General feedback
General feedback on the long term plan as a whole included:
- societal attitudes need to change towards disabled people before the plan will be truly effective
- more jobs are needed for the plan to really work
- the culture of Work and Income needs to move from a medical model to a culture where Work and Income works in partnership with disabled people to develop their strengths and abilities and overcome potential workplace barriers so more disabled people can have successful long-term employment
- the plan needs to be more strengths and rights based and use the social model of disability principles
- the plan needs to be based on the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- there needs to be more focus on the development of workplaces that are confident to support disabled people
- a continuum of supports needs to be provided – mainstream services through to specialist providers
- the plan needs to outline the roles of government and providers and which one is responsible for taking the steps to compete each section of the plan
- clients with lived experience of health conditions or disability must be central to the development of all changes to ensure changes are having a positive impact on them
- a robust communication plan is needed to ensure all interested people, groups and agencies are aware of the plans being made and the outcomes being achieved
- the plan feels like it is focused on disabled people needing to have adapt. Focus should be on changing the attitudes of society and making the environment more accessible for all people
- Government should introduce legislation to require employers to employ quotas of disabled people
- focus should be on employing the right person for the job and not about employing ‘disabled people’ on the basis a person was ‘disabled’ or had a ‘disability’.
