Disabled person and spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Jordon Steele-John has announced the Australian Greens have released a plan to improve the lives of 4 million disabled people across the country.

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Steele-John said:
 

“On International Day of People with Disabilities, The Australian Greens are confirming their commitment to centering the needs and voices of disabled people.

Disabled person and spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Jordon Steele-John has announced the Australian Greens have released a plan to improve the lives of disabled people across the country.

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Steele-John said:
“I am so excited to release the first stage of our monumental Greens plan for disabled people ahead of International Day of People with Disabilities. 

Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John said that the outcome of today’s meeting of State and Territory Disability Ministers demonstrates the power of the disability community to join together to stop the Liberals attempts to undermine our NDIS. 

“This week has been huge, as a community we’ve shown how powerful we are - thousands of members of our disability community have contacted their local Disability Minister with a clear message - the community says no to Independent Assessments and the Liberal’s proposed changes to undermine our NDIS.”

Thursday 1 July, 2021

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said it was outrageous that less than 1 in 5 disabled people, and our support workers, in phase 1a and 1b had been vaccinated, more than 4 months after the rollout begun.

Senator Steele-John said the Morrison government should have made a plan to vaccinate disabled people and disability support workers in April when it was revealed that less than 10 per cent had been vaccinated.

Wednesday 30 June, 2021

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said projections in the 2021 Intergenerational Report (IGR) did not support the Morrison government's claims the NDIS was growing unsustainability nor justify cuts to the scheme.

Senator Steele-John said the Morrison government were not being transparent with the community about claimed 'cost blowouts' in the NDIS.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has backed calls for the NDIS to scrap its age cap and allow disabled people over the age of 65 to access the supports they need to live a good life.

Senator Steele-John said it was both arbitrary and discriminatory to block disabled people over the age of 65 from accessing the NDIS.

"Older Australians with a disability deserve to be able to access the supports and services that they need to live a good life, just like everyone else," Steele-John said.

A report titled Plan Flexibility and Budget Planning, released today and intended to dispel concerns, confirms many of the community's worst fears about the Morrison government's proposed changes to the NDIS.

Australian Greens Disability Rights and Services spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said that, contrary to the stated aims of the proposed changes, disabled people would have significantly less choice and control under the new funding model.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has called for an urgent review into the Health Department to determine why disabled people have been discriminated against in the Morrison government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and, in particular, phase 1a of the vaccine rollout.

The Australian Greens have called on the Morrison Government to urgently prioritise disabled people, and disability support workers, in the national vaccine roll out after it was revealed that just 6.5% of this cohort have received their first dose.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said:

"This is absolutely shameful. It's clear that the Morrison government has once again forgotten to include disabled people, and the people who support us, in their pandemic response.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said today the Government's plans to stall the introduction of compulsory independent assessments was an acknowledgement of the broad opposition to the controversial changes from disabled people and peak advocacy organisations.

"It's pretty clear that the new NDIS Minister has seen the writing on the wall about compulsory independent assessments," Steele-John said, "Which is a direct result of pressure from our community, who have been campaigning against them from the very beginning!"