A NARROW focus on markets puts choice and control for people with disability at risk according to two publications released by the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) and People With Disabilities ACT (PWD ACT). 

The ACTCOSS’ paper, “Choice and Control: Strengthening human rights, power and inclusion for people with disability“, argues that there is a need to assess choice and control within a human rights framework and implement a marketised framework for disability service provision.

“There is a fundamental disconnect between the operational principles of the classical market and the daily lives of people with disabilities. In the markets in which people with disabilities operate there is no equality of bargaining power between buyers and sellers,” says the PWD ACT executive officer, Robert Altamore.

“Limiting choice and control to a choice of provider in a market, prevents people with disability having the full spectrum of real and meaningful choice in their lives, and therefore their ability to have control over their own life,” he says.

Director of ACTCOSS Susan Helyar says: “Broadening choice and control through a human rights framework, would facilitate people with disability enjoying full citizenship, with equal rights to exercise choice and control over: their legal rights; economic security and financial affairs; health and wellbeing; supports; where and with whom they live; political and public life; personal mobility; and, communication and expressing themselves.”

“The Canberra Disability Review” is also being launched in partnership with ACTCOSS, which aims to start a discussion on how choice and control for people with disability has progressed, both in terms of the National Disability Strategy and the NDIS.

“We need to get back on task with the human rights based choice and control agenda. Investment is urgently needed to enable the full expression of choice and control by people living with disabilities,” Ms Helyar says.

“We need to monitor our progress against all components of the National Disability Strategy, including and beyond the NDIS and we need to ensure the planning processes, systems and resourcing through the NDIS actually promote choice and control.”

PWD ACT and ACTCOSS will be holding a joint forum on June 14, inviting Ministers, disability advocates and others in the community to discuss solutions and chart a path back to choice and control.