Implications of social policy for service delivery: The promise and the reality “Are we getting real?”

Abstract

The development and implementation of disability policies in Australia is traced from the early 80s and 90s. In those years policies were essentially driven by a sense of social and distributive justice. The impact of the Handicapped Programs Review and the subsequent landmark 1986 Disability Services Act is examined together with recent developments in Commonwealth and State Governments/Territory relationships. It is suggested that the globalisation of the world economy and the subsequent embracing of the free market economy and competition policies are having profound effects upon disability policies in Australia. Macro and micro economic reforms have resulted in an abrupt move from a sense of social justice to a commoditising of disability programs. To counter this trend we need to wrest the agenda from complete government control to one of a greater sharing of the power between all interested parties. Above all, we need to return to a sense of the “communal norm” where all people, regardless of disabilities or other handicapping situations, share equitably in the resources of our community.