In Australian Indigenous languages there is no word that means Disability, so traditionally Disability is not part of the human condition. Considering there are over 4.6% or 19,500 Indigenous Australians in need of access to Disability services there is clearly a need to be mindful of cultural understanding when supporting Aboriginal people with Disabilities. However, like many other health concerns, the reported rate for disability is significantly higher amongst Aboriginal people than in the general population and the problems associated to accessing support and services are fundamental barriers for Indigenous Australian. As the Indigenous population is considerably younger than the non indigenous population implementing early intervention is essential.

Therefore the new initiative ‘Better Start for Children with Disabilities’ is a small step in the right direction.

A better start for children with a disability - Early Intervention
From 1 July 2011 there will be some new initiatives in place for children with disabilities under the new Federal Government’s Better Start for Children with Disabilities initiative.

This is an ongoing initiative that will support children under the age of 13 years. This will enable children with a range of disabilities including: sight and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.

According to the Medicare website, a Medicare benefit for the development of a treatment and management plan will be available for children under the age of 13. Medicare benefits will also be available for up to 4 allied health diagnostic services and for 20 relevant allied health services (in total) per child. These benefits will be available for children up to the age of 15, provided the treatment and management plan is in place before the age of 13.

In order for children to receive the benefits from this initiative, eligible children must have a referral from a specialist, consultant physician or GP to an eligible allied health professional and a treatment and management plan in place. (http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/budget-2011/better-start.jsp)