As of Monday the Introduction of Disability Care Australia, previously know as the NDIS. However Disability Care promises to be more than a funding reform and change in the person holding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The legislation behind its introduction seeks to address so key human rights for people living with disability, their families and carers. The first thing to our heads around this new piece of legislation is it brings all Australians into line with the Unite Nations conventions for people living with disability. The drive towards the implementation of the structure the will become Disability Care Australia is to ensure all Australia's have equality.
Thus far I do not think we have had an enough discussion and debate on what this equality looks like in an Australian context. Recently at a National Conference - some said, Disability Care Australia, what is that? He highlighted on a conceptually level, we all have some based understanding that this will be the new system of supporting people with disability, their families and carers in Australia, but few of us understands how it will work structurally.
The first potential pot hole I can see between us and the mountain peak of the full implementation of Disability Care Australia is understanding the difference between conceptual level and the practicalities of how things will run on a day to day bases. Living in Queensland, where the current funding per head per populations for Queenslanders with disabilities is the lowest and perhaps unfairest state when it comes to access funding,
I fully appreciate the frustration of Queensland being one of the last states who will both introduce and then fully implement this new system. I also understands peoples desperation to grasp what this new system will look like for them and their families, especially for older Queenslanders experiencing disabilities, in which there is a sense or too little, to late.
I fully appreciate the frustration of Queensland being one of the last states who will both introduce and then fully implement this new system. I also understands peoples desperation to grasp what this new system will look like for them and their families, especially for older Queenslanders experiencing disabilities, in which there is a sense or too little, to late.
Negotiating the gap between where are personally on July 1, 2013 and where we will be (which for many is still pretty much undefined) when the NDIS is fully up and and running. Seems to add additional pain for Australians who have been pinning the hopes on its introduction of years.
For Queenslanders this frustration is enfolded by confusion which is been added to by some changes being made by the Department of Communities ~ Disability Services in Queensland at the very same time the introduction of Disability Care Australia is occurring in other parts of Australia.
In 2012 some Queenslanders living with disability are been given the opportunity to change to self-directed funding under current state government. While this funding will be managed in a similar manner to funding provided under Disability Care Australia. there will be fundamental differences in eligibility and what is being funded. Essentially both systems have been designed to give clients and families greater say in how they are supported.
Self-Directed Funding (2012 Queensland only)
Known as My Life My Choices was offered too families receiving family funding packages and
some individuals receiving post school packages. If you receive other types of funding packages
through the Queensland Department of Disability Services you are not eligibility to self directed
funding. Unlike the self directed funds funding to be rolled out under Disability Care Australia,
the provision of mobility and communication aides is not included.
Disability Care Australia (From July 1 2013 in the five launch sites)
Will ensure care, support and equipment provision for all Australians with disability under the age
of 65. Where a person has reached the age of 65 when Disability Care Australia is launch in
their community, their care will be provided by the federal government through the aged care system.
To be eligible for Disability Care Australia you must have a significant permanent disability that
impacts your ability to undertake daily tasks without assistance or supervision.
For Queenslanders this means once the system is fully operational more Queenslanders and
there families will be eligible for support. We will see and end to 'packaging'. Everyone will
receive assistance in the same way according to the goals the come to agreement with their
local office office of Disability Care Australia and all Australians with a disability will finally
have the same access to medical, mobility and communications devices, seeing an end to
means testing. .
have the same access to medical, mobility and communications devices, seeing an end to
means testing. .
This means an end to funding being assigned on the biases of diagnoses. Not all Australians
living with disability have an official diagnoses. So now these people too care receive support.
Appropriate support will be given to allow people living with disabilities to achieve their
goals and lifestyles choices.
