From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 11:27:25 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.
There are alot of groups out and about that offer assistance, funding, respite, therapys, aids & equitment, but unless you know where they are or how to access them, they don’t come to you. There needs to be more information going out the families advising them of exactly what they are entitled to, where they can access it and at what cost, if any, or how much out of pocket they will be. They need to know who these providers are and what they provide. MORE INFORMED, is what we need
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 choose the types of support to use, Better access to mainstream support and services, Better access to education and work opportunities, More opportunities to participate in the community, More employment of people with disability and less reliance on social welfare, More rights for people with a disability, People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams, People with disability can choose who comes into their home, The ability to receive services when needed and in the way that suits the person, Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family, Minimising the number of times people have to tell their story in order to get support, Less red tape, with planning done locally by people who know their community, Access to reliable information about support options, Removal of age barriers to services for children, People with disabilit y/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:
Therapy and allied health services, Equipment and home/vehicle modifications, Education support (technology/services/equipment), Life-skills, Employment support, Recreation and community access, Support for families and carers, Accommodation options, In-home care and domestic assistance, Flexible in home/outside home respite, Case management, planning and coordination, Crisis and emergency support, Positive behaviour support and psychological services, Interpreters and other communication support
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
Regarding the above two questions, as a parent of a child with a disability, it is IMPOSSIBLE to pick just three that are most important. One is just as important as the next. What may be important for one family may not necessarily be important for the next, it is entirely based on the needs of that family at that given time.
I support the NDIS because a national scheme is desparately needed to support and supply all of the above needs and requirements to all families where a member has a disability. For too long we have had to source out our own help and rely on other families to provide us with the necessary information and direction, on where to go for help, based on their own previous experience.
Families do not need the extra pressure of having to find providers, when they have enough problems dealing with day to day issues.
I agree for my submission to be made public