NSW —
The Physical Disability Council of NSW welcomes
the decision by Premier Iemma today to partially
act on his promise of the decent society. The
Premier announced that The Department of Ageing
Disability and Home Care (DADHC) would make an
additional $2 million in non-recurrent funding
available, to provide 800 children with
disabilities in NSW with the much needed
equipment for which they have been waiting. This
funding will clear children from the waiting
list. People with physical disabilities in NSW
want and need more.
Premier Iemma's decent
society requires a decent level of recurrent
funding. Waiting lists occur because demand
cannot be met. Whilst clearing children from the
waiting list is to be applauded, non-recurrent
funds mean that the waiting list will build
again. Children's needs continue to change, so
only a continued, increased funding commitment
would have a decent effect on the longer-term
shortfalls within the Program of Appliances for
Disabled People (PADP). PADP is the vital
government program that provides people with
disabilities and older people with the equipment
and items they need. These include wheelchairs,
walking aids, continence items, beds, pressure
care matrasses and cushions and communication
devices. Eighteen months ago, the only time the
PADP waiting list has been collated, it was
estimated that there was $5.5m worth of
equipment being waited for. The Department of
Health manages PADP, and is unable to collect
accurate on-going waiting list data.
As this one-off increase
is for children only, it does not address the
on-going demands on PADP for the remainder of
its target group, that is, adults with
disabilities and older people who also need
vital equipment to assist them to go about their
daily lives.
The Physical Disability
Council of NSW maintains its position that the
NSW Government needs to increase the budget to
PADP by $15.5 million recurrent to a total of
$37.5m. Only this will ensure that all people
with disabilities in NSW have the equipment they
need to access the same opportunities as
everyone else.
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