Gippsland Lakes Complete Health recently launched a workplace awareness campaign to acknowledge International Day of People with Disability.
The International Day of People with a Disability is a United Nations sanctioned day that is celebrated internationally on 3 December each year. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding, and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disability.
“One in five people, or 4.3 million Australians, have a disability,” said GLCH chief executive officer, Sue Medson OAM. “There are many different kinds of disability and they can result from accidents, illness or genetic disorders. A disability may affect mobility, ability to learn things, or ability to communicate easily, and some people may have more than one.”
A disability may be visible or hidden, may be permanent or temporary and may have a minimal or substantial impact on a person’s abilities.
By starting the conversation about disability in the workplace and the community, you can challenge perceptions, educate others and normalise disability in everyday life. We all have a role to play to ensure people with disability have the same opportunities as others to reach their full potential.
The delivery of disability services is set to change in East Gippsland on 1 January 2019 with the roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The NDIS will provide a new way of delivering services and support to people with permanent and significant disability. With the NDIS, people with a disability will have greater flexibility and choice regarding the supports and services they receive to meet their individual needs.
“As a registered NDIS provider, the staged rollout of the NDIS has given us time to prepare for the new scheme, ensuring a smooth transition for people with a disability and their families and carers,” Ms. Medson explained. “The NDIS represents a significant change in the way in which people with a disability will access support, which will change the way in which service providers like us do business.”
To facilitate the change, GLCH has assembled a team of experts from all relevant areas of our organisation, who meet regularly to plan for this new way of delivering services. The team has been meeting for around two years now, and is not only made up of service providers but includes representation from our marketing, finance and human resources teams.
“With with the disability sector likely to double in size to meet the increase in demand for support and services, the team is also focused on recruitment as there will be many more opportunities for people wanting to work in disability services,” Ms. Medson added.
GLCH will provide a broad range of in-home services to people with a disability, as well as allied health and paediatric therapy, and social support. For more information click HERE