Need for a National Disability Insurance Scheme

I seek the Commission’s support for a national disability insurance scheme to help people with a disability get access to disability services soon as they are needed.

MND Australia - the peak body representing people with the devastating disease of motor neurone disease (MND) - is calling for urgent action to improve disability services in Australia. As a sufferer of MND I strongly support this initiative. A national scheme to assist those with disabilities is critical for people diagnosed with motor neurone disease to ensure a rapid response to their rapidly changing support needs. People diagnosed with MND should be able to access disability assessment and services as soon as a need arises no matter where that person lives or how old they are. Waiting lists are not an option for people living with MND and their families.

I am one of 1,400 people living in Australia today who have motor neurone disease. MND is a rapidly progressive neurological disease with an average life expectancy of only 2-3 years from diagnosis. Each week in Australia more than ten people die of this cruel disease and at least another ten are diagnosed. People with MND generally experience rapid muscle failure with death mostly caused by failure of the repertory muscles. 

Because I have been diagnosed now for over fifteen years experience has shown me what is desperately required. I feel for the newly diagnosed and their families as I know what they need and have to encounter. They need timely:
•	Assessment
•	Home care support
•	Personal care
•	Case management
•	Equipment and assistive devices
•	Home modifications
•	A care package
•	Respite

A National Disability Insurance Scheme would give people living with MND, and many other Australians living with a disability or caring for a person with a disability, peace of mind and hope for independence, social inclusion and quality of life.

I seek the Productivity Commission’s support to ensure that all people in Australia living with MND now, and in the future, will get the care and support they need and when they need it.

Philip Brady