Disability refers to the cognitive, physical, developmental, sensory, mental or intellectual impairment that limits the activities and quality of life of the affected individual to a considerable extent. In the Australian context, the recent proceedings have highlighted on the issue of deinstitutionalization policies that have marked a shift in the trends prevalent (Wiesel & Bigby, 2015). Crucial concepts concerning the disability among the afflicted persons have laid emphasis on cultural diversity and social inequality for combating the Indigenous disability among the native Australians that are found to be quite different from the traditional modes of disability (Hollinsworth, 2013).
The following assignment will aim to provide an analysis and a snapshot of the key issues relevant to disability from Australian perspective. Further, insight into the existing policies that cater to this issue will be discussed to focus on the underlying mechanisms and problems that are to be resolved will be provided through policy analysis. Finally, a succinct conclusion comprising of the key points that will be discussed in the preceding sections will foster critical analysis their significance in terms of the policy sector being studied.
Background to the issue
The issue of disability in Australia has been ingrained in its social pattern since quite a long time, thwarting the lives of the affected persons. Age long practices relevant to the disabled persons that are in vogue in the Australian societal circumstances need to be understood to gain a proper knowledge about the recent key trends, problems, challenges and debates presently encountered in these areas.
Data from relevant sources have suggested that stigmatization, discrimination, criminalization and incarceration of people having mental and cognitive disability are still entrenched in the criminal justice systems across the various states and territories of Australia. Indigenous Australians are among the most vulnerable to get affected by such attitudes and perceptions that fundamentally restrict the rights of the individuals. Disability management and control are being carried out under the pretext of the measures undertaken by various criminal justice agencies in addition to the youth and adult prisons. Hence, criminalization of the disability is a matter of concern considering the recent scenario in Australia (McCausland & Baldry, 2017).
Alongside the individuals who have been facing difficulties and challenges due to their prevalent condition pertaining to disability, a vital issue relevant to disability encompasses the disabled athletes who are engaged in playing sports in accordance to the pertinent guidelines. Slow but steady transformation and alterations in the field of disability sports management have been reported to occur in the Australian context. Empirical researches have shown that in order to promote the success in terms of the change initiatives, awareness about the diversity prevalent in the organizational patterns and specific practices on the part of the governing bodies are imperative.
Moreover, facilitation of the transformational activities both within and between the organizations is dependent upon the diversity of experiences shared by staff that constitutes the organizational identity. The beliefs, values and ethos regarding the role and significance of sport are considered as integral to the sports management of the disability sports area (Kitchin, 2014). Thus, the disabled athletes are being increasingly streamlined into the main strata of the society by allaying any possibility of exclusion due to physical deviation from normalcy. Another throbbing issue of the presence of substantial gap related to the accessibility of the specialist disability services has been identified among people belonging to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds when compared against the native Australians.
In this regard, rehabilitation has been recognized to be beneficial in addressing the gaps, promoting awareness about the available services as well as improvisation and implementation of appropriate facilities that bear the potential of catering to the needs of the CALD people (Zhou, 2016). More researches that are relevant have attended to the very pertinent and recent trend of fostering digital inclusion and equality with respect to matter concerning the accessibility to internet among the disabled persons.
The concerned professionals to guide policy articulation and improvement must gain thorough and deeper understanding, about the lives and dynamics of the disabled persons with respect to interaction with the internet technology. Thus, the disabled persons may be put at par with others in a digital society considering the adoption of suitable policies and guidelines (Goggin, Hollier & Hawkins, 2017). More investigations carried out with respect to changing scenario of the disability support policy in Australia revealed important findings that are posing challenges for the disabled persons to pursue their activities in a satisfactory manner. Problem has been recognized to have occurred as a result of insufficient access to education for disabled persons following recent reform through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Analysis has revealed that informed involvement and integrated support are lacking in NDIS thereby limiting the exposure to resources by the disabled persons. Lifelong learning opportunities are prevented because of fragmented Australian NDIS policy targeted for the disabled Australians (Whitburn, Moss & O’Mara, 2017). Hence, it is imperative for the policy makers to pay heed to the problems, key trends and challenges encountered in this sector for preparing an updated policy that corroborate with the recent evidences and pave ways for enhanced quality of life and access to resources for disability services.
Policy Analysis
As per the information available from the Australian Government Disability Policy, Programs and Legislation, until date a number of policies and legislations have been put forward for the purpose of combating the situation relevant to the disabled Australians. Among these the most notable are the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 that has been formulated for safeguarding every Australians from discrimination based on disability. The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act of 2013 entitles the disabled persons to select and regulate the care and support received by them and aligning to certain obligations as agreed upon during the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Further, procurement and maintenance of employment by virtue of a coordinated approach for assisting people with disability has been provided in course of the Disability Services Act, 1986.
