Is it time to rethink disability?

Disability should not be a barrier to employment!

The introduction of the NDIS legislation and the discussions around its introduction and how the scheme will be administrated, has highlighted to me is the numerous misconceptions in the community about people with disabilities.

From Cape York to Hobart the needs and support people with disability and the families and full-time carers, vary considerably. My last post was called From welfare to community engagement, highlighted one of the predicted flow-ons of the NDIS was increased community participation for people with a disability and their families.

When we talk about this disability, what images each of us sees in our mind is very different depending on our life experience.  With 4 million Australian's experiencing some type of disability changes are that each of us knows someone with a disabilities.  However, no everyone with a disabilities will requires support.  The NDIS is designed to assist those people who require assistance to complete daily living tasks through funding for equipment to assist with mobility and communication, early intervention programs, access to respite care services and medical care that is additional to costs provide to by the medicare system.

Despite the hopes and perceptions of some pockets of the disability community the NDIS will not be giving anyone a direct payment.  To that end the use of the word 'insurance' has for some been misleading.  The notion that a person will be able to share their funding for mobility aids with 'the mob' is unfounded. It angers me that the media has even allowed these stories to be circulated. There is enough confusion and public education that needs to occur with out the media running these types of stories.

Rightly so there are many questions concerning the set up costs and the full cost to the Australian tax payer. I have read and head many different figures and projects in the last 12 months.  But until the trial is fully operational I suspect may figures to be tossed around. The current government costings through the Productivity Commission estimates a fully functional NDIS will cost an additional $6.3 billion per year to what us already being spent.

However for all governments public spending is a balancing act and in terms of the NDIS what isn't being discussed at least in the media is the savings to the community as people with disabilities move away form the tradition welfare system toward community engagement.  There is a wide spread misconception that people with disabilities are non employable and the costs of workplace modifications are not cost effect, despite research study after research study showing employees with a disability take less leave and experience lees workplace accidents.

In terms of gaining employment the physical and attitudinal barriers are insurmountable for the majority of us. This is certainly my own experience.  I certainly don't challenge the conciseness, that I am unemployable in the traditional workforce due to my seizure disorder. However, like a percentage of people with disability I am an underutilized resource and self-employment at a part-time level is achievable.  A fact highlighted by my participation in the Leaders For Tomorrow Training Program.

My employment barriers are attitudinal, even as an unpaid volunteer community attitudes and assumptions frustrate me.  My management role in the disability sector creates confusion and yet also opens up opportunities to educate those who should be most aware.  Many times until I am introduced as the Vice-President of the organization it is assumed I am a client and/or I have an intellectual disability. This attitudes frustrate me as I am constantly needing to verbalize my CV before I conduct business transitions, which is why I love not having those barriers while working online.

Pictures of peoples with disabilities in their working places being posted online how much public education is yet to be achieve. 

So how about you? Is it time for you to look at what disability is? Let me assure you people with disabilities don't need handouts. We want to engage in the community. Are you ready to help provide that opportunity?