Have your say on the design of the NDIS

The National Disability and Carers Alliance – comprised of AFDO, Carers Australia, National Disability Services and in conjunction with People with Disability Australia to represent people with disability, carers and the disability sector – with funding support from Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) will be holding forums and wide-ranging discussions with people with disability, their families, carers, service providers and their advocates to work through the nuts and bolts of this major change represented by a NDIS.

This project will make sure people with a disability, their families and carers and service providers have their say about the design and implementation of the NDIS.

Over the course of the project, the Alliance will:

Hold large public meetings in each capital city from late August through to mid October. Some of these meetings will be jointly held for people with disability, their families and carers, while others will be separate;

Hold engagement meetings in rural and regional locations from late August to mid-October. These meetings will be joint meetings for people with disability, their families and carers, and service providers;

Hold service provider consultations in capital cities and regional centres.

Engage with people with disability, their families and carers and service providers online through the Alliance website and Facebook pages;

Run focus groups later in the year to discuss specific issues or the needs of specific population groups;

Attend meetings about the NDIS;

Hold engagement meetings around the country when the government has a blueprint for the NDIS.

Information about the consultations for people with disability, carers/families and service providers will be available on the Alliance website from 9 August 2012 and will be regularly updated as new dates are confirmed, www.disabilitycareralliance.org.au If you have any questions about the engagement project, please contact:

AFDO: Leah (NDIS Engagement Project Officer) at leah.hobson@afdo.org.au or on 03 9662 3324.

People with Disability Australia: Ngila Bevan at NgilaB@pwd.org.au or on 02 9370 3100

Carers Australia: Anna Morison at AMorison@carersaustralia.com.au or on 02 6122 9900

National Disability Services: Belinda Wallin at Belinda.Wallin@nds.org.au or on 03 8341 4300

4 Comments

julie coleman 9 August, 2012 at 2:46 pm

hello
theres alot of us with disabilities and metal health concerns with all people at all ages and we need the goverments help by caring about the people who are suffering in silence
We are counting on you t and have already had own hand up waiting for something to be done to show we do care about the people in this country and will not let them suffer because of their disability. Please find in our heart to help the people with disabilities and mental health so we know you will stand up beside us.
Regards
Julie Coleman

Reply
Rex Ramanathan 10 August, 2012 at 10:44 pm

1. NDIS must be handled by one organisation ( Parent Body) and be answerable to the Federal Government. The state governments should not have any role other than providing the accommodation and manpower.
2. Proper accounting with close supervision of caring programes should be maintained at all times.
3. Frequent audits should be carried out on the care programs and not checks of paper trails or self auditing
4. Proper accounting practises with checks and balances of all monetary transaction should be adhered to with regular auditing by an independant body must be maintained.
5. Regular training and upgrading of skills should be handled by the parent body

We do not want a repeat of the rotting that took place with the pink bats and now the Apprentice Training Scheme. Folks with disability must be given the best care at all times regardless of the current political enviorenment.

Reply
Simone Stevens 12 August, 2012 at 10:03 am

I would like to be apart of this as a person with a disability living in the Barwon Region of Geelong and as a self – advocate.

Can you please e – mail me ASAP with the the details of being apart of this PLEASE

Reply
Wendy Spencer 13 August, 2012 at 4:33 pm

I am wondering if the Medicare option would be the best way to go. It worked well for the dental scheme and negates the problems of lodging funds with a miriad of service providers.

I must admit that I do have some trepidation at the thought of service providers having a large input into the design of the scheme, especially since it has been the culture of some providers to operate by disenfranchising their clients of their rights. Changing ingrained culture can be a big ship to turn around and once again it will be the most vulnerable who will suffer.

Reply