Win for disability scheme

By EMMA SUN
IN a victory for hills residents and local disability organisation Melba Support Services, the Gillard Government has committed to funding a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in its budget.
Following the release of the Federal Budget last Tuesday night, the Federal Government will provide $1 billion over four years for the NDIS.
The first stage of a NDIS will begin in mid-2013 and will provide care and support to around 10,000 people with significant and permanent disabilities in up to four locations across the country.
From mid-2014, the reach of an NDIS will be expanded to bring the total number of eligible people up to 20,000.
The scheme will provide those people with care and support when needed, give them the option of choosing their own service provider.
It is designed to give people access to education and employment opportunities and make navigating mainstream and community services easier.
The NDIS comes months after hills residents started rallying for the cause, Melba Support Services recently gathering about 100 people to the national rally at Federation Square.
The Federal Government will also provide $59.6 million over four years to the Australian Disability Enterprises in 2012–13, which will support more than 20,000 workers with disability across Australia.