Sarah Butler

Which of the following statements best describes you?
I’m a person with disability

Question 1:
During the first stage of consultations we heard that the vision and the six outcome areas under the current Strategy are still the right ones. Do you have any comments on the vision and outcome areas being proposed for the new Strategy?

More funding for people with disabilities to be able to have an education and be supported to achieve their goals. Many providers do not have funding for people with disabilities and when you advise the provider that you have a disability and require support the provider does not offer and provide the reasonable and necessary adjustments for people with disabilities to learn. Instead providers just want the money and if you do not complete the course successfully the provider does not want to be accountable for you not completing your course.

Question 2:
What do you think about the guiding principles proposed here?

While we have the UNCRPD and Disability Inclusion Act it is important that the government provides the funding for people with disabilities and proves that they are providing the funding there are a lot of cut backs with funding and instead people with disabilities are being excluded instead of included. This is leaving people with disabilities isolated at home and are unable to participate in the community as there is no funding available and everything is about exclusion instead of inclusion.

Question 3:
What is your view on the proposal for the new Strategy to have a stronger emphasis on improving community attitudes across all outcome areas?

It is important to change community attitudes towards people with disabilities the problem is that the community does not want to be educated and when people with disabilities go out to train people on how to best work with people with disabilities and the different ways to communicate with people with disabilities the problem is that no one interested to learn and do not want to take the time to be educated. Instead people with disabilities are facing people who have no understanding of disability instead of being able to participate the same as everyone else and be treated like everyone else in the community and the community making the reasonable and necessary adjustments.

Question 4:
How do you think that clearly outlining what each government is responsible for could make it easier for people with disability to access the supports and services they need?

There are gaps between mainstream services and the NDIS the governments do not take responsibility for funding mainstream services. It is important to address what each government is responsible for including supporting people with disabilities who are not eligible for the NDIS yet there are no services for people who are not eligible for the NDIS so the government needs to show how they are making the changes and what steps they are taking to support people with disabilities who are not eligible for the NDIS so that those people who are not eligible for the NDIS can receive services and supports without having to be left falling through the cracks and the gaps. There are a lot of people falling though the gaps and the cracks at the moment as most services only help people who have an NDIS plan not both people who are NDIS participants and who are not NDIS participants.

Question 5:
How do you think the Strategy should represent the role that the non-government sector plays in improving outcomes for people with disability?

Educating other people and to show them that it is not fair for people with disabilities to be excluded from participating and that everyone has the right to be treated equally.

Question 6:
What kind of information on the Strategy’s progress should governments make available to the public and how often should this information be made available?

Announcements on websites, parliament, newsletters, data statistics, progress reports etc. Reporting should be done every 3 months.

Question 7:
What do you think of the proposal to have Targeted Action Plans that focus on making improvements in specific areas within a defined period of time (for example within one, two or three years)?

It is a good idea to have targeted action plans that focus on making improvements in all areas within a defined period of time within 2 years.

Question 8:
How could the proposed Engagement Plan ensure people with disability, and the disability community, are involved in the delivery and monitoring of the next Strategy?

Face to Face consultations, online forums, submissions, surveys etc.

Question 9:
Is there anything else you would like to share about the ideas and proposals in the position paper?

More needs to be done to include people with disabilities in the community and many providers do not know that people with disabilities have ability to do what other people can do many people think if you have a disability you cannot do what a person without a disability can do. Employers who advertise for jobs will not employ people with disabilities they only employ people without disabilities. When a position is advertised if a person with a disability and a person without a disability applies for the same job the employer will hire the person without a disability not the person with a disability. Many jobs are full time and people with disabilities cannot work full time only casual or part time and this makes it hard for people with disabilities to find work.