Shared ownership schemes can unlock access to suitable housing, although these are less common in Australia than overseas. And most are not specifically tailored for people with disability.
Health spent a lot of time in the spotlight in 2016. Medicare was a major issue in Australia’s federal election and numerous government reviews into health were announced and reported.
The roll out of the NDIS means disability service providers and the people they employ are exposed to more market forces and this could result in protection for workers.
The NDIS provides an opportunity to address the shortfalls of the former institutionalised service system, some of which uniquely impact Indigenous Australians.
Many people eligible for the NDIS are likely to miss out on its benefits. These groups include people who don’t think they have a disability and those who don’t know about the NDIS and how to apply.
Informal early support through intervention programs helps parents understand their child’s newly diagnosed disability. But what will happen when, under the NDIS, these services no longer exist?
Society hasn’t always seen people with disabilities as having the same rights at everyone else. So how did we get to the NDIS, which offers people with disabilities with choice and control?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme has been heralded as the most significant reform since Medicare. So what is it again, how will it work and how can you apply to get funding?
Multicultural issues may not decide the election. But the multicultural voting makeup of many marginal electorates will play a critical part in who wins these seats.
The Turnbull government has promised company tax cuts to stimulate investment and action to prevent middle-income earners moving into a higher tax bracket, in a budget that will launch its election campaign.
Thousands of young people with disability who end up in nursing homes lead lives of isolation and boredom. Better and smarter housing finance and support options are at last being developed.
The greatest beneficiaries of the NDIS will be those with the highest physical and medical support needs. They shouldn’t be turned away for knocking on the wrong door.
Would politicians have the courage to stand up to backlash if people with disability use their care money to pay for overseas holidays, sex workers, internet dating, or tickets to sporting events?
As the NDIS roll-out begins, Australia faces a housing shortfall affecting up to 122,000 participants. Developing smart technology and design offers more independent living for people with disability.
Two years into the trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it’s time to step back and address the problems we’ve discovered so far – rather than withdrawing from the scheme prematurely.
Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre and Occupational Therapy Department, School of Primary and Allied Healthcare, Monash University
Professor of Social Inclusion - UTS Business School - Centres for Business and Social innovation, and Business Intelligence and Data Analytics, University of Technology Sydney