A lack of living options and choices for Australians living with physical or mental impairment
Australia has often been referred to as the ‘Lucky Country.’ However, if you’re one of the nearly 30,000 Australians living with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, your options for permanent living accommodation have been, historically, very limited.
Currently, there are approximately 16,000 Australians living in some kind of disability accommodation, which has traditionally been funded and provided by state governments. Much of this existing accommodation is old and unsuited to the specific needs of those who rely upon it. Approximately 4,500 younger Australians, aged under 65, in need of supported or accessible living, are forced to live in aged care facilities as their only home accommodation option.
Australians living with physical or mental impairment have, for too long, lacked meaningful and appropriate living options and choices. That was until the National Disability Insurance Agency recently introduced the SDA, or ‘Specialist Disability Accommodation’ scheme to assist some 28,000 Australians to exercise control and choice over where and how they lived.
