ndis hicups and speed bumps

The thing that people with disabilites and their family want is to belong.  The National Disability Insurance Scheme promises to deliver resources and support for participants to be included in the community. Full inclusion occurs when all members of the community have equal access to services, businesses, venues and events.  ndis participants can utilise their ndis plans to address access barriers that prevent them from fully participating in the mainstream community. 

Ways a participants plan can assist with access barriers are:

• Direct Support Services (in-home and in the community)
• Respite Care Services
• Life Skills Training
• Mobility aids
• Communication support
• Service dogs
• Transport assistance
• Assisted Technologies
• Providing funds for costs incurred due to your disability e.g. hearing aids. incontinence pads and service dog feeding costs.

However issues are emerging with the process of accessing the ndis, navigating ndis pathways, finding the right service providers; administering ndis plans and accessing your funding. Put simply a system to improve access for people with disabilities is pretty much inaccessible, confusing and full of back tracking.  From where I sit in a wheelchair falling to pieces the major barriers to the scheme is lack of information, lack of transparency of services and historical based services who continue to refuse to empower people with disability. 

To be fair we are all struggling to change to a scheme that requires significant shifts in thinking about the capabilities of those living with disabilities.  However the responsibility of educating people about how to make these changes is with the ndia (inaccessible) and support services providers (lack of incentive to change).  The most empowering way to empower people with disabilities is to address their access to information.  While we continue to block this access (through inaccessible websites and direct communication with ndis staff on the ground), people with disabilities remain disempowered.

For participants or likely participants and their family members there are two terms you need to master CHOICE and CONTROL. Life and your rights as an equal member of society means the right to make choices for you and your family. In terms of the ndis this includes:

• Lifestyle
• Friendships and relationships
• Housing and residences
• Education and training
• Work
• Community activity and participation
• Types of support
• Who you want to support you
• What activities you want to engage in
• Equipment, modifications, meeting access costs
• Access to things to improve you life
• How your plan is managed.

The preconceived level of your intelligence or your compacity to understand ndis pathways should not limit choices in these areas alone.

MAKE YOUR CHOICES WORK FOR YOU!

Regardless of how your package is administrated and by whom, you the participant and family members are in control. "Control"  is not about controlling others or getting your own way.  Control is the process by which you as an individual or family unit are empowered to make your own choices.  

If services, support staff, plan managers and ndis staff are making decisions for you or not providing information in accessible formats (including websites) then you are not in control and you r access path has been blocked.  This then becomes a human rights issue.  These issues are compounded because not all Australians are equal under the law, and individuals with disabilities must demonstrate the ability to access and process information prior to being able to access certain aspects of the ndis. 

Until all participants have equal access to information involving choices under the ndis, the scheme is flawed.   When the ndis and service providers fail to provide that information in accessible formats they remain in control.  Sadly you the participants need to claim control of a scheme that is designed to empower you.

YOU NEED TO CLAIM CONTROL

Every time you are not able to access information that allows you to make a free and independent choice you lose control.  When a participant is under the supervision of the Adult Guardian or another for financial reasons the plan is administered by the ndia.  This should not affect the access to choices of services or service delivery, including support activities and workers. 

Where this is still occurring (I know first hand it is occurring), we need to make a complaint and demand accountability.  Where you are paying for a service through your plan you have the right to information and records of your spending.  Whether you can understand it or not, as you can always seek assistance from someone who can.  Services can no longer hide behind the excuse of the person cannot understand or we do not know.

If a plan manager does not know how to activate your instruction or makes an error, your plan should not be blocked while it is resolved. I find myself in that position.  I alerted my Plan Manager to an error, they can't fix it.  Now I am spending time trying to get it corrected. An access barrier I have due to their error should not stop me from accessing the community safely. 

Note the absence of a foot plate.

I need to wait until July 2019 for a new one.

Unless my chair review is completed

I can not access funds to repair my chair, nor can I gain clarification through ndis or ndia.  So until a review of my mobility equipment I access the community with an unsafe chair.  This is not what we were promised under the ndis. 

We need to demand the government 

fixes and funds the ndis in full.