PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY IN WESTERN SYDNEY.

People with a disability Disability is a multidimensional concept, relating to the body functions, the life activities in which people participate and the factors in their environment that limit their capacity to participate. A disability is often recognised by the interaction between the person, their environment, social, economic, legal and built environment. Disability can be intellectual/learning, psychiatric, sensory, speech and physical. Four million people in Australia (18.5%) 3.9 million reported having a disability in 2009 Disability shows an uneven geographic distribution; statistics show that the more disadvantaged the suburb the more prevalent disabilities are.

INEQUALITIES Social exclusion and discrimination Exclusion and negative attitudes, segregated, excluded, marginalised and ignored, Subjected to fear, ignorance and prejudice. Need for lifetime care and support Basic human recourses are not received. Low access to employment experience of people with disabilities which effects the need to provide economic security and a sense of identity. “Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.” Article 23 Low access to education for people with a disability which is critical to a child’s economic future and critical to a child’s social and emotional development “Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.” Article 26

“Disabled face long waits for living aids in west” 29 th July 2010 – Sydney Morning Herald “The west routinely have to wait at least six months for mobility and living aids essential to their independence or ability to continue living at home, government documents show. Between Parramatta and the Blue Mountains, people eligible for a motorised or manual wheelchair had typically been waiting seven months A spokeswoman for NSW Health said demand continued to rise in south-western Sydney, ''as a result of the low socio- economic status of the area, and the increasing population in the outer suburbs of Liverpool and Macarthur.'‘

“Disabled workers losing jobs” March Sydney Morning Herald “Workers with disabilities are the latest victims of the financial crisis” “As companies try to cut costs by moving production jobs offshore or keeping them in- house, businesses that employ disabled workers are losing contracts” “Australian Disability Enterprises has begun a campaign to attract more jobs for its 20,000 employees, who work at 362 outlets”

Future predictions Technologically with science improving more productive medication and improvements hard to see an improvement for people with a disability that are socially constructed Politically/Economical- $200 million given to educate disabled children = rise in education standards Mental health significantly better through the $2 billion to cover a series of initiatives Jobs for disabled will not improve

Measures of reducing inequalities within Australia society National Disability Coordination Officer Program in Western Sydney Assist people with a disability in to post school education training and employment works to improve the transition and participation of people with disabilities or chronic medical conditions into post-school education, training and employment. providing information and transition planning assistance, referral and coordination, resource development and training, and awareness raising and promotion

Western Sydney Intellectual Disability Support Group Inc. support people with intellectual disability and their families in the large institution in Western Sydney called Metro Residences support people with intellectual disability and their families living in the Western Sydney community advocate for change in the disability field to improve the lives of people with intellectual disability overall

Disability Support Pension Single $ Couple $ (each) Some pensioners may also receive the Pension Supplement an additional fortnightly payment to the base pension-$58.40 for singles and $44.00 (each) for couples. under 18, at home $ under 18, independent $498.70