The Disability Information and Resource Centre

The first Australian 1 in 4 Poll is seeking people to respond to a survey on social inclusion. The Poll can be completed by:

• people with disability; and
• carers who are family members or who are paid. Carers can support a person with disability to complete the survey or can complete it themselves.

The information will be used by the researchers – Deakin University and Scope – and by National Disability Services (NDS) to influence government policy and inform future practice and research.

The 1 in 4 Poll is a national survey, to be conducted at regular intervals over the next 3 years. It takes its name from the fact that disability touches the lives of one in every four Australians – either directly or indirectly in the case of carers. It aims to provide a vehicle for people with disability to voice their opinions on current social issues.

The results from this survey may assist in building impetus for a National Disability Insurance Scheme and the implementation of the National Disability Strategy.

The Every Australian Counts campaign has a story on Jane and her 12 year old daughter who was born with cerebral palsy:

Jane and her 12 year old daughter Jessica are like many of us, busy running between appointments, juggling commitments and always short of time.

Sound familiar to you?

But for Jane and Jessica the NDIS could give them more time.

Jessica was born with cerebral palsy. She uses a wheelchair, cannot speak and needs round-the-clock care. And on top of everything else this family has to do, her mum Jane spends hours and hours filling out forms for support and respite care.

The NDIS could make a huge difference to a family like Jane and Jessica, with a tailored individual program for Jess to make sure she has what she needs and funding from one source.

Watch Jane tell her story.

Fill out a form to support the Every Australian Counts campaign.

Every Australian Counts has a video of Bill Shorten’s opening address to the National Disability and Carers Congress in Melbourne on 2 May 2011.

View the video here.

The Australian Productivity Commission released its draft report on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in late February. Further submissions closed on 30th April and the Final Report is due in July.

The Report found

the disability support ‘system’ overall is inequitable, underfunded, fragmented and inefficient [and] … it provides no certainty that people will be able to access appropriate supports when needed.

They recommended that an NDIS be established with a doubling of current funding to $12.5 billion/year.

A copy of the Disability Care and Support Draft Interim Report is available at www.pc.gov.au.

Every Australian Counts is the campaign for the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The Productivity Commission released its draft report into Disability Care and Support (also referred to as the National Disability Insurance Scheme – NDIS) on the 28th February 2011:

“The current disability support system is underfunded, unfair, fragmented, and inefficient, and gives people with a disability little choice and no certainty of access to appropriate supports. It is not a system”.

In a nut shell The NDIS will ensure ANY Australian who has a disability will be guaranteed appropriate care and support during their lives in an equitable non discriminatory manner. More information can be viewed at www.pc.gov.au.

On the Every Australian Counts site you’ll find stories on the experiences of people with disability, as well as arguments in favor of the introduction of an NDIS.

To add your support to the campaign click here.

Dignity for Disability (d4d) recently released the following on the Productivity Commissions report on a NDIS.

MEDIA RELEASE: 11th April 2011

Dear Member, Supporter or Friend of those with disability

If Kelly Vincent and the d4d team are going to be successful we need your support

First print up the d4d membership form and sign up and sign a friend. Then get focused on NDIS.

The last meeting between the Productivity Commission and the people of South Australia is near. d4d encourages its members to attend this important event on April 18th. It will be last chance that we, as a community, will have to influence the content of this final report on the NDIS by the Commission.

In the main, the d4d Policy Development Sub-Committee is satisfied that the initial report by the Commission meets many of the criteria in order to right the inadequacies and the needs within the Disability Sector. However, the sceptic in me believes that this process will be drawn out and many of our constituents need support today. We estimate that an immediate $2 billion is required to alleviate the current unmet need in Australia.

The fear though, is that the there is a genuine chance the State Governments will cease funding whilst they wait for the Federal Government to take over with the NDIS. Therefore, in addition to the immediate provision of $2 billion, the Federal Government should compel the State Governments, and in particular the Rann Government, to increase funding over the next two years.

We have produced a Draft document which contains an overview of the NDIS and some further recommendations for the Productivity Commissions Final Report. This document is located on our website, and as a d4d member, you have direct access to this document through the following link http://www.d4d.org.au/Resources/Documents/NDIS%20Final%20Draft%20Document.pdf .

The aim of the d4d Policy Development Sub-Committee is to produce various transparent disability policies, so that you, as a valued d4d member can influence and shape disability policy in South Australia. The benefit, as a member, extends to and includes direct email access to our d4d Policy Development Sub-Committee at d4dparty@gmail.com where your well-considered comments will be taken in to account within the guidelines of our d4d party policy protocols. These policy development protocols will be posted on our website after our next Sub-Committee meeting scheduled for April 21st.

