Read today’s press release about the Federal Government’s commitment to a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The NDIS will mean huge changes for the disability and community care sector and its staff – this means you! Stay tuned to carecareers so we can work together towards understanding these exciting new developments.

The Every Australian Counts campaign today commended the Federal Government for its commitment to the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Every Australian Counts Campaign Director John Della Bosca said the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians with a disability and their families would ultimately be transformed by today’s historic announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

“This is the biggest social-economic reform Australia has seen since the introduction of Medicare. It will have a transformational impact on our community and our economy,” Mr Della Bosca said.

Mr Della Bosca said the announcement was a tremendous victory for the tens of thousands of Every Australian Counts supporters who had worked for almost a year to ensure the Federal Government took rapid action on the Productivity Commission’s report.

“It has taken extraordinary courage for some people with a disability and their families to speak out about the challenges they faced to demonstrate why change was so necessary,” he said.

“They have done so because they believed that once their fellow Australians understood the challenges they faced, they would support their calls for change.

“And they were right – people with a disability and their families have been joined on this campaign by ordinary Australians who have stood up to say they supported a better deal for their fellow citizens.

“Every Australian Counts has become a truly grassroots movement of people from all around the country and from all walks of life who have come together to say people with a disability and their families are part of our community and they deserve a fair go.

“I want to thank all of our supporters and to say to them ‘today your voices have been heard’.”

The Prime Minister today released the final report by the Productivity Commission into a national long term care and support scheme for Australians with a disability and their families. The report recommends a complete overhaul of the disability system and the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Mr Della Bosca said the campaign had been marked by not only strong community support but also strong bi-partisan support.

“ All the major parties had agreed the system was broken and that more needed to be done for people with a disability and their families,” he said.

“We therefore look forward to hearing the Federal Coalition’s response to the findings of the Productivity Commission.”

Mr Della Bosca said the campaign acknowledged that much hard work lay ahead in finalising implementation and funding details.

“There is a long road ahead.  Such a transformational change cannot be achieved overnight. But today the government took the first steps to ensuring people with a disability and their families will finally get the support they need to get on with their lives.

“People with a disability, their families and carers will now look forward to working with the government on the implementation and design of the national scheme to ensure it is the very best it can be and will meet their needs.”

Information about the Every Australian Counts campaign is available at