The CEO of the Port Macquarie-based disability service provider ACES has challenged Cowper candidates to take seriously the voting power of people with disabilities, their families and supporters.
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The peak body for non-government disability services, National Disability Services, says Cowper has 4200 residents eligible for services funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
This potential voting block, their families and the organisations that support them are looking for clear signs from their local candidates that they would be strong advocates for disability services in parliament.
NDS’s data also shows that when fully implemented in Cowper, the NDIS will create 798 new full-time-equivalent jobs in disability services, and boost the local economy by spending $151 million on disability supports, equipment and other services.
Ms Wonderley described the NDIS as ‘good social policy’.
“It will increase services and choices for people with disability. It’s also good economic policy because it will create jobs and boost the local economy,” the ACES CEO said.
“I am encouraged by the support for the NDIS across political parties and the community. But a change of this magnitude and complexity carries risks and we need a strong local advocate in parliament to ensure that the NDIS is implemented well.”
For the NDIS to benefit people with disability and their families, disability service organisations must be able to cover the costs of providing quality services and employing skilled and experienced staff. Some of the prices set by the National Disability Insurance Agency are insufficient to cover service costs.
Jobs are an important topic in this election campaign, said Ms Wonderley and in promising employment growth, political parties must include people with disability.
“The employment rate of people with disability around Australia is low and static. Many people with disability require specialist support in order to work,” she said.
“Increasing job opportunities for this group will require reforms that strengthen disability employment providers and reduce the red tape imposed on them.
“Even fewer people with disability would be employed without Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs), which employ over 20,000 people with significant disability around Australia.
“A practical way in which governments and businesses at all levels can create jobs for people with disability would be to increase the goods and services that they purchase from ADEs. Doing so would not only provide governments and businesses with value for money, it would have a positive social impact.
“Across Australia there are approximately 6,000 young people with disability in aged care facilities and more than 70,000 ageing parents who worry about what will happen to their adult children with disability when they are no longer able to support them.
“To meet this challenge in Cowper we need governments to increase the supply of accessible social housing.
“Early childhood intervention is central to the philosophy of the NDIS and delivers enormous long-term benefits. Early support for children with disability or developmental delay enables them to grow, develop and participate in schooling.
“Plans for these children need to be well-coordinated and informed by expertise. They should include not just NDIS supports but also education and, where relevant, health.”
Ms Wonderley said people with disability want a fair go and a chance to contribute to the community, with the assistance of strong and dedicated disability service organisations such as ACES.
“We call on all candidates to outline how their election to Federal Parliament on July 2 will deliver a fair go for people with disability, their families and the organisations that support them.”