What is the NDIS?
Will the NDIS mean more or less support?
Is the NDIS diagnosis based or needs based?
Am I eligible for the NDIS?
Where is the NDIS available now?
What supports does the NDIS cover?
How does the NDIS process work?
I have an NDIS plan. What’s next?
When will the NDIS be here for all Australians?
Where can we get more help
Full details below or download Help Guide Here :
NDIS your Questions answered Download
” By any measure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities are some of the most disadvantaged Australians, often facing multiple barriers to their meaningful participation within their own communities and the wider community.
The prevalence of disability amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is significantly higher than the general population. The Productivity Commission’s Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Report released mid- November 2014, highlighted that almost half of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population have some form of disability or long term health condition, twice the prevalence of disability experienced by other Australians.
The First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) welcomes the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and recognises its huge potential to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people greater access to disability support “
Damian Griffis is the CEO of the First Peoples Disability Network, an national organisation of and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities with lived experience of disability.
Ten-point plan for the implementation of the NDIS in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities HERE
See full article here or 2 below
” The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the most significant policy reform for people with a disability since the Disability Services Act 1986 (DSA). The NDIS has proven potential to enable people with disabilities to live good lives.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) reports that around 5% of NDIS participants are of Indigenous heritage.
The NDIA has branded the new scheme as a way of expanding individual and family choice in the services and supports people with disabilities can access. As we have noted previously, individual ‘choice’ requires ‘opportunities’ to exist in local communities. The more remote or rural a community the fewer opportunities available. As such, limited ‘opportunities’ in communities lead to limited ‘choice’ for Indigenous people with disability on NDIS plans who live in rural or remote communities.”
Dr John Gilroy and Associate Professor Jennifer Smith-Merry’s
Originally published in Croakey see full article 1 below
Dr John Gilroy is a Koori man from the Yuin Nation, and a doctor of sociology in Indigenous health, specialising in disability studies.
Every Australian Counts
NDIS: Your Questions Answered
The NDIS was launched in trial sites on 1 July 2013. The Scheme is being progressively rolled out over the next few years across Australia. In each State or Territory, the roll out will be staged to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. Everyone who needs the NDIS will have access by 2020.
Download the Every Australian Counts NDIS: Your Questions Answered
NDIS your Questions answered Download
Endeavour Foundation Discover. This guide has been developed for individuals, families and people with an intellectual disability who are about to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).Note not an NDIS publication
What is the NDIS?
The existing disability system throughout Australia is inefficient, fragmented, unfair, underfunded and leaves most people with disability without the support they need. Plus, people with disability and their families don’t get enough say in the type of supports they receive.
The NDIS stands for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It’s a new government policy that aims to transform the way Australia supports people with permanent and significant disability.
The foundations of the NDIS are built on two key pillars:
It’s a universal system. The NDIS is a national program similar to Medicare. It will provide supports to all eligible Australians ensuring people with disability and their families get the support they need when they need it.
It’s about more choice and control. The NDIS is based on the idea that people with disability and their families should be empowered to set their own goals and choose their own supports. This is achieved by giving them control over their own support budget.
Will the NDIS mean more or less support?
Under the existing disability system around 220,000 Australians receive funded disability supports. Under the NDIS approximately 460,000 people will receive funded supports, and the average support package will almost double from $18,000 to $35,000.
The NDIS is about making sure you have the right support in the right place at the right time to help you participate in the community and economy. If your needs change over time, you can have your plan reviewed and level of support adjusted. You will have complete choice and control over what’s in your plan and who provides your supports so you can make the most of your package.
Is the NDIS diagnosis based or needs based?
Needs based. The NDIS does not have a list of conditions that automatically include or exclude you from support. It’s based on what you need to live a full life, and how much your disability affects your ability to carry out everyday activities. In the case of children, it’s about whether a disability is likely to be permanent or result in a developmental delay.
This is a big change from the existing system where children without a diagnosis often miss out on funding or their parents are forced to lie about their disability to get support.
Am I eligible for the NDIS?
To access the NDIS you must:
have a significant and permanent disability – this includes people with psychosocial disability
be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen on a Protected Special Category Visa
enter the Scheme before you turn 65.
