Disability and self-determination
So this is an interesting topic to get into as before the NDIS in Australia, there was some level of support for families by various government and charity organizations.
However, these were very disconnected, and services were expensive if you needed treatment. There was a heartbreaking story of a younger person due to an accident her husband's only option was to put her in a nursing home, and she became very mentally unwell this then led to her husband set up a charity called Young Care.
It was then discovered that this was part of a wider systemic problem, this problem was how Australia treated its disabled population. So, the idea for a national program was trialed however due to the need for administration it has become top-heavy, and people have had to fight for what they need however for some people it has freed up parents and people living in inappropriate housing for their physical or developmental needs.
This program has led to people with disabilities being able to live with more dignity and control in their lives where practical. It has also led to people being able to advocate for more change where more charities were speaking on behalf of people with disabilities, this has failed people because they haven’t really understood the whole situation.
Some charities consulted with people with disabilities however some had parents of people with a disability however when asked how old their children were they were in an adult age range.
I realize that some people need to have someone speak on their behalf but for too long people with disabilities have had to put up with people speaking for them and this has led to people perceiving that disability is bad and that everyone with a disability needs a very high level of care.
This is where changes have been made and need to continue around self-determination and life stage planning as goals and plans change as the NDIS is based around a plan for a period and people who would help them achieve their goals, this process is quite daunting in some processes and there is a massive burden of proof on the person with a disability to justify the help that they need.
Understandably there needs to be some level of proof however this can expensive and has led to some people rejecting having packages because they simply can’t afford them.
Self-determination for people is important to have a feeling of control over their lives and experiences, so being able to plan for their lives has been a game-changer for some people. However there as massive changes that need to be made, still that would reflect the life stage that people are in and widen options for people with disabilities. As there is no right way to do disabled.
I will go into more detail about what is self-determination and how it looks different in people with disabilities vs able-bodied people.
This then will give people a wider understanding of what issues are unique to the disability population and how people can help in a real way. As I started this blog to talk about the NDIS however there are wider issues that need to be talked about first.
Self-determination is the concept that we are people first and that our disabilities are a part of us but we need to have a voice in the way our care is delivered. We see that people and support providers sometimes don't see this and it wear's a bit thin when people don't see what is happening is a bad thing and it's being able to make decisions for their own lives but understanding the consequences of their actions. So if you want to live on your own what happens then, if you are able to cook but forget that you have things already, in the fridge, if you want to spend money on take away how are you going to budget your money are all things I do need help with but we need to be able to seek that support.
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