Comments on: Breaking Point: 4 Corners Tonight

By: di

di — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:35:36 +0000

Even in America, disability benefits are less than half a salary. Benefits need to be tripled in a time of crisis.

By: Paula Kerr

Paula Kerr — Mon, 30 May 2011 12:36:26 +0000

I didn’t see the show but I am acquainted with the hardships associated with children in wheelchairs. I cannot understand why we are spending huge amounts of money on projects like the Adelaide Oval. It just isnt needed. Why can’t we use that money to help the many families who struggle to make a life for their disabled children every day. I don’t have any money but if I did I would most definitely put it
into a pool of money to help these families.
There are so many other areas where billions of
dollars are being spent on superfluous projects that should be used instead to help the disabled community. Where is the compassion? Perhaps if the government got the ball rolling by providing financial assistance to these families then others might follow by providing venues that are disabled friendly and the public in general may finally begin to make a place in society for all people whether healthy, ill or disabled.

By: Les

Les — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:13:10 +0000

The issue is not when or if an insurance scheme is set up but HOW its going to operate. Unless it focuses on an individuals life’s plan it has the potential to be no better than it is now. Everyone has different needs and aspirations. Some people may require specialised equipment and others may need assistance to live independently or to access basic services. The list in the disability field is endless. Regardless of the severity of a disability everyone has the right to live meaningful lives and should be given the means to do so. Families who have no other choice but to care for their child as they themselves age and whither should also be a major part of the plan. We have put together a plan for our son which highlights many of the areas that are specific to him. This can be seen at the following URL: It only shows the key areas in the menu bar roll -overs at the top. His actual plan has all of the areas filled in with specific detail.

http://www.adam.org.au/example_plan.htm

If the insurance scheme does not positively address this issue correctly it may leave people with disabilities further out in the cold. DHS has a full copy of my sons plan. When we asked for several weeks respite last year the response was, yes we can do this and we can put him into a centre while you have a holiday. He can have a holiday as well. Some holiday that would have been. We did manage to get the additional support tagged onto his current plan and kept him out of the centre. But if bureaucrats continue to have this approach to services I shudder for the future. So. Individual plans for people with disabilities (completed by the individual with the support of their family of advocacy group if required) and a complete retraining program for bureaucrats along with community awareness. That might work.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:38:36 +0000

The program was very scary and the fact that people were having to head overseas to the UK to get reasonable outcomes was appalling. Not everyone has this option as few people have dual passports. I am also concerned that Bill Shorten doesn’t think the National Disability Insurance Scheme could be operable until well into a second term of the Rudd government.

By: Ricky Buchanan

Ricky Buchanan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:42:05 +0000

I found this really scary to watch, as it’s an issue which is relevant to me personally as a person with severe disabilities. The way the system currently works as a lottery with some who are relatively “lucky” in terms of services provided and some who are in the same situation but “unlucky” is crazy… but I’m one of the “lucky” ones I know. If I wasn’t, I don’t think I could continue to keep myself out of a nursing home honestly.

I’m scared that it’s a problem so huge that the government will continue to ignore it. It’s not as if overburdened people with disabilities and overworked carers have a lot of political pull

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:22:41 +0000

I think this is an important program for us all to watch. It highlights a very important issue which needs to be addressed quickly.