And it is to that end we encourage our members to make comment on the NDIS policy and our d4d Policy Development Sub-Committee will take those comments into consideration. We will then provide a final written submission after the April 18th meeting to the Productivity Commission. Look forward to your input!

Cheers

Rick Neagle

dignity 4 disability (d4d) President

The Productivity Commission has undertaken an inquiry into a National Disability Long-term Care and Support Scheme and has recommended the establishment of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) and Women With Disabilities Victoria are inviting women with disabilities to a Forum in Melbourne to hear your thoughts on the proposed scheme.

Where: Level 8/255 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC

When: Monday, 11 April 2011

Time: 1pm – 4pm

RSVP: Thursday 7 April 2011

Contact: Shirley or Carolyn at the National WWDA Office

Phone: 03 6244 8288

Email: wwda@wwda.org.au

Please let WWDA know if you have any support, accessibility and/or dietary requirements. Afternoon tea will be provided. WWDA can also support participants with travel costs to and from the venue.

Numbers are limited, so get your RSVP back to WWDA as soon as possible!

Have your say on the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)!

The Productivity Commission’s Draft Report is available in a range of formats from:

http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/disability-support/draft

The National Disability and Carer Congress 2011: Make Every Australian Count, will be held on 2-3 May 2011 at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.

Convened by the National Disability & Carer Alliance, this event represents a not to be missed opportunity to examine, analyse, debate and discuss the proposal for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The conference will examine the interim report on Disability Care and Support released by the Productivity Commission, hear from international experts regarding developments in disability policy around the world, and, most importantly, feature the hopes for reform of people living with a disability, their families and carers.

Attendees will also have the chance to hear what our elected representatives believe needs to be done to better support people living with a disability, their families and carers in the community. Come along and hear what the future holds for people living with a disability, their families and carers, and the organisations that support them.

Registrations close at 5.00pm on Wednesday, 27 April 2011. To access online registration, the conference brochure and program please click here or contact Miriam Sosin on (02) 9256 3133 or email miriam.sosin@nds.org.au.

Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) and Women With Disabilities Victoria are inviting women with disabilities to a Forum in Melbourne to hear their thoughts on the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Where Level 8/255 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC

When Monday 11 April 2011

Time 1pm – 4pm

RSVP Thursday 7 April 2011

Contact Shirley or Carolyn at the National WWDA Office

Phone 03 6244 8288

Email wwda@wwda.org.au

For further details please read the flyer.

Rick Neagle, d4d President, recently released the following:

Last night, d4d held its first Board Meeting for the year. Our various sub-committees, which have been very active over the last six to seven weeks reported to the Board. We have met on a regular basis to begin realising our goals for 2011. The focus will be to further strengthen the party by increasing our membership base and raising funds through our long list of fundraising strategies and events. Your precious support is valuable and there will be more to come during the year about these activities.

Our primary focus is to support our MLC Kelly Vincent in the Parliament Office. This will be achieved by developing numerous policies around Kelly so that the d4d brand becomes stronger and stronger. Kelly, as the face of d4d, continues to represent our party in the media and the public with consistent flair and professionalism. The d4d Policy Development Sub-Committee has become very active as we strive to send Discussion Papers out to our members for comment on various policies. The Sub-Committee has considered our issue of being transparent through this process and so we’ve held strong debate over the proper protocol. We aim to develop policies immediately on supported accommodation and unmet need and as we proceed forward, the Sub-Committee will streamline the processes involved and begin forming other policies on education, employment and transport and so on. As I’ve said these Discussion Papers will be circulated around for input from our d4d members, so please join as member of d4d and have the opportunity to direct these evolving policies.

As always our message of human rights and dignity through choice will form the heart of our policies. People with Disabilities and the Carers within our communities are tired of the “welfare based” funding models offered to the Disability sector. It is time that the State Government and the Social Inclusion Board acknowledge that it is the right of people affected by disability to have the same opportunities as others.

Of course the hot topic at present is the recent release of the NDIS Report by the Productivity Commission. The feeling is buoyant in the Disability Community. It is an exciting time! After recent discussions with John Della Bosca, the NDIS Rally originally scheduled for March 23rd will be rescheduled at a later date, closer to the release of the Final Report and will be rebranded “Every Australian Counts”. The NDIS political campaign will support the new rally with its resources. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to attend community group meetings to further promote this scheme. Take time to speak to the unconverted, spread the word. Aim to tell 5 of your friends outside of the Disability Sector about the strong economic and social benefits of the NDIS. And it is important that all disability advocates and supporters work closely with NDIS to give a powerful and united voice under the “Every Australian Counts” theme.

We look forward to the ongoing support during 2011. It will be an exciting year, transformation is real and nearby!

Rick Neagle

d4d President

Read the original article.