The open of the National Disability Insurance Agency Ipswich Area office this week singles an end of a medical care model of support. Support under the NDIS is based on the hopes and dreams of people with disabilities, their carers, families and supporters. It recognises not two people are the same and just as we choose our own pathways they people with disabilities have that same right.
Some will choose centred based programs and others will opt for individual styled supports. Supports are now around your goals. If you want to learn to be more independent and catch public transport by yourself then support could be around traveling on transport to gain you independence.
Support under the NDIS should be about your lifestyle and the activities you and your family want to enjoy. One of my goals is not to have the leave the opening of my next art exhibition because supports ends at 8pm.
Many people believe we will be looking for bells and whistles support. Myself, I just want to stop playing Cinderella.
At the opening I had the opportunity to share what my like looks like now, and the juggling act of accessing 4 services to provide my daily direct support needs like personal care, meal preparation and transport. Each service has its own policies and procedures, finish by 8pm so we're not paying higher rates of pay or be unable to travel in staff cars. Life gets confusing.
When a service needs to change a time... umm is it week one or two or I am simply wanting to make an appointment, life gets complicated. Not only am I not in control, most service rely on a roster team for smooth delivery of services, people who often don't know me Some tell me about changes others don't.
The NDIS gives me control to chose who will deliver what service, workers of choice and what time service will be delivered. For me the NDIS is not about bells and whistles it about my right to live a life reflective of my peers. My peers are artists and we don't work 9 to 5. We start work as others head home or to our openings or workshops.
Us creative misfits are initial to be supported in our roles. What a waste of talent if we are not supported in the right way. Here's some of the work from our mini exhibition at the NDIS office.
