ADDE MEDIA RELEASE April 30th 2014
Australians for Disability and Diversity Employment (ADDE) INC, a national disability lobby group, today makes a desperate plea to all State, Territory and Federal Governments to stop inflicting further pain and insecurity upon Australia's disabled citizens. Spokesperson, Martin Stewart, said "Over the last month the Federal Government in particular, has conducted a cruel and insensitive attack on Australians with disabilities by publicly floating potential changes to the much needed Disability Support Payments they receive." Mr Stewart said having a disability is very expensive. "I was born totally blind and had my right arm and leg removed after a train accident in 2001. I therefore have the experience of having and living with a disability from birth as well as acquired disability. People with disabilities have many added costs, such as higher rental charges, as we need to live close to public transport and community facilities; in addition we often have expensive medical fees, technology, aids and equipment. Government support only covers a fraction of these extra expenses we have to live with.”
Mr Stewart said, "When we hear the Treasurer and Prime Minister talk of possible cuts to the Disability Support Pension and changing the eligibility criteria, as well as the current indexation arrangements for these payments, it causes great fear and insecurity amongst us." This unnecessary, unjustified, without precedent, insensitivity and cruelty must stop. Let us explode this very ignorant and destructive myth, that eligibility criteria is weak, which has been deliberately put out by the Treasurer, Joe Hockey. The fact is the eligibility criteria for receiving the Disability Support Payment is already very stringent; furthermore each individual who receives such payments is regularly assessed to ensure they remain eligible. As a result, the overall percentage of the Australian population receiving disability support payments has actually fallen, from 5.5% in 2011 to 5.4% in 2012. As Graeme Innes, the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, said to the Sydney Morning Herald's, Judith Ireland, March 12th 2014, "There is no crisis for this payment". Mr Stewart said, "This sets aside the over-the top, hysterical Federal Government's claim of a blow out in Disability Support Pension Payments." It is true, as Joe Hockey disgracefully highlighted, that there has been a recent increase in Disability Support Payment claims by people with a mental illness, but rather than the destructive and negative spin that Joe hockey places on this, we at ADDE say, this is actually a major social positive as it reveals that people with a mental illness are now feeling more confident to come forward, out of the shadows and societal stigma that used to be placed upon them, to claim this vitally required financial and professional support. A testament to the much needed, valuable and constructive work, as well as positive education campaigns, led by mental health advocates and support organisations such as Beyond Blue. This good work is now being seriously compromised and undermined by the Federal Government's negative and destructive messages, perpetuating a return of past ignorant and misguided social attitudes and beliefs about people with depression and mental illness; beliefs that should be consigned to history, not encouraged.
Rather than engaging with such destructive ignorance and negativity, the Government should more responsibly and positively attend to the 70% and worsening disability unemployment rate. Since 2003 the rate of employment for Australians with disabilities in Federal, State and Local Government Departments has declined from 6.3% to the current appallingly low 2.8%. This is becoming our national shame. These figures have become so embarrassing that most governments have ceased gathering and publishing disability employment statistics, leaving us to only guess where they are headed. This is an unjust, dismissive, disregard for Australia's disabled population. Australians with disabilities will participate and contribute through employment and social engagement if society, through its people and governments, includes rather than excludes them.
The further development and eventual National rollout of the NDIS offers great hope for people with disabilities, their future and quality of life. However if State and Federal Governments fail to positively work together to make it work and decide to pay for it by cutting back on individual's Disability Support Benefits, the NDIS will become Australia's great cruel irony and missed opportunity.
For further comments, Contact ADDE's Spokesperson Martin Stewart,
mobile 0425 725 171 Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Martin Stewart
Disability Employment Advocate Australians for Disability and Diversity Employment (ADDE) INC
