What is disability care?

Disability care is the provision of practical help and support to people with disabilities, whether they are children or adults, to enable them to live independently and with dignity. Disability care can include assistance with everyday tasks such as housework, bathing, dressing, eating, and mobility, as well as more complex needs such as medical care, education, employment, and social inclusion. Disability care can be provided by family members, friends, professionals, or specially trained disability carers who can come into the home or other settings.

Why is disability care important?

Disability care is important because:

• People with disabilities need health care and health programs for the same reasons anyone else does—to stay well, active, and a part of the community. Having a disability does not mean a person is not healthy or that he or she cannot be healthy¹.
• Disability care can help people with disabilities to achieve their full potential and participate in society. Disability care can enhance their functional independence, self-esteem, quality of life, and well-being¹.
• Disability care can also benefit the caregivers and the society. Caregivers can have more peace of mind, satisfaction, and resilience when they have adequate support and resources. Society can benefit from the contributions and diversity of people with disabilities when they are empowered and included¹.

How can disability care be improved?

Disability care can be improved by:

• Providing accessible, affordable, and quality health services and programs for people with disabilities and their caregivers. This includes preventive care, primary care, specialty care, mental health care, rehabilitation, assistive technologies, and emergency preparedness¹².
• Promoting awareness, education, and advocacy for the rights and needs of people with disabilities and their caregivers. This includes informing them about the available resources and services, supporting them to make informed decisions, and empowering them to speak up for themselves².
• Strengthening the collaboration and coordination among different stakeholders involved in disability care. This includes family members, friends, professionals, organizations, agencies, and policymakers. Working together can help to identify gaps, share best practices, and create solutions that are responsive and effective².

Disabilities are any conditions of the body or mind that make it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities and interact with the world around them. There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s vision, movement, thinking, remembering, learning, communicating, hearing, mental health, or social relationships.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), disability has three dimensions:

• Impairment: an absence of or significant difference in a person’s body structure or function or mental functioning.
• Activity limitation: difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, or problem solving.
• Participation restriction: difficulty in normal daily activities, such as working, engaging in social and recreational activities, and obtaining health care and preventive services.

Disability can be related to conditions that are present at birth, developmental conditions that become apparent during childhood, injuries, longstanding conditions, or progressive, static, or intermittent conditions.

Types of Disabilities

Different types of disabilities can be classified by the body part or function that is impaired. Some examples are:

Type of Disability	Description	Examples
Physical disability	Affects the ability to move or perform physical tasks	Cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, heart defects, spinal cord injury
Sensory disability	Affects one or more of the body’s senses	Visual impairment, hearing impairment, olfactory impairment, gustatory impairment, somatosensory impairment
Intellectual disability	Affects the ability to learn, reason, or problem solve	Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Developmental disability	Affects the development of cognitive, behavioral, or social skills	Autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Mental health disability	Affects the mood, thinking, or behavior	Anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression

Challenges and Solutions

People with disabilities may face various challenges in their daily lives. These may include:

• Negative attitudes and stigma from others
• Inaccessible environments and transportation
• Limited social support and opportunities
• Discrimination and barriers to education, employment, and health care
• Poverty and lack of resources

To overcome these challenges and promote the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society on an equal basis with others, some possible solutions are:

• Raising awareness and promoting positive attitudes towards disability
• Providing reasonable accommodations and assistive technologies
• Implementing laws and policies that protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities
• Enhancing access to inclusive education, employment, and health care
• Empowering persons with disabilities and their families to advocate for their needs and interests

Conclusion

Disability is part of being human. Almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. Disability is not a homogeneous group but a diverse one with a wide range of needs and experiences. By understanding the different types of disabilities and their challenges and solutions, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

Australia is a country that strives to support and empower people with disabilities, their families and carers. There are various services, programs, payments and policies that aim to improve the quality of life, inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in different areas of life. Here are some examples of disability help in Australia:

Payments and services

People with disabilities may be eligible for different types of payments and services from the Australian Government, depending on their circumstances and needs. Some of these include:

