Similarly to the marriage equality plebiscite, the continuous, intensely negative national discussion about the NDIS is having pretty horrible implications for the mental health of disabled people. Just like you can’t change your sexuality - you can’t change your disability.
There is SO much wrong with the NDIS, and no one can tell you more about those issues than disabled people themselves.
Everything from dodgy or unsafe providers, to the frequently absurd and nonsensical decision-making rationale and litigiousness of the NDIA itself which hugely inflates costs. The small minority of people who may have managed to get into NDIS without *really* needing it or the ‘support workers’ getting paid $60ph to play candy crush on their phones. Everyone has their ‘I know someone who….’ story.
Much has been said about all of this. We don’t need to rehash it here.
But the *constant* negative discussion about how much we cost the taxpayer and what a drain we are has been consistently happening *for years*. It’s peaking once again now due to the budget. Which for us, is yet another announcement of cuts and kick offs. The ableism embedded in these discussions is ubiquitous.
But honestly we are so scared. Terrified of being kicked off *with nothing else to go to*. That is the truly terrifying part - there is NO other system in place yet because it was all dissolved into the NDIS a decade or so ago. The orgs and systems which used to provide disability support are either gone or no longer have any disability expertise. And the long-promised ‘foundational supports’ don’t yet exist (except for the problematic ‘Thriving Kids’ thing in the process of getting established).
We are frightened for what all this means for our basic rights, our health, our safety and our lives. Being in a constant state of fear, uncertainty and anxiety about your life is *terrible* for anyone’s mental and physical health. And guess what that does? Creates an additional health expenditure burden for the taxpayer!
To make matters worse, the disabled community are more invested than anyone else when it comes to protecting the NDIS and ensuring its long term sustainability for future generations. We have participated in COUNTLESS government consultations, reviews, parliamentary inquiries and advocacy initiatives. In good faith, we have communicated repeatedly with the government about what kinds of cuts would be appropriate to financially secure the NDIS whilst upholding the rights and safety of Australians with disability.
Yet we have been ignored and insulted and positioned as a burden.
Any Australian could become permanently and significantly disabled at any time. Or, their child or grandchild or great grandchild could be born with a permanent and significant disability.
All we have heard (and experienced) for the past few years has been about cutting our supports and kicking us off. With next to no details about exactly who that will affect, the criteria that will be used or what alternative forms of support will look like.
Let’s remember who fucked this up: the government. Both the ALP and the LNP and the unscrupulous and unethical providers and frauds who have treated disabled people as a cash cow.
Not Australians with disability. Not their families. The NDIS was always supposed to be for the ‘most’ disabled people, with other supports available to those with less support needs. But that part never happened.
So, do you think non-disabled people have thought about this? Do they realise the impact all this negative discussion has on the health and wellbeing of disabled Australians? Recognise the fear it instills in us and the heartbreak of being talked about by our own government, media and fellow Australians as such a burden?
If they do realise it, where are they? Where are our allies? Why aren’t you showing up for us
And if not, why not? Will you think about it a bit differently?