Both the royal commission and NDIS review recommendations say big changes are needed so people with disability can live where and with who they want – and be free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Given the lack of progress to date, three new budget initiatives are unlikely to achieve the 2025 target of no Australians living in institutions meant for much older people.
Much has been said and written about the projected cost of the NDIS. We wanted to draw on the valuable knowledge of scheme participants and their families.
Being stuck in hospital means NDIS participants lose the gains made in rehabilitation as well as condition, confidence and social connection. Specialist housing is ready and waiting.
We interviewed people living with disability before and after they moved into purpose-built housing that fosters independence. The change for them was profound and cost-saving.
While public health measures in schools and hospitals aim to reduce COVID transmission, people with disability who have support workers in their homes have largely been forgotten.