A Mixed-Bag Budget
11/05/2011
The Federal Government has handed down a budget which pays lip service to people with disabilities but offers little helpful support, says Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent.
“Wayne Swan has shown he understands people with disabilities need help by offering increased funding for children with disabilities, more education funding and support to find work,” said Ms Vincent.“But, this budget proves the Government has little insight into what life is really like for people with a disability.”
“For a start, it seems unlikely that initiatives to get people back into work will be helpful when we are still faced with inaccessible workplaces, ignorant attitudes and outright discrimination.
“The extra funding allocated to the families of children with a disability is based on what disability the child has, not what help they need.
“These examples show that while the Government might be aware that people with disabilities need help, they don’t understand how that help should be delivered.”
Ms Vincent says the best way to provide meaningful help to people with disabilities is to address the huge shortfall of essential services – something the Productivity Commission recently recommended the Federal Government take responsibility for.
“With recent talk around a National Disability Insurance Scheme I am hopeful a new era of disability services is on the horizon, but the Productivity Commission has recognised that there are problems now.
“They have also recognised that the states and territories need financial help from the Australian Government to solve these problems. This financial help has not been provided in the 2011 budget and this is hugely disappointing.
“While job support and training, extra schools funding and help for children are great initiatives they will mean nothing to people who can’t get help to shower, dress and feed themselves.”