If you’re unsure whether you meet the above criteria, a good yardstick is if you’re currently receiving funded support, you can expect to be eligible for the NDIS. For individuals who may benefit from early intervention, the eligibility criteria to access the NDIS is more flexible.
Where is the NDIS available now?
The NDIS is being introduced in stages throughout Australia. Existing service users and new participants will enter the scheme progressively. Full scheme transition began in July 2016 in many parts of Australia. There’s still a few more years until it will be here for everyone. The best way to find out when the NDIS is coming to you is by visiting the government’s website: www.ndis.gov.au
As the NDIS rolls out, local offices will open. Here are the current office locations:
Australian Capital Territory
Offices in:
Belconnen, Braddon, Tuggeranong and Woden
New South Wales
Offices in:
Bankstown, Batemans Bay, Bega, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Charlestown, Chatswood, Gosford, Katoomba, Liverpool, Maitland, Moree, Newcastle, Parramatta, Penrith, Tamworth, Taree and Windsor.
Northern Territory
Office in:
Tennant Creek
Queensland
Charters Towers, Palm Island and Townsville
South Australia
Offices in:
Elizabeth, Modbury, Murray Bridge, Noarlunga, Port Adelaide and St Marys
Tasmania
Offices in:
Devonport, Hobart and Launceston
Victoria
Offices in:
Colac, Corio, Darebin, Geelong and Greensborough
Western Australia
Midland
What supports does the NDIS cover?
The types of supports you might get include therapies such as physiotherapy, mobility and technological aids and home modifications.
And it’s not just about covering the ‘essentials’ – your plan could include things such as recreational activities, developing skills like shopping or cooking and help with finding a job. No two people are exactly the same, so neither are the supports in their plan. The NDIS is about you living the life you want – not just getting by.
Some of the supports the NDIS will cover include:
Transport assistance
Therapies
Guide & assistance dogs
Case management
Crisis/emergency support
Personal care
Support for community inclusion
Respite
Specialist employment services
Specialist housing support
Domestic assistance
Aids, equipment, home & vehicle modifications
How does the NDIS process work?
Step one to accessing the NDIS is to find out if you are eligible. Remember, under the new system more people with disability will receive funded supports than ever before. If you are already using disability services and supports you will be contacted by the NDIS or a representative when it’s time to transition. Others may need to present proof of disability such as a statement from your doctor explaining your disability and how it affects your life. The Access checklist on the NDIS website is a good place to start; http://www.myplace.ndis.gov.au/ndisstorefront/ndis-access-checklist
Step two is to start the planning process by talking to the NDIS or one of their representatives. The idea is to talk through your support needs and goals together and come up with the best ways that are reasonable and necessary to meet these goals. And you don’t have to do it alone – you can invite a family member or friend or support worker to come along too. Together with the planner you will develop a support package.
Every Australian Counts tip: Think about your planning meeting as the chance to get the most out of your NDIS support package – the more time you spend preparing, the better your plan will be. So before your meeting, think about what you’ll need to live the life you want. It can also be helpful to chat to your family and carers about what’s missing in your current supports, activities and plans.
I have an NDIS plan. What’s next?
At your NDIS planning meetings you will come up with how to put your plan into action. Most importantly, that means coming up with the supports and services you need to live your life to the full.
This means that for the first time ever, you can decide exactly where your supports come from. This can be through the service providers you’re using now, finding completely new ones, or even self-managing your supports – it’s completely up to you!
If you disagree with an NDIS assessment or are unhappy with your support package, you have the right to ask for a review from the NDIS. You also have the right to get an advocate, friend or independent representative to help you out in this process.
Every Australian Counts tip: The NDIS was set up to give you the power to choose your own supports and service providers. You can do your own research or get help from advice and advocacy organisations. It can also be useful to talk to other people with disability, family members or carers about what works or doesn’t work for them. Remember, your plan is not a one-off decision. If or when your needs change, so can your plan.
When will the NDIS be here for all Australians?
The NDIS will be here for all Australians who need it (460,000 people) no later than 30 June 2019. Rollout information and timetables can be found online: www.ndis.gov.au
Ten ways the NDIS will benefit all Australians.
It’s a national system. If you, or someone you love, is born with a disability or acquires one later in life, you all no longer run the risk of falling through holes in Australia’s safety net based on what state or territory you live in.
