“It’s time to realise that an inclusive society is a better society.”
The release of the Green’s Disability Inclusion Plan has triggered questions from the disability community.
Greens Senator Jordan Steele-John has been a vocal advocate for the disability sector since he was elected in 2017. Australia’s youngest senator at 24 years of age might be best known for his emotional call to action at the announcement of the Royal Commission into the Quality and Safety of Aged Care. On this occasion, Steele-John urged Australia’s politicians and PM to fund an additional Royal Commission into the Abuse, Neglect and Violence against Disabled People in Institutionalised settings.
Now, the Greens have released their “radical” plan for disability policy, calling for a more accessible and equitable society for people with disability. This includes $1 billion for an Accessible Infrastructure Fund targeting public buildings and $400 million to create accessible public transport infrastructure over the next four years. The care of human life and the access to an aspirational lifestyle is the objective of any good government; the Greens plan is a step towards extending this care to all people with disability and allowing them to be an active member of society.
Youngcare welcomes the passion and the continued fight for the society where no individual is left behind, regardless of their care needs. However, we also believe that disability rights are human rights. We are calling for bipartisan support and investment in the future of young people with disabilities.
By providing pathways which allow young people with high care needs to have freedom over where they live, who they live with and how they live their lives, we can reconnect these young people with their communities. By living in age-appropriate housing built with accessibility in mind, society is giving back the independence, choice and control to individuals with disabilities which are currently absent.
Youngcare works to see a world where an inclusive, integrated society no longer needs to be something that we fight for or something that is politicised. We encourage everyone to work together to make this a reality, to invest in the future of a society where no young person is left behind simply because there is nowhere else for them to go. Together we are a powerful voice for positive change.
So speak up and speak out to #createchange
