What is the NDIS?
Q & A June 25th debated the impact, trials & tribulations of the NDIS which is a National Disability Insurance Scheme which is hailed as a important piece of bipartisan legislation on par with the development of Medicare in Australia.
In a nutshell the NDIS is an individual package of financial support for participant’s with a disability or mental health from a psycho-disablity perspective. It’s sole purpose is to foster self determination and what I call a ‘voice & choice’ on how participants wish to live their lives and access a range of vocations e.g employment and more inclusive social participation. Sadly not everyone will benefit as accessibility is still widely debated.
It was both inspirational and frustrating to hear people’s experience of the scheme so far and how it has changed peoples lives.
What struck me the most was the continued barriers to employment and hearing the frustration of individuals attempting to persuade employers that they are employable. It is an underuse of potential, skills and talent that is completely untapped and I know from experience having an inclusive workforce is one of the best investments businesses can make especially in terms of work ethics.
Many years ago I had the privilege to supervise a young social work student who had a degenerative eye disease which meant her sight would diminish quite rapidly the older she became, by the end of her placement she was using a cane which she previously wasn’t when she started.
When she successfully completed her studies she was employed by NSW Health as the first person to have a guide dog to assist her in her clinical work as a social work practitioner. Eventually you didn’t ‘see’ her as the ‘blind’ social worker but a bloody good and passionate one.
CALL TO ACTION – RAISE AWARENESS!
A country is judged or rather measured by how they treat their most vulnerable members. In fact the word ‘communities’ should never be taken for granted for it infers that we are all ‘included’ as a ‘community’ and in reality that is not the case for many with special needs.
The NDIS is an important and most welcomed scheme hopefully it will ‘bridge yet another gap’ and call on community to provide a seat at the ‘table’ for all forms of intellectual, physical & mental disability as it’s meant to be.
Partnership for Growth are registered providers for therapeutic counselling services under capacity building.
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