Disability In Australia

Dares to name and explore a hidden blight in society: the routine, daily and oppressive treatment of people with disabilities. Drawing on a wide range of case studies from health and welfare, sport, biotechnology, deinstitutionalisation, political life, and the treatment of refugees, this thoughtful, lively and provocative work puts disability firmly on the agenda.

Disability is part of human diversity. There are many different kinds of disability, caused by accidents, illness or genetic disorders. One in five Australians have a disability, however many encounter a range of barriers, stereotypes and negative attitudes. They are more likely to experience poverty, live in poor quality or insecure housing, suffer from mental illness and have low levels of education. They are often socially isolated, with fewer opportunities to take part in community life. How do people with disabilities live their daily lives, and what levels of care and support are currently available to them? What protections are available to people experiencing discrimination in employment, education, accommodation, and with limited access to services and public places? This book examines disability prevalence and support in Australia, and explores issues involving disability rights and discrimination.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (known commonly as the NDIS) was introduced as a radical new way of funding disability services in Australia. It is a rare moment in politics and policy making that an idea as revolutionary, ambitious and expensive as the NDIS makes it into its implementation phase. Not surprising, then, that the NDIS has been described by many as the biggest social shift in Australia since Medicare. This book will be a key text for scholars and public policy professionals wishing to understand the NDIS, how it was designed, and lessons learned through its introduction and roll-out. The book addresses how the NDIS has intersected with particular cohorts and sectors, and some of the challenges that have arisen. It highlights the experiences of people with disability through a collection of personal stories from participants and families in the NDIS. The key insights from this large scale public policy experiment are relevant for anyone interested in social change in Australia, or internationally.

This book provides the reader with a ground-breaking understanding of disability and social movements. By describing how disability is philosophically, historically, and theoretically positioned, Carling-Jenkins is able to then examine disability relationally through an evaluation of the contributions of groups engaged in similar human rights struggles. The book locates disability rights as a new social movement and provides an explanation for why disability has been divided rather than united in Australia. Finally, it investigates whether the recent campaign to implement a national disability insurance scheme represents a re-emergence of the movement. It will be of interest to all scholars and students of both disability studies and social movements.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme Handbook written by Bill Madden, Janine McIlwraith and Ruanne Brell examines the NDIS from the viewpoint of a person seeking to access the NDIS and those advising or assisting them. The three key criteria are examined, along with the powers of the NDIS Chief Executive Officer and the scop.

This paper attempts to explain why better national information on disability is important, and why it relies on consistent definitions to underpin the gathering of statistical data.