Nationally agreed objectives and outcomes comprising of the disabled individuals, their families and caregivers has been agreed upon in the National Disability Agreement put in force since 2009. The Australian state as well as territory governments shares the responsibilities of rendering both income and employment support for people with disabilities. Moreover, a 10 year National Policy infrastructure via the National Disability Strategy has been formally endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAGS) for driving better reforms for people with disability (wwda.org.au, 2017). Thus, all these policies that is in practice in the current Australian context has made considerable efforts and measures to upgrade the lives of the people with disability through improvements strategized to make the available resources more accessible to these persons without any hindrances.
Research conducted with respect to enhancement of the recruitment and retention of the allied health professionals (AHPs) employed in the disability sector in the rural areas identified three major themes that affected such practices. The themes recognized included flexible recruitment, challenges to retention in conjunction with retention strategies that work. Thus these measures are suggested to combat the shortage of AHPs (Lincoln et al., 2014). Further insight into the fostering of health promotional measures meant for people afflicted by mental and cognitive disabilities have highlighted on the promulgation of certain effective strategies through compliance to evidence based practice (Taggart & Cousins, 2014). More research in recent context has emphasized on the issue of psychiatric disability and thereby indicative of undertaking appropriate measures to mitigate their conditions.
A sustained program of capacity building in addition to a self-directed support has been recommended for the mental health sector to ensure that people with psychiatric disability. Thus the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been proposed to be instrumental for mental health disabled persons as well (Williams & Smith, 2014). Children suffering from intellectual disabilities have been found to be more likely to live away from their families in seclusion when compared against their non-disabled counterparts.
Findings from a decadal national comparative study suggested that only a handful number of these children returned to their parents and families or moved from residential to foster-care as observed over the ten years timeframe. Thus, specialized and collaborative disability services have been opined in studies that point towards making specific amendments and reforms concerning the service provision and promoting social work (McConkey, Kelly & Craig, 2014). Hence, the policies and measures that are in practice although found to be effective for improving conditions of the disabled persons to a certain extent, yet more such efforts are required to harbor holistic outcomes.
Conclusion
The chief disability related concerns that seem to thwart the lives of many Australians include the intellectual disability and cultural diversity rampant among the indigenous Australians belonging to CALD community. Discrimination due to disability although a fading reality now in Australia, but criminalization of mental and intellectual disability still persists. Policies and legislations relevant to disability in Australia have exerted considerable influences in tackling the situation and ensuring better lives for such people, but additional measures are solicited to effectively combat the situation.
However, more attention must be given to implement suitable policy that will curb the barriers faced by young people with disability for the sake of increasing and maintaining the employment opportunities for the concerned population (Honey et al., 2014). Further studies have implied that scopes remain of offering increased accessibility to public transport, deinstitutionalization and coercive disability services for holistic inclusion into Australian society through promotion of community participation and community living concepts in case of the adults with disability (Stancliffe, 2014). An integrated approach through participation of all the stakeholders may thus indicate a better future and ensure a prosperous today for the vulnerable population of disabled persons.
References
Goggin, G., Hollier, S., & Hawkins, W. (2017). Internet accessibility and disability policy: lessons for digital inclusion and equality from Australia. Internet Policy Review, 6(1), 2.
Hollinsworth, D. (2013). Decolonizing indigenous disability in Australia. Disability & Society, 28(5), 601-615.
Honey, A., Kariuki, M., Emerson, E., & Llewellyn, G. (2014). Employment status transitions among young adults, with and without disability. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 49(2), 151.
Kitchin, P. J. (2014). An investigation into reproduction and transformation in the field of disability sport, Australia and New Zealand.
Lincoln, M., Gallego, G., Dew, A., Bulkeley, K., Veitch, C., Bundy, A., … & Griffiths, S. (2014). Recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in the disability sector in rural and remote New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 39(1), 86-97.
McCausland, R., & Baldry, E. (2017). ‘I feel like I failed him by ringing the police’: Criminalising disability in Australia. Punishment & Society, 1462474517696126.
McConkey, R., Kelly, F., & Craig, S. (2014). A national comparative study over one decade of children with intellectual disabilities living away from their natural parents. British journal of social work, 44(3), 714-728.
Stancliffe, R. J. (2014). Inclusion of adults with disability in Australia: outcomes, legislation and issues. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(10), 1053-1063.
Taggart, L., & Cousins, W. (2014). Health promotion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Whitburn, B., Moss, J., & O’Mara, J. (2017). The policy problem: the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and implications for access to education. Journal of Education Policy, 32(4), 467-479.
Wiesel, I., & Bigby, C. (2015). Movement on shifting sands: Deinstitutionalisation and people with intellectual disability in Australia, 1974–2014. Urban Policy and Research, 33(2), 178-194.
Williams, T. M., & Smith, G. P. (2014). Can the National Disability Insurance Scheme work for mental health?. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(5), 391-394.
Wwda.org.au (2017). Legislation and Policy – Women With Disabilities Australia. [online] Women With Disabilities Australia. Available at: https://wwda.org.au/govtdis/govtdisoverview/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2017].
Zhou, Q. (2016). Accessing disability services by people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia. Disability and rehabilitation, 38(9), 844-852.
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