Health, Habilitation and Rehabilitation (Articles 25 & 26)
Access to community health, acute care and specialist disability health expertise is limited by pressures on broader community health budgets. Discrimination against people with disability in the health system ranges from poor accessibility of facilities, lower expectations about good health given pre-existing disability and access to sexual and reproductive health screening. Lack of adaption of hospital and health service routines and care arrangements to accommodate different disability support needs in these settings makes any stay in a hospital setting stressful and sometimes counterproductive in terms of health outcomes for individuals with disability.
Access to health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability is even more limited, particularly in remote areas, often leading to additional disabling health conditions.
The lack of intensive habilitation and rehabilitation programs undermines the potential and capacity for many people with disability to experience independent living and full participation in the life of the community. Many of the current services provide segregated supports that lead to segregated lives for many adults with disability. There is also a need for specialist disability health services related to disability specific health needs and a variety of therapy services designed to maximise independence and participation in the life of the community.
It is vital that all Australian governments audit the health needs of people with disability within broader preventative and proactive health campaigns and that specialist attention to disability related habilitation and rehabilitation are offered within mainstream community health services.
