The Role of Possibilities

One of the key driving questions in the introduction of Disability Care Australia is What Is Possible? What might a child or adult who acquires a disability later in life be able to achieve if the are given opportunities to receive early intervention and appropriate supports to allow people to achieve their goals. 

Among my friendship networks we had a saying, 'the only disability that limits us is a bad attitude!'  The will always be a small group of individuals who will chose to have a defeatist attitude. However some of the individuals in this group do not have disabilities.  Some of these defeatists are the parents and guardians of those living with disabilities.  Some of these defeatists are teachers, educators, employers, social workers and support workers.  

Among those who are best qualified to assist us in reaching our full potential by enabling us as individuals to set realistic goals for the future are pessimistic about a future even one under the watch of Disability Care Australia.  Luckily these were distance voices in amongst those who championed the NDIS campaign.

Unfortunately we need these champions to keep raising their voices to reminds us what the phrase Everybody Counts means. "Everybody" includes the full spectrum of people living with disabilities. Whether it a young child living in  a family unit or a older adult who has been in long term residential care accommodation.  Regardless of age or type of guardianship arrangements of people living with disabilities the introduction of the new model of Disability Care in Australia, acknowledges the United Nations, Human Rights Convention the all people regardless of the level of ability have a right to choice. 

Under disability Care Australia we hope to see an end to the role of labeling in determining the amount of funding a personal with a disability receives. Each individual who is supported under Disability Care Australian will be asked to set goals for themselves,  a family member or someone who they are guardian for. In cases where that is the Adult Guardian Board I believe the are conflict of interest that need to be addressed and these people need greater access to advocacy in exploring their future under Disability Care Australian.  

How can people with profound disabilities make informed choices for their lives when they do not know or understand the choices and the alternatives. If Disability Care Australia is to remain true to their charter and mission we need to a method to inform and assist with avocation of those who have been in long term care accommodation. If everyone truly counts, then these people should to be offered choices and opportunities to enrich there lives. I don't have the answers, but boy do we advocates need to ask the questions of those who write the policies to protect the most vulnerable or vulnerable.  

We need to see an end to one size fits all approach to care and support of people living with disabilities and their families.  We need to recognized these are individuals, with individual likes and dislikes, simple question like what colour the like to wear?  What are the type of thinks they like to wear? and meal choices, for long term residential care residents is the way to introduce the concept of choice and achieve some sense of self-determination in their lives.

What the possibilities are for me as university graduate all living independently in the community will look very different to someone who has lived all the adult lives in a group home and very different again to a children recently diagnosed with Autism. 

While the question of what is possible? Will need to be explored for each individual and the family unit in which the individual lives and is supported by will be the same.  The list of possibilities will different according to our age, our family background, type of disabilities, level of functioning, intellectual functioning and ability to reason, guardianship arrangements, education background, social networks, support networks, interest, current employment or employment opportunities and many other factors. 

You see how asking one simple question to give people individual choice, creates a complexity of responses, which we can not even begin to explore here.  Disability Care Australia will be required to give a individual response to each individual and there family applying for support.         

Giving people real choices about their lives and the way they wish to be supported both creates endless possibilities and endless complexities. Complexities to which solutions much be found, but the reason why we need to journey slowly and gently together to bring disability Care Australia to its completed destination of caring for all Australians living with a primate and significant disability who are under the age of 65. 

The challenge ahead to to hold tight to the principles Disability Care Australia is founded on and hold governments, agencies, advocates and service providers responsible for delivering on the promises made to us as individuals as Disability Care Australia was launch.  Until every Australian counts the fight is not won.