People with a disability and their families and carers can participate in the social, economic, and cultural life of the nation with the supports and programs they choose.
Families will be able to access support and services for assistance in meeting the needs of their family member with a disability, reducing physical, emotional and financial stress.
The NDIS is based on equality. You will be able to equally access existing services regardless of when and where your disability was acquired.
There will no longer be an expectation of unpaid care as the norm.
As a Medicare-type system, the NDIS will provide people with a disability and their families and carers with the regular care, support, therapy and equipment they need from a secure and consistent pool of funds for these services and support.
It focuses on early intervention and delivering supports which produce the best long term outcomes, maximising opportunities for independence, participation and productivity.
Each NDIS plan is individualised and person-centred. Support is based on the choices of the person with a disability and their family.
The NDIS is fiscally responsible. It is not welfare but an investment in individual capacity leading to more positive results for people with a disability, their families and carers.
All Australians benefit from the NDIS because disability can affect anyone, anytime. Everyone will benefit from a more inclusive, more diverse community. Every Australian Counts will keep you up to date with all the NDIS news, information, stories and experience on our website; everyaustraliancounts.com.au
Where can I find out more?
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
For everybody
www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au
The Every Australian Counts website is an online hub for the disability community that’s packed with useful information, videos and news.
The official NDIS website includes an access checklist, factsheets and information to help prepare you for the NDIS.
For people with disability
The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) represents people with disability. They can connect you with advocacy support.
For carers
Carers Australia is the national peak body representing carers. Through their website you can access carer support and services.
For disability support workers
Proposed Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation NDIS Network
Localised, community-based services from John Gilroy article
Research shows that Aboriginal community controlled organisations are an essential component of addressing the health and social needs of Indigenous communities. In a recent review of existing community-based mental health services, Jen Smith-Merry found that the services offered for Indigenous people were most successful when developed by local communities or ‘localised’ and adapted carefully (and genuinely) to community needs.
John Gilroy’s research shows the important role of Indigenous community controlled organisations in forming relationships and referral pathways to disability services. These organisations function as the “social glue” between Indigenous communities, and disability and community organisations.
Expressions of Interest
Joe Archibald the NDIS Manager at Galambila ACCHO at Coffs Harbour is looking to establish a network of ACCHO NDIS health workers :
Express interest in this group EMAIL JOE HERE
NDIS must promote and support community-based programs to meet Indigenous people’s needs.
Dr John Gilroy and Dr Jennifer Smith-Merry write:
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the most significant policy reform for people with a disability since the Disability Services Act 1986 (DSA). The NDIS has proven potential to enable people with disabilities to live good lives.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) reports that around 5% of NDIS participants are of Indigenous heritage.
The NDIA has branded the new scheme as a way of expanding individual and family choice in the services and supports people with disabilities can access. As we have noted previously, individual ‘choice’ requires ‘opportunities’ to exist in local communities. The more remote or rural a community the fewer opportunities available. As such, limited ‘opportunities’ in communities lead to limited ‘choice’ for Indigenous people with disability on NDIS plans who live in rural or remote communities.
Services, supports and capacity building
The original inquiry into the NDIS identified the importance of a balance between an individualised support system and the block-funding of services and programs to ensure efficient and effective roll-out of the NDIS. The work that we have been involved in supports this view, arguing that Indigenous people should be able to utilise services at their own pace that meet their cultural and personal needs rather than being pushed through a government imposed time-frame.
The government has released the policy framework for NDIS Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC), and the subsequent Commissioning Framework. The ILC, formally Tier 2 of the NDIS, provides funding for the development of programs to help connect people with the disability, health and social supports, and services that are appropriate for them. It also supports capacity building for communities, organisations and individuals, that is not tied to a person’s individualised funding package. In doing this, it aims to also offer support for those who are not eligible for individualised funding packages.
Ensuring equal access and resourcing
There is growing concern that services for the most disadvantaged of the population of people with disabilities may become under-resourced or absent in light of the NDIS roll-out. There is much evidence that this disadvantage is heightened by geographic location, such as very remote communities. The ILC has been designed to provide the opportunity for the needs of these groups to be better met, but only if there is a proactive prioritisation of their needs.
