This week's edition of the Weekend Australian Magazine (28 - 29th March2009) includes a major feature by Sue Corrigan, "The Struggle for Care", on the critical shortage of long term supported accommodation for people with disabilities in Australia. A comparison of systems in here and in the UK (Sue Corrigan has personal experience of both), leads to a discussion of the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme, and the solutions it has potential to offer.
While many people with Down syndrome would not live with the severe physical disabilities that are a focus of the article (although some do), their need for long term term support and security is just as real, as is their families' and carers' need for respite, reassurance of their safety, and everyone's right to a life of their own.
Recommended reading, very sobering, but it does offer a lot more than a litany of complaint. The story does not "(grind) to a mournful hope," as Sue Corrigan acknowledges it once would have, as she introduces the campaign for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The article does not appear to be available online (yet), but it is well worth reading and will be in newsagents today and tomorrow.
Edit 31/03/2009: The article has now been posted to The Australian's website, here
No comments:
Post a Comment