25 August 2004
Dear Friend of MDAA,
MDAA is asking you to help with a
campaign to change the future for young adults from a
non-English speaking background (NESB) with disability.
Even if you are not young, or you do not have a family
member who is a young adult with disability, we need your
help. We are asking all MDAA members, consumers and
friends to send a letter to the NSW Premier, Bob Carr. We
have written the letter, all you need to do is sign it
and send it!
Recently, the Government announced
major funding cuts and changes to the Post School Options
(PSO) and Adult Training, Learning and Support (ATLAS)
programs. These programs provide learning and employment
opportunities for young adults with disability. Some of
the main problems with the changes are:
- If you are in the new Community
Participation program you will get up to 50% less than
someone in the Post School Options
program.
- You can only apply for the
Transition to Work program when you are leaving
school. If you are older or missed out or your life
has changed, you do not get another chance to
apply.
- Community Participation
programs do not offer opportunities to learn skills.
The cuts in funding mean that people in these programs
will do little more than watch television.
- If you are from a NESB you will
probably have even less opportunities to get a job or
learn the skills necessary to be part of the community
and contribute like everyone else.
There is more information about
these changes on the back of this page or you can ring
MDAA and someone will discuss them with you.
I hope you will support this
campaign and let Mr Carr know that you are against this
decision.
Yours sincerely
Milanka Zivanovic
Chairperson
Summary of Changes to Programs that
provide learning and employment opportunities for Young
Adults with Disability
On 8 July 2004, the NSW Department of
Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) announced major
policy and funding 'reforms' that will significantly impact
on post-school education and employment opportunities for
school leavers and young adults with disability. The type of
programs offered will change and funding levels will
significantly reduce.
The current programs are: Post School
Options (PSO) and Adult Training, Leaning and Support
(ATLAS). ATLAS will stop on 31 December 2004 and PSO will
continue for people currently in this program. Two new
programs will start on 1 January 2005: Transition to Work
and Community Participation.
What the changes mean:
- Funding will no longer be provided
to individuals but to service providers.
- The Transition to Work program
will be only be available to school leavers who are
assessed as being 'work ready'. Funding will be available
for a maximum of two years. The funding for this program
will be the same as the current ATLAS program, an average
of $15,699 per year.
- Community Participation programs
will be available for school leavers assessed as not
being 'work ready'. Funding for Community Participation
programs is not 'time-limited' and this is a positive
change. The negative is that the level of funding offered
is very small and these programs do not focus on skill
development. People in these programs will receive either
$13,500 or $9,000 per year. This is substantially less
than the amount people currently receive in the Post
School Options program, which is an average of $19,000
per year.
MDAA's concerns:
- Poorer quality of
services.
- A move to 'group
care'.
- Fewer hours of
service.
- No or little skill development in
Community Participation programs.
- Difficulty for people to choose
and move between different services in an
area.
- Apart form school leavers, people
with disability will not be able to enter programs that
focus on skill development and employment.
- Life will not improve for people
from a NESB with disability as no specific changes have
been introduced in the new programs to ensure this.
- Employment rates will not increase
as no specific changes have been introduced in the new
Transition to Work program to ensure this.
- Many parents and carers will have
to resign from work to cover the additional hours of
support required as a result of fewer hours of service
provision.
- Reduced funding will make it
difficult for services to meet the cultural and
linguistic needs of people from a NESB with
disability
- The decision to continue PSO
funding to people currently in this program will create
an unfair system. People in Community Participation
programs with similar disability and support needs will
receive up to 50% less than people receiving PSO funding.
I VOTE FOR A FUTURE WHERE PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITY CONTRIBUTE SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY AND
POLITICALLY
25 August 2004
The Premier
The Hon. R. J. Carr, MP
Level 40
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Dear Mr Carr
I wish to register my objection to the
recently announced changes to programs that provide learning
and employment opportunities for young adults with
disability (PSO and ATLAS). The decision to reduce funding
levels, restrict program entry and decrease the
opportunities available for skill development is
unacceptable.
I am concerned that the Government's
decision did not include any specific changes that attempt
to increase employment rates or improve outcomes for people
with disability and people from a non-English speaking
background (NESB) with disability in particular.
The result is that it will be even
harder for people from a NESB with disability to access
appropriate services and gain the necessary skills and
opportunities to lead meaningful lives and contribute to the
community.
I believe a smart government invests
in the potential of all its citizens and provides genuine
opportunities for learning and social and economic
participation.
I urge the Government to consider a
new model that:
- Focuses on skill development for
all participants
- Ensures adequate funding to meet
the individual learning and support needs for all people
with disability, including people from a NESB with
disability
- Encourages transition to work and
participation in society at all ages
- Provides funding that is
individualised, portable and equitable
Signature
…………………………………..........................................
Name
…………………………………..........................................
Address
…………………………………..........................................
…………………………………........................................................
NSW
…………………………………..........................................
|
