Inclusion Not Enquiry Say CCS

MEDIA RELEASE

8 May 2006

Inclusion Not Enquiry Say CCS

CCS, the disability support and advocacy group, believe that people with disabilities require greater inclusion in our communities not a lengthly select committee enquiry.

"We already know what holds disabled people back in our society, and a select committee enquiry won't help that. There is not enough funding for equipment, there are transport issues, disabled people are not getting the support they need in their homes, and barriers throughout work and recreation areas physically stop disabled people from living an ordinary life," said Viv Maidaborn, CEO of CCS.

CCS believes the current Office of Disability Issues review of disability support services is heading in the right direction. It stresses that changes for disabled people will depend on the political will to invest the required resources to achieve flexible, community based services. "It is not a Focus 2000 or Spectrum Care issue we're looking at, it is one of residential living in general," she said.

"It seems as a society our way of learning about and uncovering serious grievance is to always seek blame, or to hold someone accountable. Sometimes this may be appropriate, but it's never the whole picture. We need to be looking at something much bigger; we need to be looking at our view of disabled people in general. People within our communities, who contribute, who are parents, work, vote - have a view," said Viv Maidaborn.

ENDS

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