The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care sought views from the community on its plan to improve the delivery and services of assistive technologies and home modifications for older people.
This is a positive step towards creating a national assistive technology program for older people that are excluded from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Deafness Forum joined forces to prepare a formal submission to the Government with numerous other peak bodies across the health, ageing and disability sectors.
This joint submission was made under the banner of the Assistive Technology for All Alliance and coordinated by COTA Victoria.
Here is where you can access this submission – https://assistivetechforall.org.au/our-work/
Deafness Forum Australia focussed on hearing issues in its separate, short submission.
Key points:
- Further engagement is vital and it is particularly important that consumer representatives such as the Deafness Forum are engaged in meaningful conversations.
- The next stage in consultations should specify the supports that would be included in a future scheme.
- Consultations must also address proposed links and the means for coordinating the role of a new scheme with existing relevant and related national and state/territory programs to avoid gaps and duplication, such as the Hearing Services Program voucher scheme and Community Service Obligation program, services offered by Hearing Australia, and the hearing services stream within the NDIS.
- Stakeholder consultations can also address:
- service delivery workforce qualifications, capability and capacity
- quality and safeguards, including a complaints mechanism
- role and rights of family/carers
- digital accessibility