Sezie The Day!

The overwhelming message from the Fresh Futures Market yesterday was that the future is looking brighter under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The NDIS puts people with disabilities in control of their own lives. However the NDIS is not really about people with disabilities.  The NDIS is about society, and the inclusion with disabilities in the community.

Next week is Disability Action week and our theme is inclusion.  The NDIS is about providing people with the support to be able to fully participate in life.  This includes independence; study; training opportunities, work or community work, politics, arts, sports, travel, and getting married. It is about our lives reflecting those of our peers.

People with disabilities are not sick and do not need caring for or protecting.  These people are often abuse because their control has been taken from them and those in control of their lives have taken advantage of them. Australian society has brought the lie that people with disabilities have nothing to contribute and we are a drain on the public purse.  That is a lie people with disabilities stood up against in the Every Australian Counts campaign.

Whether its in the fields of science, education, transport, arts, television, communication, tourism, or business people with disabilities have skills and wisdom to contribute. Society has allowed us to put people in boxes and define what society thinks their roles should be.

This has meant the potential of tens of thousands of Australians has been limited and resources gone untapped.  As individuals our abilities and skills are as different as our disabilities but it should be our abilities that defines who we are not our disabilities.

My hopes for the NDIS is that being offered choice and control of our supports and the way we are support means new opportunities are created across the community and the bridge of understanding is finally completed.  However now that final step is up to us living with disabilities, we must raise to the challenge and cease this olden opportunity.  We must not give away our power to chose. By making excuses and being lazy.

We must cease the day and claim the life we want!

NDIS: Management of Funding

Many people are excited to have direct control over their funding under the NDIS. However their are things you need to carefully weight up as you chose your options.

I have share before on making the administration of funding one of your NDIS goals.

Goal Area:            Administer Funding

Goal:                     Option 1: Ask the NDIS to administer my

                              funding on my behalf.

                              Option 2: Select a host provider to administer

                              your funding on your behalf. Note there are

                              changes for those who have been self-directing

                              currently. Under the NDIS your host provider

                              can not also offer participants direct service

                              provision.

                              Option: 3 Self-direct through a host

                              provider, if you choose to self-direct you can

                              do as much of the administration as you like.

                              Note: If you choose this option the NDIA

                              can not administer your funding.

                              There are various self-directing you will be

                              able to select from. . . More under steps to

                              achieve my goal.

                              Option 4: Self-Management. Again under

                              this option their is a tear of options. Many

                              people may elect to have some to their pay-

                              roll on their behalf.

You might chose to use a combination of options 2, 3 and 4.

Resources:

Previously service providers were given administration funding to administer the funds and report back to the department. Under the NDIS funding is now directed to the participants, meaning the costs associated with funds administrations are charged to you.  However these 'supports' are necessary and will be calculated into for package.

I will provide examples of what I understand

Option 2:           Host provider fees, staff training costs

Option 3:           Host provider fees; staff training; if employing

                           your own staff, polices checks, yellow or blue

                          cards and may be insurance.

Option 4:           All of the above plus bank fees, taxation,

                          insurance - including work cover.

These resources are added to your package.  As a employer in the disability sector, you need to ensure you follow all sections of the relevant acts.  A good self-management model should include a business plan with polices and procedures, employment and staff selection policies; and staff training models.

Something you need to consider is 'life is not going to grind to a stop while you write your NDIS plan'.  That is another goal that needs to be in your plan.  What happens when life gets messy? As we work towards transitioning to the NDIS the cycle of life continues. This is another task to add to out overcrowded stressful life. Self-care is another goal to consider, if you intend choosing option 3 or 4.

Planning for the unknown

Staff get sick and have accidents. Who will work if one of your workers is off for and extended period of time?  If you fire them then that is unfair dismissal. What if the come back to work on light duties. These are the things you need to put in your employment agreements.

But you life too can 'happen', What if you can sick and are in hospital for a few weeks? If you are administering funding on behalf your family member who is paying the bills and doing the reporting?

Success planning:  Your not going to live forever, If your family member has a Enduring Power of Anotherie do you need to update it. Where will your family member live?

If you elect to have a 'head' worker - what happens when they move on.

So planning for the unexpected may be a goal to add to your plan.

Goal:              To self-direct the administration of my NDIS

                       using a host service provide.

Model:           Elect an advisory team to assist me to self-direct.

                       If you are head of that team, you may need to

                      elect a successor.

Steps:

1. Nominate your host provider
2. Service agreement. Who is responsible for what role?
3. Nominate any service providers e.g. OT, employment agency,
4. Inform host providers for them to organise service agreements.
5. Advertise for staff you will directly employ.
6. Staff agreements and training
7. Transition to NDIS - I have a transitioning plan in my plan, so buddy-ups are paid for and staff training paid. 
8. The are many hidden costs you need to have in your NDIS plan.
9. Who is responsible for insurances and police checks - This will need to be spelt out in your service agreement.
10. Support plans and task allocations
11. Start self -directing

My aim today has been to highlight the work involved in administering your funding and the costs you need to ask the NDIA to cover in addition to other supports. As well as remind you this adds to your daily responsibility and life stressors.  So I really encourage you to think through all the requirements and talk to others who are already self-directing or form a peer support group

QDN have a group commencing on Saturday 17th September.

