• Table of Contents
• Disability Investment Group
• Executive Summary
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – A Possible Model
• Principal Recommendation
• Summary of Other Recommendations
• Section I
• Part 1: Experience of Disability in Australia
• Part 2: Need for Change
• Section II
• Part 3: Establishing a New National Disability Insurance Scheme
• Part 4: Ensuring Income Support is Adequate
• Part 5: Improving savings and taxation incentives for privately - funded services
• Section III
• Part 6: Providing More Housing for People with Disability
• Part 7: Offering Better Employment Opportunities
• Part 8: Building Research and Best Practice
• Appendices
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C
• Appendix D
• Appendix E
• Appendix F
• Appendix G
• Appendix H
• Appendix I
• Appendix J

The Way Forward – A New Disability Policy Framework For Australia

Contents

• Letter to Parliamentary Secretary, the Hon Bill Shorten MP
• Executive Summary
  • Drawbacks of the current system
  • Emerging pressures
  • A transformational shift
  • Other improvements to services and support
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – A Possible Model
• Principal Recommendation
• Summary of Other Recommendations
• Section I: Disability in Australia
• Part 1: Experience of Disability in Australia
  • People with disability
  • Carers
• Part 2: Need for Change
  • Greater stress in the future
  • Support over the life course
  • Committing to long-term investment
• Section II: A new approach
• Part 3: Establishing a New National Disability Insurance Scheme
  • Key DIG findings
    • Addressing current policy shortcomings
    • National Disability Agreement
    • Level of unmet need
    • Incentives to invest
    • Basis for the proposed model
    • Scheme coverage
    • A social insurance approach
    • Whole-of-life response
    • Management, governance and risks
    • Parameters
    • Costings
    • Future offsets against the cost of a National Disability Insurance Scheme
    • Consistent insurance schemes
• Part 4: Ensuring Income Support is Adequate
  • Key DIG findings
    • The Pension Review
• Part 5: Improving Savings and Taxation Incentives for Privately - Funded Services
  • Key DIG findings
    • Special Disability Trusts
    • International savings schemes
    • Features of a new Australian savings model
    • Privately-funded services
    • Private accommodation models
    • Taxation incentives
    • Costs of working
• Section III: Other recommended areas for action to increase investment in people with disability
• Part 6: Providing More Housing for People with Disability
  • Key DIG findings
    • Building regulations
    • National Rental Affordability Scheme
    • Social Housing Initiative—Nation Building - Economic Stimulus Plan
• Part 7: Offering Better Employment Opportunities
  • Key DIG findings
    • Access
    • Business case
    • Employment services
    • Employers’ views
    • Moving from Australian Disability Enterprises to open employment
    • National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy
• Part 8: Building Research and Best Practice
  • Key DIG findings
• Appendices
• Appendix A: Disability Investment Group Terms of Reference and Membership
• Appendix B: Proposed Terms of Reference for a Feasibility Study of a National Disability Insurance Scheme
• Appendix C: Executive Summary of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Report on a National Disability Insurance Scheme
• Appendix D: Insurance Scheme Funding Arrangements
• Appendix E: Report of Disability Investment Group Consultations, 2008
• Appendix F: Recommendations of the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs 2008, Building trust: Supporting families through Disability Trusts, October
• Appendix G: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2008, Scan of disability databases in the non-government sector, December
• Appendix H: Letter from Chairman, Disability Investment Group to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in response to the National Rental Affordability Scheme - Technical discussion paper, 29 May 2008
• Appendix I: Summaries of Hope Villages Australia Urban Village Model and Foresters Community Finance (Foresters) and Parent to Parent Association QLD Key Housing Solutions Model
• Appendix J: National Disability Research Institute – Draft Charter

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DISCLAIMER: The Disability Investment Group prepared the information in The Way Forward - A New Disability Policy Framework for Australia about funding ideas and private investment in disability. It draws on information, opinions and advice provided by a variety of individuals and organisations, including the Commonwealth of Australia. The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any material contained in The Way Forward - A New Disability Policy Framework for Australia. Additionally, the Commonwealth disclaims all liability to any person in respect of anything, and of the consequences of anything, done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance, whether wholly or partially, upon any information presented in The Way Forward - A New Disability Policy Framework for Australia.

CAUTION: Material in this publication is made available on the understanding that the Commonwealth is not providing professional advice. Before relying on any of the material in this publication, users should obtain appropriate professional advice. Views and recommendations which may also be included in The Way Forward - A New Disability Policy Framework for Australia are those of the author, the Disability Investment Group, only, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, or the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs or indicate a commitment to a particular course of action.

Acknowledgements
The Disability Investment Group (DIG) would like to thank the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs for its support. In particular, the Group would like to thank Ms Lee Emerson, who headed the DIG Secretariat and Ms Helen Hambling, who drafted The Way Forward on behalf of the DIG, for their assistance in developing a potential new blueprint for disability services in Australia.

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