Recognising interdependence: promoting a good life for all

This submission emphasises the interdependence between people with a disability and their partners or families and outlines key principles that we believe should underwrite the scheme. We discuss the complex issue of eligibility and limitations to current definitions of disability and the tools used to measure eligibility. We hope eligibility will be inclusive of people with less severe intellectual disabilities and those with psychiatric disabilities.

We develop an outline of the services that we believe should be delivered by a National Disability Care and Support Scheme at different stages of the life of a person with a disability. We outline some of the issues that need to be addressed to make the scheme work seamlessly with other services such as housing, aged care, income security and taxation and workplace reform.