Page 1313 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 5 April 2011
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community will co-locate a small group of young adults with a disability with about 20 public housing tenants who elect to be part of a medium density housing complex and provide informal support networks to those young adults with a disability living in the complex.
I am pleased to advise the Assembly that this is the first time there has been a national approach to have all Australians work together to increase the social, cultural and economic participation of people with a disability across Australia. I am pleased to report that the ACT government is highly supportive of the strategy. The national disability strategy creates a framework for policy makers, service providers, community groups, businesses and families to engage with people with a disability. It is the first scheme of its type where all Australians have a role to play in working together to achieve a society that enables people with a disability to reach their full potential.
Around 15 per cent of our citizens report as having a disability. The national disability strategy will provide a voice for people with a disability and will enable them to realise their aspirations, maximise their independence and participate in their communities. This change is important. It ensures that all Australians, regardless of ability, have the same opportunities for meaningful participation, a quality education, health care, a job where possible and access to buildings, transport and social activities.
Just this morning in the Canberra Times there was a feature article about a Sydney family and the struggles they have in bringing up their young son. The article includes the following quote from the father concerning the national disability strategy:
The National Disability Strategy gives a lot of hope to people like me. When I look at that long-term plan and the sort of money they’re talking about putting in, I start to feel hope …
That is a good endorsement for this strategy. Finally, I am pleased to launch the national disability strategy here in the ACT. I look forward to the work continuing through its implementation.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella), by leave: I welcome the statement by the minister. There are a few key areas that I would like to draw attention to today. The ACT government’s strategy called Future directions has an attachment called “Measures of success”. This is a very good document that outlines a number of outcome measures which we should reflect on annually when we look at what is happening with disability services. I would like to see some of these taken on as strategic measures by the department.
I would just like to run through some of the measures and reflect on the work that could be done in this area. One measure is the unmet demand for disability support services. This is an ongoing area of concern that receives attention through the estimates process and also through annual reports hearings. The ACT government has said that the estimated figure in terms of unmet need is in the range of $8 million, but I expect this might be higher. I know there is some work going on within Disability to
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