10 am to 12 pm, Cateria in the Humanities Building, in South Street. Next door to Council Chambers.

I will ne joining this group this journey is too scary to travel on my own.  

Community Access

Yesterday I was able to participate in our Arts Connect Pop-up Art Gallery thanks to a portable ramp. An accessible toilet was not so easy, I found one closed for maintenance. However access is more than ramps and toilets. With the National Disability Insurance Scheme being rolled out, with community participation being at its centre piece, what we thought through all the access issues that need addressing?

What is access? Access is the removal of any barriers that present for a person living with disability to enable them to fully participate in a community activity. This can be physical, environmental - lighting and sound both effect my seizure activity, temperature can be a issue for others.  However nothing delivers a barrier as strong as the social norms that govern a community.

Ask any parent of a child with ASD what the multiple access barriers are for them to attend a movie or go out to dinner. The Australian government in its wisdom is support people to participate in the community through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, however given little thought to how to foster the inclusion of people living with disabilities into mainstream community life.

We need to become much more proactive about raising the awareness to the truths about disabilities and dispelling the myths. In the wider community their is little know about disabilities and most of what is known are myths.

A very common myth is that people with intellectual disabilities can not learn not can they read or write.  People with all intellectual abilities have some ability to learn and most a confident in personal grooming.  Many are about to write and sign their name on non legal documents.

Given the correct support many people with learning disabilities and mild intellectual disabilities are very capable of living independently in the community either in their own home or with others.  There should be no reason why people with disabilities are living segregate lives.

Another misconception is the "blind" people or those who are visually impaired see total blackness.  My people with visual impairment can see shades of grey and outline of objects.  The access issues for these people are lack of appropriate lighting, trip harasses and non acceptance of working dogs. 

All working dogs including guide dogs are toilet trained.  There are unlike to soil a car, there is more likelihood that a taxi will be soiled by a drunk person vomiting that a working dog using the car seat as a toilet.  Working dogs are not pets, and shouldn't be patter while working, this will undermine the authority of its master.

Just like yourself a person living with disability is an individual who has their own talents to contribute to our community. Disability can affect people in many different ways.  Two people could have a stoke in the same area of the brain and yet have to very different prognoses.  Other factors often determine the disability level of a person this may include, family ancestry, genetically influences,  other health issues, environmental, family values, age and many more.  

The more we can encourage and embrace people living with disabilities to participate in community life, the more understanding can be shared.  There is much as an arts worker, I don't know about many disabilities, I like everybody else am learning on the job.  Mostly I have learnt not to assume anything, even information passed on to me has been incorrect.

Community Access is an issue that the whole community faces, as we embrace the changes in pathways under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.   Lets keep in on the agenda.

Living My Best Life

Inside Octopus' Garden

Opportunities don't just happen we create them!

Yesterday I had the awesome privilege of assisting C.A.T.S (Community Transitional Services) with their documentary the 'NDIS and the Ipswich Community'. I have been involved with C.A.T.S. over the last 15 years as a board member. I often comment that my time at C.A.T.S. shaped who I am, and it definitely changed my perceptions on the possibilities for all people living with disabilities.  I who hates being 'put in a box', often box other people with disabilities.

Last year along side C.A.T.S I received a Regional Arts Development grant, as grant recipients our projects desired to achieve simular outcomes.  They were both about giving people with disabilities the chance to shine!

Federal and State MP's with Ipswich Emerging Artists 

  

The C.A.T.S players who never cease to amaze me decided to make their own short film.  Having conquered the stage . . . they aimed for the big screen. Literally shooting for the stars. Creating their own opportunities. From start to finish this was their project.

C.A.T.S gave them a chance to aim for the stars and stars they became. . .

If we're only aiming for the moon we may

miss our chance to reach the stares.

My hopes for Ipswich and the NDIS is that as a community we emerged ready to embrace the talents and skills that people with disabilities have to offer.  Certainly that was my experienced yesterday.  As Tom filmed my interview supervised by the director. Tom knew more about the camera then me, he is a great example of what I hope the NDIS will bring to the lives of people living with disabilities in Ipswich and beyond.

 On a personal level I am looking forward to creating a support system that can best support my growing art practise and establish a strong artistic network that is supported of the key values of  NDIS.  As much as I enjoy swimming in my fantasy finish tank. My real passion is to assist the Ipswich community to embrace diversity and strength opportunities for all artists across the region. The RADF and Ipswich Council through its support of C.A.T.S. and ArtISability, has given artists with disabilities a head start.

Under the NDIS I am looking forward to seeing more stars emerge in Ipswich,