The NDIS is not optional!

The federal government and Tony Abbot along with all Australians need to understand that the  National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is not an optional extra for Australia. The NDIS is a revolution this nation needs to begin to address the Human Rights of people living with disabilities and their families.

The scheme in its current format only begins to address some of the Human Rights and years of neglect, people with disabilities and their families have experience. Assistance to have our daily needs meet such as toileting, showering, feeding, transport and equipment needs are not 'optional extras', when they can be afforded. 

Every  human being needs water, food, shelter and love to survive.  The introduction of the NDIS only begins to address these very basic human needs for people with disabilities.  Without support people with disabilities can not get out of bed, go to the toilet or eat.  Some in our community, speak about the scheme as if luxuries were being provided to people with disabilities. Needing someone to change your incontinent aid is not a luxury.

Excuse me for becoming blunt about the daily living needs of those of us have disabilities, but until the community and all members of government fully understands the urgent need to address the Human Rights violations occurring in one of the wealthiest nations in the world, then we have a problem. The UN knows it, the International Community knows it,  The government knows it, and its time the Australian population knows it too.

If I posted a picture of a women in a nursing home bed, who hadn't been changed in 24 hours and was lying in human waste there would be outraged. Outrage for all the wrong reasons. Outrage that I exposed this lady to the public eye, not out rage that it was occurring! 

When we politely discuss the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, we tend to hold up the champions and it ideals. While the ideals of the scheme are a huge leap forward in securing the some of the Human Rights of people with disabilities, it does nothing to address vicolance against women with disabilities living in nursing homes, fails to empower women with intellectual disabilities to access the justice system, fails to prevent the imprisonment of men with intellectual disabilities unfit to stand trail; fails to protect unborn children with disabilities from termination and continues to fail to address the needs of people with disabilities living in nursing homes under the age of thirty because the cost of the care is too high.

As we debate what the scheme should cost, what it was expected to cost, how to fund the scheme for who and to what degree, we miss the injustices occurring! Like it or not even if the NDIS is fully implemented as designed by the productivity commission only some of these human rights issues are address. 

When I hear we might not be able to be afford, so these are trails the can be stopped. . . I cringe because people have failed to understand, the human rights message that is the Everybody Counts Campaign.

We here much about the costs and the increasing pressure the blow out costs with place on the budgets around the country. We forget that the National Disability Insurance Scheme will only partially be funded  by the increase to our medicare levy and the viability of the NDIS is also dependent on our state leaders. So much about the scheme, its role in improving human rights and funding arrangements is misunderstood. 

For many in our community it s simple change in funding arrangements, but talk to those who are already benefiting from what we were told was a roll out . . . and we realise the scheme dose much more than fund the basic support needs of people living with disabilities. The NDIS hands them the keys to enjoy ever aspect of life as any other member of the Australian society.  It acknowledges  people with disabilities have the same rights and that includes sharing a house and a bed in that house as a couple, whether they a married, defatos or a same sex couple.  Same country then we have the same rights!

It sounds a bit different when we say, Hang on we're married, we want to share the same bed . . . we need a modified bed to do that. Why should the government on fund beds designed for single people living with a disability or only if the were married.  If we're going to call it equality make us equal. If its only tokenism wrapped up as equality, we have a problem  because with what is a luxury and what is not.  

The equality that the National Disability Insurance Scheme can bring and continue to build on.  The opportunities for early intervention, access to better therapies, communication devices, mobility aids, transport. education and employment opportunities are just a beginning on how the scheme will improve the quality of life for Australians living with disability, their families and the community as a whole.   Mr Abbot the NDIS is not optional, so stopping talking like it is!

Australia again we must united until Every Australian Counts!  

Accessibility in an Inclusive Society

Living for a revolution . . . for many the introduction of the NDIS is nothing more than a change is the way the support needs of those living with disability.  However, the ideals of the NDIS campaign extend far beyond providing support for people needs.  The induction of Disability Care Australia signals an end to funding based on which box you tick and what your impairment prevents you from doing.

