The NDIS held out hope and promise to people with a disability, the opportunity to exercise choice and control and was heralded as the answer to the prayers of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable citizens.
Paying for the scheme was predicated on moving as many people as possible into employment and the 'Employment First' banner was, albeit briefly, finally seen.
That flag seems to have disappeared.
What's happening (and granted this is the greatest single social change in a decade) is rapidly degenerating into a feeding frenzy as both the well-meaning and the predatory seek to feed from the taxpayer trough.
Rather than expanding, employment for people with disability is being placed at risk.
Why so?
Here's the deal: The process of employment is driven by supply and demand - for people with disability they become part of the 'supply' side, looking for positions where their skills and abilities match the 'demand' side opportunities provided by employers, who offer work on the basis of their belief that the cost of employment is outweighed by the profit derived from the new workers labour.
They (employers) are in control.
This is a simple sum; turn off demand and no matter how loudly the supply side squawks, there's an end to employment offers.
If you are a new worker you simply cannot dictate your manner of employment (casual, full time, part time or contract) - you can't and that's that. A skilled, qualified employment specialist may be able to get you what you want or come close to that goal but an advocate armed with promises of legal action WILL fail (notice that's not may or might?).
You cannot import unskilled, untrained family members into workplaces and expect to achieve integration and inclusion.
However if you read many of the new NDIS providers promotions none of this is true - with their help you and your friends or family can dictate terms and conditions while providing support as and where felt best and woe betide any business owner that argues otherwise!
Sorry, but this isn't how the world works.
All that will occur is the tainting of all.
I know that this blog gets read and so to those that can influence:
I thought that the NDIS was not supposed to replicate or replace existing services - is that wrong?
The present position of disability employment services has been systematically weakened for about a decade but by Jeebus we do better than the shower of so called employment 'supports' being foisted on the unwary by some of the hopefully well-meaning but clearly naive new NDIS providers.
The once brilliant NSW "Transition" program is at risk.
And to the 'choice and control' providers of 'support' it's best not to lead a request for employment with the offer of a lawsuit!!
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