With the state election on March 8, DDWA urge all political parties to commit to improving services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
So far only the Greens, and to some extent the Nationals, have responded and shown their support. Both Labor and Liberal have not even responded.
We need the WA Department of Health to do FIVE (5) things:
click here for detail on DDWA’s call for Health Reform in WA
https://ddwa.org.au/time-for-action-health-reform-in-wa/
On behalf of our 5000+ members, we seek the support of all political parties to address five key issues:
See Attachment 1. ISSUE: Specialist Health
See Attachment 2. ISSUE: Independent Specialist Education Advocacy
See Attachment 3. ISSUE: Job Carved roles within the public sector
See Attachment 4. ISSUE: Inclusive Sport
See Attachment 5. ISSUE: Social Connections
~ Mary Butterworth, DDWA CEO
As you would be aware, in the past eight years services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities appear to have deteriorated, particularly with the loss of the Disability Services Commission in its previous form. Though the government and others have recognised this, and some forward movement is evident, far more needs to be done for some of our most vulnerable citizens.
DETAILS: Five key issues
(with attachments detailing our recommendations)
- Specialist Health
On average, people with intellectual disability die 27 years earlier than other people. People with intellectual disability also have 2 to 3 times higher incidence of mental health problems. Whilst part of the reason directly relates to a person’s disability, other factors also lead to this huge disparity including delayed access to critical health services, multiple and unnecessarily recurrent presentation, a lack of understanding and/or training concerning their unique issues (particularly behaviours), generalised stigma and discrimination.
See Attachment 1. ISSUE: Specialist Health
- Independent Specialist Education Advocacy
The quality of the inclusion for students with a disability in education settings, is often proportional to the advocacy, energy and efforts of families, resulting in the ‘inclusion’ experienced by students within the same school being highly variable. Independent advocates safeguard the inclusion of children with disability in education, especially for families without the knowledge or ability to advocate for their children and are especially beneficial when the relationship between a school and a family is deteriorating or has broken down. Independent disability advocacy delivers better educational outcomes for children and young people with disability.
See Attachment 2. ISSUE: Independent Specialist Education Advocacy
- Job Carved roles within the public sector
The Workforce Diversification and Inclusion Strategy for WA Public Sector Employment 2020–2025 sets an aspirational target of 5 percent employment of people with a disability in public sector agencies. As of June 2024, only 1.7 percent of WA public sector employees are people with a disability. The number of people with intellectual disability employed by the WA public service is not measured and feedback from members suggests that it is negligible. Despite numerous activities around implementing the ‘job carving’ concept, the number has not increased. Job carving typically involves looking at all roles within a workplace and then identifying which tasks or parts thereof, that could be done by a person with intellectual disability. Often these roles are only a few hours per week and as the person undertaking the tasks becomes more confident and skilled, the number and complexity of tasks increases.
See Attachment 3. ISSUE: Job Carved roles within the public sector
- Inclusive Sport
Many families report how their child with developmental disability was not welcomed by a local sporting club with words to the effect of “Perhaps we are not the right fit for your child”. For adults with intellectual disability they not only face difficulty accessing welcoming sporting clubs and activities, they are also excluded financially due to the costs associated with membership and equipment. In both instances many clubs are run voluntarily, on limited budgets and they do not have the knowledge and skills to adapt to a wider range of needs.
See Attachment 4. ISSUE: Inclusive Sport
- Social Connections
Many families report the collapse of social connections when their child finishes school and the greater the level of disability, the greater the level of social disconnection. In a recent innovation project with the Department of Communities, DDWA has been working in Education Support Schools to teach the students about making and keeping friends, as well as setting up their social connections around their interests for when they leave school. Concurrently staff from local government have been visiting year 12’s and talking about what is available and what they can do individually or in groups in their local community. Young people with disability and their families need to be actively supported to keep school connections (particularly in the first few years post school) and build new connections and interests in their local community.
See Attachment 5. ISSUE: Social Connections
We would appreciate considered response from every candidate to the issues and recommendations. Your responses to the issues we raise will be shared with our members, contacts and via our social media, so it is important that we receive tangible responses, not just broad policy statements which may not lead to implementation.
If you would like to discuss any of the issues or potential solutions raised, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 0439 510 515 or email mary.butterworth@ddwa.org.au
Yours faithfully
Mary
| Mary Butterworth | |
| DDWA CEO | |
| E: mary.butterworth@ddwa.org.au P: 08 9420 7203 | Main Office | 08 9420 7230 | Direct |
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