More Funding and Resources are Needed for People with Disabilities. A National Insurance Scheme May Help.

People who have disabilities just want some dignity, some support and above all love. Whether they are born with a disability or become disabled later in life, they want to be able to live their lives as best they can. Financial burdens just add angst to their lives that could be avoided if Government funding was more easily accessed.

Anyone who has tried to find assistance or government funding for a disability, mental, or developmental condition will tell you it’s a nightmare of paperwork, bureaucratic jargon and lots of frustration. Families who find out that a child (or children) are diagnosed with, let’s say Autism as an example, have to deal with the emotional trauma, with the expenses of looking after a child with a developmental disability, and the bureaucratic issues as well.

These long term problems do not end when the child becomes an adult, as children with disabilities grow up to be adults with disabilities with possibly only their parents or other family member to care for them. It is these carers who need the government assistance as much as the person with the disability. When the person with the disability has the right funds and resources, the carer's job is a little easier.

http://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/

This Australian initiative, which uses the slogan “Every Australian Counts”, aims to assist Australians with disabilities, their families and their carers to find the resources they need in one easy scheme. This scheme aims to help people with disabilities have a better quality of life, both financially and emotionally. It also aims to give people better choice and control of resources for long-term disabilities.

Many of the resources are geared to early intervention when it comes to developmental disorders such as Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome which, when available, are an invaluable resource for families and carers. What happens when the child becomes too old for this type of resource and where do the funds come from for the extra interventions required to keep up the quality of life the early resources have provided?

The long term issues suffered by a person with a disability do not magically disappear. There was a case of a severely autistic child whose parents were checked on every year and asked whether their child had ‘become normal’ within the last year. Obviously the case worker lacked compassion and should not have been in such a sensitive job, needless to say a replacement was found and funding for the child was no longer an issue for this particular government department.

Physical and mental disabilities require anyone who works with people with these conditions to have compassion, patience and a sense of decency. Everyone responds better to someone who cares and the NDIS may not be the answer to all the issues faced by people with disabilities, but if passed and approved, it will address some of the financial burdens at the very least.

In August 2011 the Australian Government "announced that they share the vision for a National Disability Insurance Scheme and will begin laying the foundations for its introduction". This statement is only the beginning, there is still a long way to go before this initiative is implemented. The more people who join the campaign, the sooner this scheme can be implemented and be of use to all people with disabilities and their carers.

To receive a Disability Support Pension, to be able to access resources such as schools, medical professionals and carers, even for things such as respite care*, the red tape and paperwork can be daunting for parents as well as any adults who have disabilities and care largely for themselves. Many who apply for funding are declined and the reasons given are not always clear. This is a sign of over-extended government departments that cannot cope with the waiting lists.

When an appointment is granted there will be income and assets tests, medical tests to determine the severity of the disability and how it impacts on lifestyle, as well as some lengthy investigations into the person's life so far.

People with disabilities are not looking for handouts, they genuinely have a need for assistance for many reasons – not able to work full time; a parent may need to leave their employment to become a full time carer, there is a need to purchase special equipment such as wheelchairs or a specially fitted car, some rooms in the home may need to be modified so suit the disability and, not to be forgotten, are the on-going medical bills.

Physical and mental disabilities do not discriminate, poor or rich people can be born with disabilities or acquire them later in life. Having money to pay for disabled needs will help in the short term but no one has an infinite income source, they will require Government assistance and resources at some stage in their lives.

Initiatives such as the NDIS may help to alleviate some issues for disabled people and their carers so it’s important to support schemes such as these.

*Respite care - This is given to parents and carers as 'time out' from caring for their disabled child/adult where a facility is available to care for the disabled person, either for a night or a weekend. Unfortunately, this type of care can be expensive or not available at all in some areas.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme has been lobbied at Government level for some time, it is almost over the line but more support is needed. It is important for such a scheme to be passed and to work for people with disabilities and their carers, there will be times in everyone's lives when they may need assistance, especially as we age.

If you know someone who is affected with a disability then you must assist in the implementation of a scheme of this type. An NDIS or similar scheme would go a long way to help someone lead a better life, a disabled person would be happier and more confident. This in turn would make their carer's lives a little more carefree.

Help where you can, even if its just liking the NDIS Facebook page.

Here's some great news about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it may happen sooner than everyone thought -

"State and Territory governments agreed to deliver the foundational work for the National Disability Insurance Scheme by mid 2013 - a year earlier than the Productivity Commission recommended.

It is all your hard work and support that has made this happen. Your voices have been heard and all your campaigning has made a difference. Take a moment to reflect on how far we have all come together."

"Our politicians are listening. But we still need to get out in the community and make sure everyone understands why we need an NDIS"

Let's keep behind this worthy campaign.

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