If you currently live in Queensland and have any questions or concerns around the type of funding you receive you can either talk to your support service provider or community link officer if you have one. During the gap period for Queenslanders, we will continue to see changes to the way our state funding is managed it is important for us to recongise what are the changes happening for me 'today', while engaging in discussion for a future under Disability Care Australia,
o Disability Care Australia what is it? One of the major dips in the road is people are having trouble grasping is what this system of support will look like once it enters our homes, our schools, our communities and workplaces. Those who current receive support want to know what are the changes? Will I lose any support? The good news is the federal government has promised no Australian with a disability will be worst off in terms of hours of direct support and the provision of essential equipment under Disability Care. In Queensland something like additional 50, 000 Queenslanders will begin to receive support with this like personal care, feeding, meal prep, assistance with house work and transport, respite care for families and oler carers, more people will be able to move into supported accommodation, motor viecheal and home modifications will be paid for and people will be able to access early intervention.
The major shift in the par-dime to understand is not how people will be supported by why people with be supported. Australians with disability and their families are more likely to experience social isolation, unemployment or underemployment, provity and difficulties accessing things like training, education and health care. By removing the barriers created by disability where possible (we need to acknowledge it will not be possible for those who are profoundly impaired, but the government still is responsible to improve the benchmark significantly) people, their families and caregivers can enter into the fullness of life in the community of their choices.
This shift is to empower every Australian to have direction and lifestyle choices for their lives, or their family members life, so where ever possible these Australians can experience full inclusion and economic equality.
To achieve this Disability Care will look at an individual or the individual family unit seeking support. Not at a bunch medical and OT report. It will ask what the clients hopes and dreams for their future are. Rather than make funding available on the based of out dated formulas. Funding will now be tied to goals and enabling the person or family to achieve their goals. For each client that will now look very different according to the pathways the choose. This is the thing that excites me most about NDIS. The empowerment of individuals to make choices just like any other Australian.
The pot holes in the road are building an Australian society that will allow the full engagement of people with disabilities. This means building communities that are accessible to all Australians. Until recently access has been seen as an issue for Australians who have a mobility impairment. However as I begin the access debate this is far from the access issues present in my mine. As we modernised Australia we can address physical barriers and improve much communication access through technology. What is hard to change is the major shift in community attitudes needed for full social inclusion and economic equality.
.
Traditionally people living with disability have been supported in segregated areas of our communities, such as special schools, residential communities, respite centers, group homes, sheltered or supported employment or specialized activities for people with disability. Although increasingly seen in the community engaging in activities, the sense of segregation or 'differences' remains marked.
People experiencing disability as part of their lives tell us this is not how they define social inclusion. Social inclusion implies that someone is accepted in the community and view as any other member of the community. Where parts of our community are in accessible for one reason or another; (this could be physical access, lack of appropriate communication, technology, noise or lighting issues, lack of appropriate supports or general inappropriate attitudes) the are great roads to be built up the mountain before the ideologies and goals under the Disability Care Australia can fully be achieve.
Only a few have fully comprehended how the NDIS relates as a humane rights issue for those Australians with Disability. Queenslanders are fortunate to have the luxuary of time to debate, learn, listen anf create an inclusive community before Disability Care Australia opens it doors in our state. Self-directed funding begins to allow some families the experiences of chosing how they want to be supported to achieve their goals. As these people learn and grow to be empowered to made their own choices, as a community we have a responsibility to make our communities accessible for all Australian regardless of the type of impairment. Our stairs must make way for ramps, our signs must learn to talk, our officers must be accommodating, our telecommunications systems must be fully accessible, our streets and transport system able to be accessible, our public servants and retailers ready to converse with those who are challenged by a full range of communication difficulties and we all need to be ready to embrace those different to ourselves.
These are the challenges that we face as Disability Care Australia is rolled out in full. If you want to know more about Disability Care Australia, eligibility, what assistance will be available I suggest you visit the website and use the online access tool or talk too your existing provider. If you want to know more about building an accessible community and how technology can play a role you can email me or contact your local council about access issues.
