he WA Government is not listening to people with disability when it comes to the future provision of services and supports. People with disability are clear that they want WA to be genuinely part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Western Australians are concerned at the pronouncements made in ‘the Australian’ that WA will go its own way and shut out people with disability from the two scheme trial and evaluation process.
People with disability reject the WA’s Minister for Disability, Helen Morton’s view that WA’s My Way scheme is better for people with disability. People with disability in WA want to be part of the best possible scheme – and that is a nationally consistent scheme.
People With Disabilities WA (PWDWA) and Disability Australia are calling for the Barnett government to listen to the voice of people with disability across the country but particularly people with disability in WA, and commence negotiations on a bilateral agreement with the Commonwealth to come on board with the NDIS.
‘Of great concern to us is the fact that people with disability have not had a chance to contribute to the evaluation of the trial in WA yet and their experiences must inform any decisions.’ said Samantha Jenkinson, CEO of PWDWA.
‘If there are aspects of My Way which benefit people with disability and their families, let’s include them in the national system so that no person with a disability is worse off’.
‘You cannot have a structure where people with disability on one side of the border in South Australia qualify for different supports than those 100 metres away in WA. This was the hallmark of the broken and confused system of disability support we had before’ said Matthew Wright, CEO of AFDO and spokesperson for Disability Australia.
‘We must work together on one system across the country that learns and benefits from the diverse challenges facing people with disability in different locations’.
All of our organisations support a National Disability Insurance Scheme that is bi-partisan and negotiated between the federal and state governments to benefit people with disability and their families equally no matter where they are.
Please direct All WA media enquiries to Samantha Jenkinson on 0412 887 674 or national enquiries to Mr Matthew Wright on 0428 608 861.
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