Here’s my two cents on the Reality of NDIS or Disability
Care Australia. The introduction of Disability Care Australia is about eight weeks away
form introduction. Regardless of how you feel or view its introduction is about
be rolled out. Both sides federal government are on agreement on the
introduction of a ‘federal oversight for disability support services.
Today’s announcement of an increase to the medicare levy has
nothing to do with people with disabilities or us the NDIS campaigners, so
sorry if I’m a little taken back by the small minority of taxpayers who are
venting their dislike to the increase to the medicare levy. Which for all intentionally purposes is a
form of tax, which the labour government has decided will be used to fund
Disability Care.
Regardless of how the government choses to balance the books
of the upcoming federal government is incorrect to put it at the feet of those
of us who have disabilities. We are not the cause of your medicare levy just
people who by default may or may not benefit.
May I add that people with disabilities and their carers are
also tax payers. The media commentators
are behaving like all people who may benefit for the introduction of Disability
Care Australia are unemployable. Don’t worry commentators aren’t the only ones
who are month off by misusing facts and figures. The plenty of people with disability and
family carers with mixed view on the introduction of the scheme. A new government is once again asking us to
trust them to get the funding arrangements for ‘our care’; ‘our equipment and
medical needs’ and ‘our therapies needs’ right.
To our fellow taxpayers this many be about dollars and cents
to you, but for those of us the live with disabilities, our families and
carers, this is about who gets us out of bed and feeds us breakfast? Disability Care is about my right to chose
what time I get up in the morning and whether
I want a shower before or after work. These are choices our fellow
Australians take from granted. The choice to be assisted to go to the toilet or
wear a incontinent pad all day. Let’s
get the fact straight we’re not asking for a trip to sea world once a year, for
some of us having the right to most basic choices is what we have campaign for.
A very small percentage of people who will be eligible for
support from Disability Care Australia will have very high dependency support
needs resulting in 24 hr care. Yes these
people form a portion of the recipients who are unable to work and contribute to
the federal governments income. However
regardless of who we are and the hours of week we work we the consumers all pay
tax its called GST.
The issues surround the introduction of Disability Care
Australia are merkly and I get a lot of needs to be define answers to
questions. We are going into this new
arrange based on a knowledge of what we know.
Many people reliant on support services are very sceptical and just
expect more of the same with new packaging.
But what is promised to be delivered is a 21st century approach to the 21st needs and choices of people with disabilities.
The NDIS campaign has been based on the desire of people
with disabilities, their families and carers to be included in every aspect of
society. For people the level of
inclusion will vary will their individual compasitiy to participate. For a
small group of about 6 000 young adults it is the opportunity to choice
alternative accommodation to aged care facilities, for each individual that will look different
depending on a number of lifestyle choices.
This a revolutionary system designed to be driven by the market
demands of the individuals who are eligible to use it. Services will cease to be able to dictate how
and when they will meet the ‘perceived needs’ of their clients, hence many are
on the back foot and defensive. If clients don’t -want to attend respite care
but chose one-to-care to go off to tafe, uni or study from home, providing the
individual has the $ to purchase the service must provide it or the client is
free to go to the market and use the funding to access a service that allows
him to buy one-to-one care. Likewise if
a client wants five days a week centre based care to meet their high support and social
interaction needs at the same time, provided they have they funding they can
make that choice.
Funding will no longer be calculated on meeting needs,
rather on enabling the person to achieve the goals, which will be driven be lifestyles
choice. To image assistance to training and work require huge changes to my
thinking. Until now if you could study or work in open employment support was
not an option. Now if some choses to
work and support worker can go in at lunch to support them feed them lunch and
attend to needs.
A parent will be able
to chose any school for their child. Rather
than be dependent on schools who provided the needed educational support, the
government under the ndis most support the families choice as long as them meet
the stated goals. For a child with a
hearing impairment that may mean an interrupter for the school day. A hearing
impaired child will be able to attend a local school weather they living in
Alice Springs or Port Lincoln.
While employment for people with disabilities remains the
biggest challenge under the Disability Care Australia, its introduction and
market driven client choice could mean creation of new jobs as people with
disabilities seek out new opportunities and new possibilities in the way the
achieve their lifestyle goals. Teachers-aid
for impaired maybe able to assist with another children in the same class parents
could then chose to pool the resources
and purchase other therapies such as early intervention speech theraphy or
physio stimulation.
Such a fundamental shift in the way funding is distributed
means a huge shift in the way each of us thinks about the support needs. Is there any wonder why myths, confusion and uncertainty
exist. Now I get why we need 5 years, to completely dismantle systems across
the states and territories and built an new system based on market place demand
and supply mechanisms . A service can
offer any type of service they like, buy it will be the purchase power of the
clients with there funding who shape what is viable in the area.
It no service meets their needs or they simply chose not to
use a service they can directly employ their staff themselves and that has a
lot of people worried.
Eligibility for the scheme is not means tested. It is base on what is fair and reasonable.
Right now much equipment, motor vechial and home modification are means tested
or not offered. If you need a wheelchair
get around your house in is unreasonable to expect siblings to carry you or
push you in a oversize stroller. Access to mobility aids should be dependent on
exposable income or fundraising. Parent
should have to have cake stalls at school gates to buy a child a
wheelchair.
At the risk of offend my fellow taxpayers independent
mobility is a basic human right, a wheelchair is just as essential as clean
drinking water. Yes people can survive
without it but they should have not. All
Australians who are eligible under Disability care should be entitle to a
mobility device, a guide or assistance dog, car and house modifications
regardless of their income.
I my view the NDIS or Disability Care should where possible
be on an even playing field for me that’s providing a power wheelchair, some
help around home and a worker to help me safely access the community while I am
performing one of my many community roles.
Is not about providing care but enabling all Australians
the fighting chance to reach that potential.
Until we squash this nourish of ‘need’ or ‘charity’ in
supporting people with disabilities. Until we get that this is not icing on the
cake. Until people understand the NDIS is
about an equal right to choice for all Australians. People will continue to
struggle to understand what the NDIS aims to achieve. I can’t give you a
picture of what NDIS looks like, because for each of us it will look totally
different. That’s the trouble there is nothing we can compare it too.
Well my fellow Australian’s that’s more than my two and a
half cents worth. So its over to you let me know what you think.
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