The Hodgman Liberal Government is a strong supporter of Tasmanians living with disability.
Held annually on 3 December, International Day of People with Disability is an opportunity to raise awareness of people living with disability at a local level and to celebrate stories of community inclusion.
This year is the 25th Anniversary of IDPWD, with today playing an important role in promoting the inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of Australian life. It is also a day to celebrate the many contributions people with disability make in our community.
The 2017 theme is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all” with the overarching principle to ‘leave no one behind’, and as we continue to make significant progress in the transition to the full roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it is important that no one is left behind.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is fully committed to involving Tasmanians with disability in community life and in the decisions affecting their lives, with the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Tasmania transforming the delivery of disability services and creating more opportunities for Tasmanians living with disability to be involved in our community.
We have recognised that support for people with disability does not stop with the NDIS. There is still much more to be done to fully integrate people with disability into society, which is why we are investing in a needs-based disability funding model for Tasmanian schools, with autism-specific teaching programs and more professional support staff in schools than ever before. We are also supporting job initiatives such as JobsAbility, BuyAbility and organisations such as Hamlet to ensure people living with disability are supported into the workforce.
I am very confident that together – all levels of government, disability service providers and the broader society – we will create a much more inclusive and supportive Tasmania in which people with disability can truly flourish.
I urge all Tasmanians to continue to promote an understanding of living with disability issues across our communities, while working together to increase support for the rights and wellbeing of people living with disability.