Coalition release disability policy

The Coalition parties will spend an additional $182 million on disability services over the next four years if they win this year's election.

Opposition Leader Colin Barnett said that disability services would be a high priority for the Coalition, which would focus on delivering a better quality of life for people with disabilities, providing much needed support for their carers and ensuring a more targeted use of government funds.

"In Western Australia 318,000 people, or one in five, have a disability," he said.

"Of those, 66,100 require assistance in their day to day lives and much of that is provided by the State's 199,600 carers.

"The Coalition recognises that all people with disabilities, their families, carers and service providers face many and varied challenges. These include the need for accommodation, respite care, alternatives to employment, professional services and equipment.

"The Coalition is proposing a positive approach to meeting these needs - starting by providing a properly funded disability services business plan and ensuring that the department is open, accountable and responsive to the individual needs of its clients."

The $182 million commitment from the Coalition includes:

• The introduction of a low interest loan scheme for private sector development of supported accommodation;

• A total of $40.4 million to fully fund an addition 279 residential and accommodation support places to finalise the Accommodation Blueprint;

• $6.3 million to extend the Accommodation Blueprint to provide supported accommodation for an additional 120 people.

• Providing $20.8 million for an additional 100 residential services places for the children of frail aged carers;

• $11.1 million to assist 50 young people with disabilities to move out of nursing home accommodation;

• $5.4 million for an additional 32 out-of-home respite places to support more than 400 people with disabilities and their families.

• $20.6 million for alternatives to employment for 480 people with disabilities;

• $13 million for professional services such as speech pathology and physiotherapy;

• $2 million for aids and equipment;

• $53.3 million to provide schools with specialist support services for students; and

• $4 million to establish a State Continence Aids Scheme.

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