The driving force behind its introduction is to see a rise in the participation rates of people with disabilities and the family members who provide primary unpaid care. Until now Australian society has played lip service to the social inclusion of people living with disabilities. Having a family member acquire a disability or a child being born with a disability can be just a social isolating for the carers and siblings of the person with impairment.

Often the only social inclusion for a sibling of a child with disabilities is there schooling.  As parents care for the child who has special needs, other siblings are deprivation of attention.  Providing care can also meaning siblings miss out on activities such as music or sporting activities.  Where a sibling has a behavioural or social disability, inclusion in community activities can be impossible with out respite care.

As we focus on the possibilities under Disability Care Australia, The biggest access we much overcome is our disabling attitudes.  For too long in our society we have hidden those with disabilities and their families way in small pockets of our community under the cover of 'speacialness'.   There is nothing inclusive about activities that only 'special people' can participate in. Things like S-trope (the 'S' is 'special) and supported workshops in my own community spring to mind.  Programs that are inclusive driven be participating in what are everyday community activities, but adaptive for those with specific needs.  While many of these activities have played a vital role in building a person's self esteem. The also contribute to social isolation of those living with disability.

By far our biggest challenge to full social inclusion is a society and communities that are largely inaccessible to many people whose lives are impacted by disability.   Accessible society are much more than ramps, parking and toilet amenities for those who struggle with mobility issues.  Australian communities are so far behind the eight ball when it comes to accessibility communities.  This is the number one barrier we need to address if we are to bridge the divide in terms of social  inclusion.

While our public admendities, transport systems, public schools, universities, finical institutions, sporting and recreational facilities and places of cultural interests continue to be inaccessible to any Australian residents, measures to build social inclusion levels in our local communities will be hard fought for.  Whether inaccessibility is physical or attitudinal in nature the barriers still need to be torn down and torn down quickly. 

When it comes to creating accessible communities Australia lags on the lower bottom of the ladder in the Western World in so many areas.  One of the social targets for the NDIS is employment of people with disabilities.  With work places inaccessible to many Australians to ensure reform targets for employment are meet, we must address these issues.  Changing social policy with addressing access issues can not build an inclusive society.

Currently the Australian economy is one of the healthiest in the world and yet we rate 21st out of 28 in the development counties for the employment of people with disability. People whose lives are impacted by disability in Australia are more likely to be living on the poverty line than in other Western countries. We as Australians should feel ashamed of this recorded. I expect in true Aussie style we live happily unaware of these embarrassing figures

For me these statics reflect our failure to value all Australians are equal.  Our attitudes continue to limit the opportunities we offer to those with certain impairments.  Those not expected or encourage to perform and push the boundaries beyond what is possible will continue to under-perform. If you expect people with disabilities to step up to the bar, can I suggest we at least stop lowering the bar so low that all require of these Australians to step over it.

That is indeed what we do every time we create an artificial community in which the is no real competition measure success.  If we want our children to thrive in a competitive community we set a standard and ask the child to me it.  Unless he or she has a disability and then we say, just do your best.  By not encouraging them to search for success in the same way as other children, instead labeling them is 'special', we are leading them into a life of mediocrity, dependency, social isolation and propriety. We unwitting have decide their lives are best that way and 'they don't know any better.

These attitudes, values and standards are not present in many other Western Countries. All children are required to attend school.  A child with special needs given appropriate support can attend a public school. In the united States where the bar for these children are the same height as any other child, they are out performing their Australian counterparts. We have a huge leap to make before see full employment for people with disabilities.

We are unlikely to accept any attempts by employers for tokenism and the underemployment of the past.  With the NDIS revolution rolling out across country, all employers should feel put on noticed.  The federal government has set the wheels in motion, so to speak to give people the support they need to be at work on time.  Employers are now duty bound to make sure their worker places are accessible for any Australian who may or may not have a disability.

As we seen with the CEO of Myers, one of the largest retail chains in Australia the days of make excuses for the inability to employ some living with disability are number.  Australia its time for all of us to raise the bar and expect more of ourselves.

Count us all in!