What is disability
The State Disability Plan talks about people with a ‘disability’. Each person's experience of disability is different. These experiences are influenced by a person's own life experiences, the attitudes of other members of the community towards disability, and how easy it is for a person to get access to information, services, opportunities and the physical environment.
Types of disabilities covered by this plan
There are many different types of disability. A disability can be caused by a genetic condition, an illness or an accident. In this State Disability Plan, ‘disability’ includes:
- Intellectual disability
- Physical disability
- Sensory disability
- Acquired brain injury
- Neurological impairment
- Dual disability (one of the above and a psychiatric disability)
- Disabilities that are unrelated to ageing, or
- Any combination of these.
Who is included in this plan?
When the State Disability Plan talks about people with a disability, it includes:
- Men and women with a disability
- Children, young people, adults and parents with a disability
- People with a disability who are ageing
- People with a disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have a disability.
Disability in the future
The Government recognises that the nature of disability is changing, and that new and different types of disabilities are now being recognised. Advances in technology have made it possible to find out about and treat many medical conditions, when this was often not possible in the past. As things continue to change and develop, the way that society thinks about disability in ten year's time might be very different. As the Government puts this Plan into place, it will look at these changes and the new challenges that emerge, so that it can respond appropriately.
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