• Disability Support Pension: a regular income support payment for people who have a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that prevents them from working.
• Carer Payment: a regular income support payment for people who provide constant care to someone with a severe disability, illness or medical condition.
• Carer Allowance: a supplementary payment for people who provide daily care to someone with a disability or medical condition.
• Mobility Allowance: a payment for people with disabilities who cannot use public transport without substantial assistance and need to travel for work, study or training.
• Essential Medical Equipment Payment: a payment for people who use certain essential medical equipment or medically required heating or cooling at home.
• Services Australia: the government agency that delivers payments and services for people with disabilities, such as Centrelink, Medicare and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

National Disability Insurance Scheme

The NDIS is Australia’s first national insurance-based scheme for people with disabilities. It funds supports for participants, including supports focused on housing, employment, education, health and wellbeing, community participation and more. The NDIS also provides information, linkages and referrals to other services and supports in the community. The NDIS is available to eligible Australians under 65 years of age who have a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities.

Disability advocacy and rights

People with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else to live free from discrimination, violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. There are various organisations and initiatives that help protect and promote the rights of people with disabilities in Australia, such as:

• The National Disability Advocacy Program: a program that funds organisations across Australia to provide advocacy services to people with disabilities.
• The Disability Royal Commission: a public inquiry into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities in all settings and contexts.
• The National Disability Strategy: a 10-year plan that guides governments and other organisations to improve the lives of people with disabilities across six priority areas: inclusive and accessible communities; rights protection, justice and legislation; economic security; personal and community support; learning and skills; health and wellbeing.
• The Disability Discrimination Act 1992: a federal law that makes it unlawful to discriminate against people on the basis of their disability in various areas of public life, such as employment, education, housing, transport and services.

Conclusion

Disability help in Australia is diverse and comprehensive, covering different aspects of life and needs of people with disabilities. By accessing these supports and services, people with disabilities can achieve their goals, exercise their rights and participate fully in society.

Disabled people are those who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, learning, working, or socializing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability, which represents 16% of the world’s population¹. However, despite the prevalence and diversity of disability, disabled people still face many disadvantages and barriers in society that affect their health, well-being, and human rights.

Health Inequities

One of the major disadvantages of disabled people is the health inequities they face. Health inequities are the unfair and avoidable differences in health outcomes and access to health care among different groups of people. Disabled people are more likely to die earlier, have poorer health, and experience more limitations in everyday functioning than others¹. Some of the factors contributing to health inequities are:

• Structural factors: Disabled people experience ableism, stigma and discrimination in all facets of life, which affects their physical and mental health. Laws and policies may deny them the right to make their own decisions and allow a range of harmful practices in the health sector, such as forced sterilization, involuntary admission and treatment, and even institutionalization¹.
• Social determinants of health: Poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and poor living conditions all add to the risk of poor health and unmet health care needs among disabled people. Gaps in formal social support mechanisms mean that disabled people are reliant on support from family members to engage in health and community activities, which not only disadvantages them but also their caregivers (who are mostly women and girls)¹.
• Risk factors: Disabled people are more likely to have risk factors for non-communicable diseases, such as smoking, poor diet, alcohol consumption and a lack of physical activity. A key reason for this is that they are often left out of public health interventions¹.
• Health system: Disabled people face barriers in all aspects of the health system. They may encounter inaccessible and unaffordable transportation, facilities, equipment, information, communication, and services. They may also face negative attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudices from health workers and other patients. They may also have difficulty finding qualified and trained professionals who can provide appropriate and quality care for their specific needs¹.

Human Rights Violations

Another disadvantage of disabled people is the human rights violations they suffer. Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world. They include civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Disabled people have the same human rights as everyone else, but they often face discrimination and exclusion that prevent them from enjoying these rights fully. Some of the human rights violations that disabled people face are:

• Denial of legal capacity: Legal capacity is the ability to make decisions for oneself and to have those decisions respected by others. Many disabled people are denied legal capacity by laws or practices that allow others to make decisions for them without their consent or involvement. This can affect their right to autonomy, privacy, property, education, health care, work, marriage, family life, political participation, and access to justice¹.
• Violence and abuse: Disabled people are more vulnerable to violence and abuse than others. They may experience physical, sexual, psychological or emotional abuse from family members, caregivers, institutions or strangers. They may also face neglect or exploitation by those who are supposed to protect them. Violence and abuse can cause serious harm to their health, dignity, and well-being¹.
• Segregation and isolation: Disabled people are often segregated from society by being placed in institutions or isolated settings where they have little or no contact with others. This can deprive them of their right to community living,