may deteriorate physically. Please get some organisational expert to review government information/policies, systems and procedures to reduce the mindless and endless repitition of information. There should be one database that services can tap into to enquire as to eligibility for things such as a Key to disabled facilities, parking permits, discounts for pensioners, travel concenssions etc. It is very wareing on carers to spend hours constantly filling out forms and in our district which is rural, Doctors services are overworked and we may wait two to three weeks for a Doctors appointment. The Doctor then fills out exactly the same information every single time! In our expereince DADAC services have been ineffectual.
Also of key importance is the lack of ongoing education and access to important information for carers, to assist and equip them to understand and cope with their roles.
For the person with a disability: Our daughter cannot voice her needs, wants, and desires in life. Current new programs recently commenced to enable independent living are trying unsuccessfully to entice her to voice her needs and she is unable to do so. There is a great risk of influencing by other people either staff or other program participants to this strategy, and we disagree with the approach for our daughter. The new independent living program in our region, is both inadequately staffed and the staff have inadequate training and experience to deal with our daughter. The staff are like the program, they both have admirable aims and enthusiasm however below the surface it ends up being a minding service for our daughter, with little valuable impact in her life. Perhaps a more robust entry criteria for participants and staff is required?
The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:
Less red tape, with planning done locally by people who know their community, Access to reliable information about support options, 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:
Education support (technology/services/equipment), Accommodation options, Flexible in-home/outside home respite
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
Because it makes good sense and will provide a proactive planned approach for people with a disability and their families, rather than a reactive emergency based system we currently have.
I agree for my submission to be made public