From: Glenn Barnett 
Sent: Friday, 9 July 2010 12:55 PM
To: disability support (Ex Email)
Subject: JULY 11th meeting Julia Farr
Dear Sir/madam, 
I am writing to you in response to an information sheet informing me of the meeting in the subject line.
The letter arrived yesterday, July 8th 2010, from the Physical Disability Council SA.

In the past basic attention has been paid by this Council to country residence and a few meetings have
occurred in my town. However, how can anyone expect a severely disabled C3/4 quadriplegic to
arrange a 650 kilometre trip with all the accommodation etc. at such short notice?

At the meetings I have attended I always say the same things.
1. Why must Carers have such ridiculous ''educational'' standards and continual education ''upgrades''
placed upon them. My disability occurred in 1962 when I was 15 years old. Other than my ageing 
nothing has changed. I have the same care every day of my life and my Carers learn my routine 
very easily and quickly.
My wife is a registered nurse and midwife and together we teach them.

2. We can never standardise any education as every disable persons injury means no two are the
same or the same to care for.

3. The ''Care Provider'' industry and government structures surrounding it is insane bureaucracy and
over burdensome red tape.
Common sense is required to save millions of tax payers money and time.

4. If the suggested ''self managed'' Care Structure is implemented without all the red tape and bureaucracy
it may help. However it must allow for genuine CPI rises and wage movements. 
As well as Superannuation, Work Cover, Holiday Pay and Sick Leave etc. or Casual rates to 
compensate.

My wife and I are quite capable of handling this type of arrangement ... do we want to ... it depends on the
amount of paper work, accountability procedures etc. Do we trust the government to maintain funding levels
... no way. Do we trust the government not to build another bureaucratic layer ... no way.
Just count the Care Provider Groups in Australia now as well a their administrative costs etc.

The next issue that must be addressed is the one of ageing. Throughout my disabled life I have ''slipped''
through bureaucratic ''gaps'' ... your too young, your wife has to care for you, sorry no support, you are
employed, your wheelchair is not necessary for work so you can only have a 20% tax deduction for it.
You should have worked out by now that I could just keep going on and on.

There is, and rightly so, a lot talk ... little action ... about ageing parents of disable children ... well what about
ageing spouses/partners/families of disabled people like me. In 39 years of marriage my wife has been my
primary Carer. In the early 1980's we found out bout the pathetic allowance the government offered her ...
by accident. Then in 1996 we found out, again by accident, that the government had provided Care Assistance
(fantastic help). BUT she is over 60 years old and her body is feeling it, she gave up a possible brilliant career
and saved the government a Nursing Home bed ... WHAT ABOUT HER.

Well, this has been inside me for a while as you should be able to tell. However I am just plain sick of mismanaged
Health Dollars and Bureaucratic Structures.

I look forward to see if anything really happens this time.

Please mote that I typed this with a single stick in my mouth and it has taken about 1.5 hours.

Thank you for your attention.
Regards
Rev. Dr. Glenn Barnett PhD; M.Div; M.A.; Bth; B.A,; TTC Grad Cert; Dip.Div; BCSA Dip.