The Australian government funds a spectrum of disability support services which aim to improve the lives of people with disability, and of their carers, and ensure that both have the opportunity to participate in the community.
The support services can be categorized into
- Accommodation Support— these are services that provide specialized accommodation to people with disability.
- Community Access— services designed to enhance the social skills and life skills for the disabled.
- Respite—services that provide time-limited break for families and other voluntary care-givers of people with disability.
- Employment—services that provide employment assistance to people with disability in open labour market or in specialized work environment.
Better Start
Better Start is the Government initiative that focuses on early invention services for families with children under age six with specified disabilities. To avail this benefit, the parents and the carers of children with specific disabilities should register their child before they turn six.
Disability Employment Services
Disability Employment Services provide specialist help for people with disability, illness or injury to find and continue employment.
Disability Employment Services providers offer a wide range of services like
- Employment search
- Training for specific job requirement
- Support services during the employment in the organization
- Work-place modifications, if required
Australian Disability Enterprises
Australian Disability Enterprises (ADE) are non-profit organisations providing employment opportunities to people with disability. ADEs are funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
ADE enables people with disability to undertake variety of tasks such as production, packaging, assembly, screen printing, garden maintenance, plant nursery, and landscaping, recycling, food services, laundry services, and cleaning services. They offer similar working conditions as other employers.
The Australian Disability Parking Permit
The Australian government provides special parking permit to the disabled people. Permit holders can park in the designated areas that are marked with international symbol of access.
Disability Parking Permit is recognised across the country, and has the advantage of having enhanced security features, and, this reduces the abuse of permits.
Disability Payments and Allowances
Carer Allowance:
Carer allowance is the payment provided for carers who provide daily care and attention at home for the disabled or frail aged. It is paid under the following circumstances:
- provide additional daily care for a dependent child aged under 16 years, with a medical condition or disability.
- provide additional daily care for two dependent children with disabilities or medical conditions, who do not individually qualify for Carer Allowance, but together have a substantial caring responsibility and live with the care taker
- provide additional daily care for a person aged 16 years or over who has a disability, medical condition, or who is frail aged
Mobility Allowance:
Mobility allowance is provided for the people with a disability, or a medical condition, and for those who are not able to use the public transport system. The allowance is provided if the person needs to travel for study, work or training.
