Disability  -  Policy D9

Principles

The Australian Greens believe that:

  1. all people have a right to independence, self-determination and choice in their lives.
  2. there are a variety of medical, societal and environmental reasons why peoples' individual abilities differ; disability arises when society fails to accommodate these differences and creates, or fails to remove, barriers to equitable access for all.
  3. people who experience disability, and their families and carers, should have the opportunity to actively participate in policy and service planning and delivery.
  4. it is a primary responsibility of governments to ensure equality of opportunity, to promote attitudinal change, and to provide funding to ensure this in areas of education, health, housing, mobility, employment and sporting, cultural and social engagement.

Goals

The Australian Greens want:

  1. people who experience disability to be integrally involved in all levels of decision and policy making, including in their own service development and delivery.
  2. people to participate fully in all aspects of life, including education, training and employment, regardless of disability.
  3. people to have access, where necessary, to appropriate facilities and support personnel in order for them to be able to undertake their chosen activities.
  4. the Commonwealth, State and Territories Disability Agreement to deliver clear and timely policy, funding and service delivery responsibilities and outcomes.
  5. guaranteed decent incomes, support and services for people with disability and their carers.

Measures

The Australian Greens will:

  1. strengthen and provide funding for disability advocacy services, community education programs, and the removal of structural barriers to equality of access to education, training and employment.
  2. ensure a guaranteed decent income by increasing Disability Support Pension payments to adequately cover medical, transport, equipment and accommodation costs.
  3. restore the Disability Support Pension eligibility to the pre-July 2006 criteria as a minimum.
  4. remove the punitive assessment and work requirement levels and job capacity assessments introduced in the Welfare to Work Act 2005 whilst ensuring sufficient places for all people seeking training.
  5. provide meaningful employment and training opportunities which take into account the specific needs of people with disability.
  6. allow full tax deductibility for any aids, devices, special equipment or services which directly assist people with disability in finding and maintaining employment.
  7. remove GST and import duty from specialist aids, devices, appliances and services for people with disability.
  8. provide parents, partners, relatives and friends who act as carers with eligibility for registration as professional carers and adequate support, including income and respite.
  9. enact national standards to protect people with disability, where required, via monitoring, investigative powers and enforcement.
  10. increase funding for appropriate, including age-appropriate, accommodation and support services for people with disability, including flexible accommodation models.
  11. increase funding for high quality, age-appropriate institutional care for people with very high and complex care needs.
  12. provide increased respite care services and facilities, in-home and emergency support, crisis accommodation and a range of supported accommodation options.
  13. adequately resource pathways that support school leavers with disability to make the transition from school into meaningful employment, educational and vocational programs or other community-based activities.
  14. support access to specialised employment support services for people with disability who choose to enter the workforce.
  15. improve access to training, development and personal support to staff working in disability services, and adopt workforce measures to increase the professional mix of staff.
  16. improve pay and conditions and career structures for providers of services for people with disabilities.
  17. strengthen national disability access standards.