Down Syndrome Australia has joined with more than 70 other disability organisations to write to the National Cabinet about our concerns relating to the response to COVID-19 for people with disabilities.
We have outlined 10 urgent actions which must be taken to protect the lives of people with disability during the COVID-19 crisis.
1. Guarantee continuity of supports for all people with disability.
2. Expand criteria for COVID19 testing to include people with disability and their support persons.
3. Urgently improve information and communications to be inclusive of all people with disability.
4. Take measures to remove the barriers to adequate healthcare for people with disability.
5. Include recipients of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) in the Coronavirus Supplement of $550 per fortnight.
6. Urgently define what constitutes an ‘essential service’ for people with disability.
7. Ensure effective measures are in place to recognise and respond to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of people with disability.
8. Prevent discrimination of students with disability in the provision of education.
9. Ensure the human rights of people with disability in congregate and other settings are upheld.
10. Adequately resource Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) to enable support of, and advocacy for, people with disability.
