8 December 2021
The RACP welcomes the Federal Government’s release of a national 10-year plan to improve the lives of people living with disabilities, but says it’s just a first step.
Dr Jacqueline Small says “We’re pleased that the Federal Government has now released a comprehensive plan to make Australia’s systems more inclusive of people living with disabilities.
“It is clear from the ongoing evidence provided to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability that the current systems in place need significant improvement to provide people living with disability necessary support.
“The key will now be ensuring this strategy is effectively implemented so that it achieves what it’s been designed to do. Public reporting is one important mechanism to demonstrate effective implementation.
“Over one in ten people in Australia are living with a disability – and it’s absolutely crucial we are building and designing our community infrastructure to support them.
“We’re pleased to see that the strategy includes a specific targeted action plan for the early years to support the development and wellbeing of children and young people with disability.
“We also welcome the health and wellbeing policy priority on disaster preparedness, to ensure that public health emergency responses are inclusive of people with disability, and the emphasis on consulting with people with disability the very early stages of responding to and recovering from these responses.
“After being heavily involved in the consultation process, the RACP looks forward to working with all relevant governments and stakeholders to support the Strategy’s delivery and ensure it achieves what it has set out to do.
“We hope that this plan is one step closer in a very long road to getting our systems right.
“We’re also calling for the Federal Government to ensure we have a strong NDIS that is protected from funding cuts. We know that for many of our patients – their NDIS funding is their lifeline.
“We heard harrowing evidence in the Royal Commission about the vulnerabilities that people living with disabilities face – and so we must ensure that the NDIS is safe from any potential funding cuts” Dr Small said.