From:
To: Community Aff Committee (SEN);
Subject: Spam: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 12:07:09 PM
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 current disability system does not work for our family. Access to services and the exorbitant fees to pay allied health, paediatrician and educational support have almost ruined us financially and placed enormous pressure on our capacity to manage as a family. We do many, many hours of overtime and have second jobs to provide this assistance.
Whilst we have choice in services provision (only because we pay privately - this is the only way our son can get autism specific support), the services are overstretched and it is so very difficult to make appointments.
Whilst our son with Autism Spectrum Disorder is only ten years old, we worry all the time about what will happen to him when we are older or when we die. We are trying to put in place some systems and people around him, but so very concerned about his wellbeing and welfare when we can no longer provide support. The NDIS would provide reassurance to families that their child becoming an adult could choose the services they need and find assistance in their activities of daily living. We hope our son will be a productive and happy member of society with full-time employment options. In order to achieve this, he needs significant support in childhood and early adulthood.
The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:
Removal of age barriers to services for children, 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:
Therapy and allied health services, Education support (technology/services/equipment), Employment support, Positive behaviour support and psychological services
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
For too long, people with disability and their supporters (family, friends and community) have ‘gone cap in hand’ to gain access to services and support required to improve the quality of life for the person they love. Asking for help is really challenging and humbling - why do families have to seek support feeling like they are asking for charity? Support for all people (which includes people living with disability) is a basic human right which is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Families are financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually drained - it is a constant, never-ending ‘battle’ to fight for services, opportunities, access, understanding, compassion and a quality education.
As a naturally optimistic person, I see the good in people all the time. The health and educational professionals providing services to people with disability also
want to see the NDIS supported. They often comment on how unfair the current system is in Queensland. We lose many good people who support people with disability because they feel they are pushing against a crumbling support system. Once they are gone, who will provide the essential services our family members with disability need so vitally?
It is time for the NDIS. We have talked and talked and talked - now is the time for all levels of government (local, state and federal) to band together to provide a system that is fair, equitable and provides for the needs of all people with disability in the community.
I agree for my submission to be made public