Disability, and social and economic inclusion: who is in and out of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme?

Andreas Cebulla,Rong Zhu

doi:10.1080/15017419.2015.1064026

Abstract

ABSTRACTA new National Disability Insurance Scheme is being trialled in Australia, following criticism of the fragmented and inequitable nature of existing disability supports (e.g. in the 2009 ‘Shut Out’ report by the National People with Disabilities and Carer Council) and reform recommendations made by the Australian Government's Productivity Commission in 2011. The Insurance Scheme distinguishes between people living with disability who will be eligible for different types of supports: either mainly information about services provided in the community or direct supports and self-managed funding. Analysis of the categories highlights differences in socio-demographics, unmet need for help, and social and labour market inclusion. Unmet need for help was disproportionately prevalent among people with disability when compared to people not living with disability. A higher level of educational capital among people with most severe or profound disability, however, contributed to reduced levels of reported un...

Highlights

In July 2013, the Australian federal government launched a trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
The analytical model was constructed around the same socio-demographic variables described in Table 2, which allowed us to focus on the effects of gender, Aboriginality and education on labour market and broader social participation
The inclusion typically has the effect of reducing the measured association between dependent and independent variables, but it increases the accuracy of the measurement

Summary

Introduction

In July 2013, the Australian federal government launched a trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Whilst basing its definition of disability tiers on their effect on daily functioning and the duration (i.e. permanency) of this effect, the Productivity Commission used a largely medical model when estimating the number of people with disability in disability tiers 2 and 3, applying this model to the analysis of Australia’s principle survey of disability, the SDAC This cross-sectional survey, conducted in 1998, 2003, 2009 and most recently 2012, covers people with disability and their carers, as well as people aged 60 or older regardless of their disability status, collecting detailed information about participants’ disabilities and support needs for daily functioning. The analysis concluded that about 2% of the Australian population under the age of 65 may belonged to tier 3, 18% to tier 2 and the remaining 80% to tier 1 (Productivity Commission 2011, Vol 1, 14–15)

Aims and objectives of this paper

Findings from multivariate analysis

Summary

Results