Position Statement: The NDIS and People with Intellectual Disability who Live on Society’s Fringe

The design of the National Disability Insurance Scheme needs to carefully consider the circumstances of all people with disability.

It would be easy to overlook people who lack self advocacy skills, family advocates and existing links with the disability service system. This is the case for a large number of people with intellectual disability who:  Come into contact with the criminal justice system  Lead superficially independent but at risk lifestyles  Are parents, or  Also have a mental disorder. Many people have multiple of these characteristics.

People in these groups tend to live on society’s fringe and often:  Have histories of abuse and neglect  Lack informal networks of support  Are socially isolated and distrustful of service agencies  Have very high support needs in relation to key life activities like decision making, control of their behaviour, dealing with personal crises, healthy lifestyles, avoiding personal and financial exploitation, dealing with the criminal justice system and caring for children.

Many people on society’s fringe will need a funded package of support under the NDIS.

NSW CID calls upon the government authorities designing and implementing the NDIS to ensure equitable access to the NDIS by people with intellectual disability who live on society’s fringe. This requires that the NDIS includes: 1. An active process of engagement with individuals on the fringe so as to gain their trust and understanding of the benefit of support services. 2. Individual assessment and planning systems that accommodate the complex and dynamic needs of people on the fringe. 3. Flexibility in the kinds of supports that can be funded to accommodate the disparate supports needed by people on the fringe. 4. A robust workforce development strategy.

Endorsements

John Walsh AM Australian Council of Social Service Partner Price Waterhouse Coopers; Associate Commissioner on the Australasian Society for Intellectual Productivity Commission Inquiry into Disability Disability Care & Support Children with Disability Australia Ian Harper Economist, Partner Disability Advocacy Network Australia Deloitte Access Economics Endeavour Foundation Peter Abelson Economist, formerly Professor Macquarie First Peoples Disability Network University, Mayor Mosman Council Mission Australia

Richard Madden Inclusion Australia Professor of Health Statistics and Director, National Centre for Classification in Health National Ethnic Disability Alliance Chair, House with No Steps People with Disability Australia Martin Laverty Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Health Royal Australian and New Zealand Australia College of Psychiatrists

Mike Sprange St Vincent de Paul Society Fmr Partner Price Waterhouse Coopers; National Council of Australia Chairperson, Intellectual Disability Rights Service Uniting Care Australia

Fiona Stanley AC Women With Disabilities Australia Founding Director, Telethon Institute for ______Child Health Research, 2003 Robert Strike Formerly President, Self Advocacy Sydney Patrick McGorry AO & Chairperson, NSW CID; Psychiatrist Lifelong Achievement Award, National Australian of the Year 2010 Disability Awards 2009

Sir AC Kevin Cocks AM Scientist Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Qld; Australian of the Year 2000 Human Rights Medallist

Brendan O’Reilly AM Bob Debus AM Former Director General, NSW Former Attorney General NSW & Departments of Premier & Cabinet, Minister for Home Affairs Australia & Ageing, Disability & Home Care

Richard Bruggemann “Those on the fringe must never be left Former CEO, Intellectual Disability behind.” Services Council, SA; Professorial Fellow in Disability Studies Tim Fischer AC Colleen Pearce Alan Cameron AO Public Advocate Victoria Deputy Chancellor,

John Brayley Jeanette Moss AM Public Advocate South Australia Parent advocate

Graeme Smith Jane Fraser AM Public Guardian NSW Parent advocate

Kevin Martin Kevin Stone Adult Guardian Queensland Parent advocate & President, Inclusion Australia Jodie Cook Public Advocate Queensland Terry Carney Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Anita Phillips Sydney; Past President, International Public Advocate ACT Academy of Law and Mental Health

Toby Hall Michael McDaniel CEO, Mission Australia Professor, University of Technology Sydney; former Dean of Indigenous Education, David Richmond AO University of Western Sydney Formerly Coordinator General NSW, Director General of NSW Health & the Eric Emerson Olympic Coordination Authority; Professor of Disability & Health Research, Author of the 1983 Richmond Report Lancaster University, UK; Professor of Disability Population Health, Laurie Glanfield AM University of Sydney Former Director General, NSW Departments of Justice & Attorney The Hon Alastair Nicholson AO RFD QC General, Finance & Services. Former Chief Justice, Family Court of Australia; Chair, Children's Rights Richard Matthews AM International Former Deputy Director General, NSW Health & CEO, Justice Health The Hon Paul Stein AM QC Former President of the NSW Anti Ethel McAlpine PSM Discrimination Board; Chair of the NSW Law Former Deputy DG, Ageing, Disability and and Justice Foundation Home Care NSW The Hon Bill Carter QC Gwynnyth Llewellyn Former Supreme Court Justice Qld & Director, Centre for Disability Research & Royal Commissioner Policy; former Dean Of Health Sciences, University Of Sydney Graeme Innes AM Chair, Attitude Foundation Eileen Baldry Former Disability Discrimination Professor of Criminology; Commissioner Deputy Dean of Arts and Social Sciences UNSW Wayne Bennett OAM Rugby League coach Errol Cocks Professor of Disability Research, Craig Wing Curtin University of Technology Rugby league international & Patron, Down Syndrome NSW Jill Wilson AO Professor of Social Policy and Research Chris Masters University of Queensland Journalist Stella Young Robin Banks Disability activist and journalist Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Tasmania Craig Wallace President, PWDA John Le Breton CEO Greystanes Disability Services & Brian Wilder former Director, Public Guardian NSW Former MD of McGraw-Hill Book Co Australasia Pty Ltd; former Director and Nick Lennox Chief Executive of Melbourne University Director, Queensland Centre for Press Intellectual & Developmental Disability; President, Australian Association of Rob Ferguson, Developmental Disability Medicine Former Director, Colliers International Chairman, Muscular Dystrophy Trevor Parmenter AM Foundation of Australia, Emeritus Professor of Developmental Disability Studies & former President, Colin Gunn International Association for the Study of Former Vice President, Muscular Intellectual Disabilities Dystrophy Association NSW Christine Bigby Phil Foreman AM Research Leader Living with Disability, Emeritus Professor of Education Deputy Chair, Academic Board University of Newcastle La Trobe University

Chris Cunneen Patricia O’Brien Professor & Leader in Justice & Social Professor of Disability Studies, University Inclusion, James Cook University of Sydney & former Director, National Institute for Intellectual Disability, Trinity David Ballantine College, Dublin Former General Manager Corporate Strategy, Fujitsu Australia, former CIO Bernadette McSherry House with No Steps Foundation Director Melbourne Social Equity Institute Ian Landon-Smith The Polar Medal. Former Member, former President, Chatswood Sheltered Leanne Dowse Industries Inc, former Trustee, Sydney Chair in Intellectual Disability and Grammar School Behaviour Support, UNSW

Sandra Allen Julian Trollor Former Editor, Macmillans Chair in Intellectual Disability Mental Health, UNSW John Allen Former Deputy Crown Solicitor, Hong Kong

Paul Harris Director, WWF Australia, ex Chairman Bundanon Trust and Member of the Australian Stock Exchange

Mark Ierace SC Senior Public Defender NSW