Informed by several of our existing research and community projects, below we present some recommendations for the government, regarding the types of block-funded programs and services needed in local Indigenous communities to ensure that they benefit from the NDIS roll-out.
We preface these recommendations with the observation that there is a big problem with the implementation of the ILC, as the funding has been severely curtailed in its first stages. Bruce Bonyhady, former chair of the NDIS, warns that the current funding for community inclusion programs is: “not sufficient and means that one of the key foundations on which the NDIS is being built is weak”. This funding gap needs to be addressed immediately as there will be significant benefit to indigenous communities if the funding targets appropriate areas.
Crisis Intervention Services
Disability services providers have reported that many Indigenous people engage in the formal services system only when the quality or quantity of family and kinship care is depleted. As such, a large proportion of Indigenous people engage in the disability services sector when in a crisis situation.
Crisis services should be made more disability inclusive, and should act as a channel for encouraging the utilisation of appropriate individualised funding package supports. Targeted capacity building programs are also needed, to enable families and kinship groups to provide support. Such programs should be individualised and culturally and contextually appropriate. Block-funded models enable organisations that have established rapport with communities, to deliver such services in a culturally appropriate manner.
Transition support services
While many Indigenous people only engage with services at times of crisis, the impact of the services provided during crises can be sustained as the crisis abates. The most effective way of doing this is by supporting individualised transition support services which help people to re-establish their lives. This could involve connecting people with appropriate individualised support packages or funding of ‘peer support’ or community buddy programs.
Case Management and advocacy services.
Some bureaucrats wrongly use the terms “case management” and “advocacy” synonymously. The major difference between these two service types is that formal advocates are called upon when a person feels that their human rights have been violated. In comparison, case managers are typically called upon to assist people to join up services and supports by navigating the complex bureaucracy of the formal service systems, including health and disability.
It is pivotal to have a balance of these two service types under the NDIS to enable people with disabilities access to supports that foster the protection of their human rights and enable them to navigate the NDIS bureaucracy.
Early Childhood Intervention
There is limited research focused on the needs of Indigenous children with disability. A recent study found that young children with cognitive impairment are at risk of social exclusion, and need interventions to promote inclusion in family and cultural events as they age.
The government has identified early childhood intervention (ECI) as an area for block-funding investment, in recognition that the market-based principles of the NDIS could not work for this service type. ILC block funding can be used for early intervention and allows novel or creative community-based solutions to develop. This will allow the development of services which may meet local needs but are not ‘standard’ service types. Evidence-based practice is great if the evidence is there, but it should not be a straight-jacket, limiting what is possible.
Localised, community-based services
Research shows that Aboriginal community controlled organisations are an essential component of addressing the health and social needs of Indigenous communities. In a recent review of existing community-based mental health services, Jen Smith-Merry found that the services offered for Indigenous people were most successful when developed by local communities or ‘localised’ and adapted carefully (and genuinely) to community needs.
John Gilroy’s research shows the important role of Indigenous community controlled organisations in forming relationships and referral pathways to disability services. These organisations function as the “social glue” between Indigenous communities, and disability and community organisations.
Workforce Training and Development
The efficiency and effectiveness of the NDIS requires a healthy, vibrant workforce. There are many reports examining what the disability services workforce looks like. However, the roll out of the NDIS will completely reshape the workforce.
National Disability Services are managing a workforce development fund to explore ways to build a workforce that can sustain the NDIS. NDS will need to explore ways to build the number and proportion of Indigenous people working in the sector and also explore successful ways to build a workforce that is culturally competent in supporting Indigenous people and their families.
The CEO of First Peoples Disability Network, Damian Griffis, told ABC Lateline in 2015 that Indigenous people are already working as informal disability workers, stating “There are a lot of Indigenous people that by any other definition would be called support workers today, but they need to be valued and respected for that work and they are already in existence.”
Research shows that over 10% of Indigenous people have provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability. Agencies could pilot approaches to recruit and train family members that balance people’s human rights with individual duty-of-care in the context of the NDIS.
Translation and Interpreter Services
There are many regions of Australia where the English is a second or third language. Notwithstanding that, there are many Indigenous peoples who require hearing or communication supports. Interpreter and translation services are under-resourced and in high need across the country. It would be discriminatory for NDIS users to have to use their packages to access these service types as this would deplete the funding available for other services in comparison with other NDIS participants. These services should instead be funded at a community level either through the ILC or a specialised program.