If you want to assist in creating a inclusive society start engaging with people living with disability and enjoy what they have to offer.
o Disability Care Australia what is it? One of the major dips in the road is people are having trouble grasping is what this system of support will look like once it enters our homes, our schools, our communities and workplaces. Those who current receive support want to know what are the changes? Will I lose any support? The good news is the federal government has promised no Australian with a disability will be worst off in terms of hours of direct support and the provision of essential equipment under Disability Care. In Queensland something like additional 50, 000 Queenslanders will begin to receive support with this like personal care, feeding, meal prep, assistance with house work and transport, respite care for families and oler carers, more people will be able to move into supported accommodation, motor viecheal and home modifications will be paid for and people will be able to access early intervention.
The major shift in the par-dime to understand is not how people will be supported by why people with be supported. Australians with disability and their families are more likely to experience social isolation, unemployment or underemployment, provity and difficulties accessing things like training, education and health care. By removing the barriers created by disability where possible (we need to acknowledge it will not be possible for those who are profoundly impaired, but the government still is responsible to improve the benchmark significantly) people, their families and caregivers can enter into the fullness of life in the community of their choices.
This shift is to empower every Australian to have direction and lifestyle choices for their lives, or their family members life, so where ever possible these Australians can experience full inclusion and economic equality.
To achieve this Disability Care will look at an individual or the individual family unit seeking support. Not at a bunch medical and OT report. It will ask what the clients hopes and dreams for their future are. Rather than make funding available on the based of out dated formulas. Funding will now be tied to goals and enabling the person or family to achieve their goals. For each client that will now look very different according to the pathways the choose. This is the thing that excites me most about NDIS. The empowerment of individuals to make choices just like any other Australian.
The pot holes in the road are building an Australian society that will allow the full engagement of people with disabilities. This means building communities that are accessible to all Australians. Until recently access has been seen as an issue for Australians who have a mobility impairment. However as I begin the access debate this is far from the access issues present in my mine. As we modernised Australia we can address physical barriers and improve much communication access through technology. What is hard to change is the major shift in community attitudes needed for full social inclusion and economic equality.
.
Traditionally people living with disability have been supported in segregated areas of our communities, such as special schools, residential communities, respite centers, group homes, sheltered or supported employment or specialized activities for people with disability. Although increasingly seen in the community engaging in activities, the sense of segregation or 'differences' remains marked.
People experiencing disability as part of their lives tell us this is not how they define social inclusion. Social inclusion implies that someone is accepted in the community and view as any other member of the community. Where parts of our community are in accessible for one reason or another; (this could be physical access, lack of appropriate communication, technology, noise or lighting issues, lack of appropriate supports or general inappropriate attitudes) the are great roads to be built up the mountain before the ideologies and goals under the Disability Care Australia can fully be achieve.
Only a few have fully comprehended how the NDIS relates as a humane rights issue for those Australians with Disability. Queenslanders are fortunate to have the luxuary of time to debate, learn, listen anf create an inclusive community before Disability Care Australia opens it doors in our state. Self-directed funding begins to allow some families the experiences of chosing how they want to be supported to achieve their goals. As these people learn and grow to be empowered to made their own choices, as a community we have a responsibility to make our communities accessible for all Australian regardless of the type of impairment. Our stairs must make way for ramps, our signs must learn to talk, our officers must be accommodating, our telecommunications systems must be fully accessible, our streets and transport system able to be accessible, our public servants and retailers ready to converse with those who are challenged by a full range of communication difficulties and we all need to be ready to embrace those different to ourselves.
These are the challenges that we face as Disability Care Australia is rolled out in full. If you want to know more about Disability Care Australia, eligibility, what assistance will be available I suggest you visit the website and use the online access tool or talk too your existing provider. If you want to know more about building an accessible community and how technology can play a role you can email me or contact your local council about access issues.
If you want to assist in creating a inclusive society start engaging with people living with disability and enjoy what they have to offer.
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