TRAINING of disability-care staff at the new National Disability Insurance Scheme headquarters planned for Geelong will have a filter-down effect, benefiting health services throughout Melbourne, according to Footscray care service annecto.
The national headquarters of NDIS, known as DisabilityCare Australia, will be based in Geelong after the state government promised $25 million towards its establishment.
“DisabilityCare has been training staff and I would expect information to be quickly made available to other services,” annecto chief executive Estelle Fyffe said.
“There’s a great deal of excitement in the community; people are positive about the future for people with a disability.
“It’s such a significant step, this idea of promoting more choice, more opportunity for people to be included and active in the community.”
Disability Services Minister Mary Wooldridge welcomed the announcement ahead of the July 1 Victorian launch of NDIS in the Barwon region.
“Victoria has been a substantial contributor to the development of all aspects of the NDIS,’’ she said.
‘‘We will clearly continue to be, with the headquarters located here in Geelong.”
The Barwon area launch will provide about 5000 people with disability access to care and support through the NDIS over three years.
About 90 per cent of Australians with a disability are expected to be covered by DisabilityCare Australia by 2019.