Foster Social and Cultural Capital Building
There exists plethora of research showing the important role played by Indigenous community controlled organisations in the health and community services sector. Such organisations provide the opportunities needed to bring together Indigenous people with disability to have their voices heard as a collective. For example, the many NDIS specific gatherings around Australia have brought together Indigenous people with disability to share their stories and experiences. This knowledge should be valued and harnessed. One way that this could take place is through ILC funding of community-based peer-support programs.
The roll out of the NDIS has enabled Indigenous community controlled organisations and services to continue working in local communities. Such organisations and services are being supported to provide services and supports under the NDIS in NSW. Block-funding will enable Aboriginal community controlled organisations to continue their role in representing their communities whilst supporting NDIS participants.
Interagency Networks and Engagement
Jen Smith-Merry’s Research to Action Guide produced for the Centre for Applied Disability Research showed that interagency forums do help with linking across organisations and sectors, but that this is most effective when it happens organically and collaboratively rather than being mandated. Through sharing stories and good practice, interagency forums help disparate actors to understand the different practices and knowledges operating in sectors outside of their own.
There is evidence of a conflict at the interface of the formal service system and Indigenous communities in how disability is defined and conceptualised. A recent report concluded that many Indigenous people find the definition of disability to be stigmatising. Rather than trying to ascertain how Indigenous peoples define disability, the focus of scholarly exploration should be on ways to bridge the cultural interface in how disability is defined and embodied as a social construct.
Great work has been undertaken by National Disability Services, to foster relationship building between the disability services sector and local Indigenous programs, by implementing the principles of interagency commissioning. Sadly, the government did not extend the funding for these networks to continue. This is a significant problem that won’t be immediately fixed by an underfunded ILC.
A healthy balance
The NDIS is a huge win for the disability rights movement. The new scheme provides an opportunity to address the equality and equity gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people with disabilities. However, there needs to be a balance between block-funding and the individualised packages provided by the NDIS, so that the scheme can meet its full potential. The examples given here provide some ideas for how ILC funding might work, but only dialogue with consumers and communities will point us truly in the right direction.
*Dr John Gilroy is a Koori man from the Yuin Nation, and a doctor of sociology in Indigenous health, specialising in disability studies. He is a Senior Lecturer and Indigenous Stream Lead at the Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney
*Associate Professor Jennifer Smith-Merry’s research focuses on the implementation of policy in service settings, and consumer experiences of this. She is Mental Health Stream Lead at the Centre for Disability Research and Policy, The University of Sydney.
Ten-point plan for the implementation of the NDIS in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities
Introduction
By any measure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability are amongst some of the most disadvantaged Australians; often facing multiple barriers to meaningful participation within their own communities and the wider community.
The prevalence of disability amongst Aboriginal and Torres Islander people is significantly higher than of the general population. Until recently, the prevalence of disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities has only been anecdotally reported. However, a report by the Commonwealth Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision made the following conclusions:
The proportion of the indigenous population 15 years and over, reporting a disability or long-term health condition was 37 per cent (102 900 people). The proportions were similar in remote and non-remote areas. This measure of disability does not specifically include people with a psychological disability. [note 1]
The high prevalence of disability, approximately twice that of the non-indigenous population, occurs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for a range of social reasons, including poor health care, poor nutrition, exposure to violence and psychological trauma (e.g. arising from removal from family and community) and substance abuse, as well as the breakdown of traditional community structures in some areas. Aboriginal people with disability are significantly over-represented on a population group basis among homeless people, in the criminal and juvenile justice systems[note 2], and in the care and protection system (both as parents and children).[note 3]
The advent of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) presents an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities to engage – many for the first time – with the disability service system in a substantive way. Currently, most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities remain at the periphery of the disability service system. This continues to occur for a range of reasons some of which are well established. However, one factor that remains little understood is the reluctance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities to identify as people with disability. This preference to not identify presents a fundamental barrier for the successful implementation of the NDIS. The First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) (FPDN) argues that it has a central role in addressing not only this fundamental barrier but also in facilitating the roll out of the NDIS more broadly into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
FPDN argues passionately that for positive change to happen in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, the change must be driven by community itself. It cannot be imposed, implied, intervened or developed with well-meaning intention from an external service system that the vast majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities have little or no experience of in the first place.
