Human beings not statistics, Minister Hunter
03/05/2012
Today’s release of figures on the provision of disability services in South Australia shows that the number of people with disabilities going without essential services like accommodation and personal care support has again skyrocketed.
Dignity for Disability is concerned the Minister for Disabilities seems almost resigned to the abysmal statistics he’s racking up across all four assessed categories, including accommodation and community support, community access and respite.
For the third month in a row, the total numbers on the Category 1 critical needs list, which includes people who are homeless or at imminent risk thereof, grew, amounting to 1334 undelivered services – an increase of more than 10 percent.
“It is outrageous that so many people with disabilities in this state go without essential services they need,” says Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent.
“During question time today I asked Minister Hunter why those in critical need right now continue to wait for his government to get their act together.”
“His response was simply that we have a broken system and that exponential unmet need is a nationwide problem.”
“If the Minister believes spending his days thinking an exponential unmet needs graph is inevitable, he is wasting precious time.”
“Holistic reform is important, but the two cannot be mutually exclusive. It’s like focussing solely on a bushfire prevention plan when you have spot fires burning all around you,” said Ms Vincent.
“Whilst I am thrilled to see an NDIS gradually being implemented from 2013, the 1069 unique clients at critical risk can’t wait until 2018 for a fully operational system – they need assistance immediately.”
The figures can be accessed at: http://tinyurl.com/7a6do9y
