Friday, 30 July 2010

Australians Mad as Hell

Take the Mad as Hell Pledge
Australia is in the middle of a federal election campaign, due to be held on August 21st. I love an election, it’s sport without the sport, but it’s been a tad dispiriting this year. I was hoping Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott would go at it hammer and tongs like they do in parliament, but so far they’re uncharacteristically subdued - not even any flirting.

Just want to mention a great online lobby group called Australians Mad as Hell, campaigning in support of a National Disability Insurance Scheme - ‘a no-fault insurance scheme designed to fund essential services and supports needed by people living with disability.’
“We’re Mad as Hell that Australia has a Third World disability support system. Millions of us are affected. It's time to make our votes count.”

I’m in favour of the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme. The disability support system in Australia is not good enough. Some points from Australians Mad as Hell:



    • Australia has 1.4 million people with serious disability - the population of Adelaide and Hobart combined.
    • Australians living with disability have higher costs but lower income. Modifying your home, using mobility equipment and accessing ongoing therapy are necessities, not luxuries. The waiting lists for disability equipment can stretch for years. Personal payment of disability expenses is only 20% tax deductible.
    • Australia needs a no-fault disability insurance scheme designed to fund essential services and supports needed by people living with disability.
    • Disability is part of life. It can affect anyone, any age, any time.
    • Australians realise that anyone can become temporarily or permanently disabled through no fault of their own. Yet few know that our disability support system helps only a fraction of those in need. If you become disabled due to a car accident, you are covered in several states by no-fault insurance. But there is no automatic entitlement to support if you have a stroke and can't walk or talk, for a teenager who crashes a skateboard and is permanently injured or if your baby is the 1 in 160 with autism, the 1 in 400 born with cerebral palsy or has an intellectual or other life-long disability, or if you have a mental illness. If you want change, make your vote count. Take the Mad as Hell Pledge.
The ‘Mad as Hell’ lobby group are campaigning for desperately needed change. I’d encourage you to check out their website and think about the disability policies of the party you intend to vote for.
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5 comments:

  1. Hi,

    Thanks for giving that link - and all those stats. I had no idea there were so many people living with a disability.

    I want to check out the campaign, but I do take issue with some of the wording of the 'mad as hell' campaign - which is the part about a 'third world' disability system.

    There is no disability system in the third world - I used to live in Indonesia with a boyfriend and his mother had a stroke while I was there.

    The level of support, even at a primary care level, was non-existant. He and I paid for all her care, and her long-term treatment came from me, contacting a stroke organisation in Austrlia and getting some PDF documents listing exercises she could do to bring back the movement in her arms and legs!

    So - whilst I completely agree more could be done in Australia, I think it really weakens the argument to compare our support to thirld world country support, becuase we are just so lucky in so many ways.

    Hope that doesn't sound too picky, I actually feel very grateful to get the disabiity support pension because I know if I lived in most other countries in the world I wouldn't get a cent.

    Hope you are still enjoying some balmy weather up there - (I am dreaming of Indonesian beaches - it is freezing here in Ballarat!)

    Em
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  2. Hi Emma, it's unseasonally warm here today - was 21 in my bedroom early this morning. Almost feels like time to put the doona away, although apparently it will be chilly again next week. I imagine Ballarat must still be very nippy.

    You raise good points about the quote from the lobby group, I reckon it would be worth approaching them with your thoughts. Perhaps they can explain their reasoning better, or perhaps they will agree it is an unfair comparison.
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  3. Hope the necessary measures will be taken to improve things. We have serious problems with our system, too. Fingers crossed things will improve for all. Glad you had a warmer day!
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  4. Fingers crossed indeed, Katy! The warmer day was just lovely.
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  5. Hi there, thought it may be useful to correct Em's perceptions about Australia's disability system. Australians with severe disabilities, or those who have children with severe disabilities, are literally told to "beg a charity" to supply a wheelchair, without which they can't move or their bodies deform so badly they need (taxpayer-funded) surgery - that is a Third World disability system. Do not be mislead into thinking the existence of a disability pension or any other form of disability government department of advocacy actually results in relevant, targeted and crucial disability supports and services. Hundred and thousands of Australians who have disabilities, or whose children have disabilities, will tell you that is public perception, not daily reality. We too pay for ALL our severely disabled son's therapy,equipment and services. He is 15, so far we have spent over $500,000 borrowed, non tax deductible dollars to pay for this. How is that an improvement on Indonesia?
    ReplyDelete

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