Throughout many communities across the country, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability are supported and accepted as members of their communities. However, many communities lack the resources to adequately support people with disability. Furthermore, the service system tends to operate from a ‘doing for’ as opposed to ‘doing with’ approach, which only further disenfranchises communities because they simply do not feel that they can self-direct their future. The NDIS does have the potential to address some of these concerns by giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability the opportunity to self-direct their funding, for instance. The challenge in this area will be that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability have had little or no experience in self-managing funds.
It must be remembered that in many ways the social movement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability is starting from an absolute baseline position. This is reflected, for example, by the fact that few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability have an understanding of the language of the disability service system. It is the view of FPDN that the application of the NDIS in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will need to have a different look and approach to what is advocated for with regard the rest of the Australian population. It may be that the application of the NDIS in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities takes a longer process. But the FPDN argues that it is critical to get it right as it is the experience of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that they are usually the first to be blamed when new programs are not taken up by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
FPDN has developed a 10-point plan for the implementation of the NDIS in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities. The development of this 10 point plan is based upon extensive consultation as well as drawing upon the decade long experience of the FPDN in advocating for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people with disabilities.
The plan was launched in May 2013 at Parliament House, Canberra.
Ten-point plan
- Recognise that the starting point is the vast majority of Aboriginal people with disability do not self-identify as people with disability. This occurs for a range of reasons including the fact that in traditional languages there are no comparable words for disability. Also, many Aboriginal people with disability are reluctant to take on the label of disability; particularly when they already experience discrimination based on their Aboriginality. In many ways disability is a new conversation in many communities. In these instances the NDIS is starting from a baseline position. As a consequence change in this area is likely to happen on a different timeline to that of the mainstream NDIS.
- Awareness raising via a concerted outreach approach informing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, their families and communities about their rights and entitlements, and informing Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities about the NDIS itself and how to work this new system effectively. There is no better way to raise awareness then by direct face-to-face consultation. Brochures and pamphlets will not be appropriate as this is a new conversation in many communities.
- Establish the NDIS Expert Working Group on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People with disability and the NDIS. In recognition of the fact that there is a stand-alone building block for the NDIS focused upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, FPDN views it not only as critical but logical that a specific Expert Working Group be established to focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. The new working group would operate in the same way the four current working groups do, that is it would be chaired by two members of the National People with Disability and Carers Council. To ensure its effectiveness but also critically to influence prominent Aboriginal leaders as well as the disability sector, members would be drawn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in community leadership positions, as well as involving prominent disability leaders. The FPDN believes such an approach is warranted not only because of the degree of unmet need that is well established but also because this has the potential to be a very practical and meaningful partnership between government, the non-government sector, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Build the capacity of the non-Indigenous disability service system to meet the needs of Aboriginal people with disability in a culturally appropriate way. Legislate an additional standard into the Disability Services Act focused upon culturally appropriate service delivery and require disability services to demonstrate their cultural competencies.
- Conduct research on the prevalence of disability and a range other relevant matters. Critically, this work must be undertaken in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability to ensure a culturally appropriate methodology. There remains very little reference material about disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This needs to be rectified to ensure that we are getting a true picture of the lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability.
- Recognise that a workforce already exists in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that does important work, often informally. This work needs to valued and recognised, with the potential for employment opportunities in some communities.
- Recognise that it’s not always about services. Many communities just need more resources so that they can continue to meet the needs of their own people with disabilities. There may be perfectly appropriate ways of supporting people already in place, however what is often lacking is access to current technologies or appropriate technical aids or sufficient training for family and community members to provide the optimum level of support.
- Recruitment of more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into the disability service sector.
- Build the capacity of the social movement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with disability by supporting existing networks and building new ones in addition to fostering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders with disability. These networks play a critical role in breaking down stigma that may exist in some communities but are also the conduits for change, and will be integral to the successful implementation of the NDIS in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘Launch’ sites focused upon remote, very remote, regional and urban settings. It is critical that this major reform be done right. Therefore it is appropriate to effectively trial its implementation. To this end, FPDN can readily identify key communities that would be appropriate as trial sites.