Gold Coast Recreation & Sport Inc. clients experiences of National Disability Insurance Scheme-program
Kallio, Milla (2020)
Kallio, Milla
2020
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052814769
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052814769
Tiivistelmä
The aim of the Disability Service Act is to promote the ability of people with disabilities to live and work on an equal footing with others, and to prevent and eliminate the disadvantages and barriers of disability. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) program was developed in Australia and launched in 2016 as a part of their national disability service act. Gold Coast and Recreation & Sport Inc. (GCRS) is organization South Queensland, providing daily programs for people with disabilities as part of their NDIS program. The aim of this Thesis was to investigate this NDIS program from Gold Coast Recreation & Sport Inc (GCRS) clients’ point of view. The research of this study was done in collaboration with Satakunta University of Applied Sciences Ltd., Finland and Gold Coast Recreation & Sport Inc., Australia.
To answer to the aims of this study semi-structed interview was used to collect the research material by interviewing the clients of GCRS. Semi-structed interview questions were divided into three main areas: participants backgrounds, questions related to GCRS and questions related to NDIS. In addition, these main areas included 12 questions in total. The semi structured interview included total of 13 interview concerning 13 clients from GCRS. One interview was excluded from the results due technical issues. 8 interviewees were actual clients and four were either staff members or parents representing the rest four clients.
The age range concerning the clients varied from 1.5 years old to 49 years old and their diagnoses were either down syndrome(n=5), intellectual disability(n=5), autism(n=4), cerebral palsy(n=1), and/or spina bifida(n=1). The results concerning the GCRS indicated that, clients spent an average of 3 days a week at GCRS and the average program rate per week per client was 5. Furthermore, all twelve participants were extremely happy with GCRS, specifically with diversity and content of the programs and the high quality of the staff members. Clients also reported that with the help of GCRS, it was possible them to develop themselves and pursue goals they have set for themselves. Based on the questions concerning the NDIS, 11 clients from twelve joined the program as soon as it was launched at GCRS in 2018. Five of the clients knew what NDIS stands for and the remaining three clients could not define what it was. Based on the answers, NDIS provided transportation for 11 clients, carer support for 7, speech/physiotherapy for five, and two were provided with assistive aids by the NDIS program.
To date, NDIS is still a new concept and has just recently extended across Australia. The main purpose of the NDIS program is help people with disabilities become more independent, to get more involved in the community and to exercise choice and control in the pursuit of their goals. Based on this study, it can be concluded, that NDIS program together with GCRS offers to the clients more freedom of choice and independence to decide their own affairs concerning their daily living. The NDIS program demands financial investigation from government level, but same time it creates new work possibilities on field. Therefore, it would be interesting to study, whether this program will have financial influences due participants possible improved quality of life.
To answer to the aims of this study semi-structed interview was used to collect the research material by interviewing the clients of GCRS. Semi-structed interview questions were divided into three main areas: participants backgrounds, questions related to GCRS and questions related to NDIS. In addition, these main areas included 12 questions in total. The semi structured interview included total of 13 interview concerning 13 clients from GCRS. One interview was excluded from the results due technical issues. 8 interviewees were actual clients and four were either staff members or parents representing the rest four clients.
The age range concerning the clients varied from 1.5 years old to 49 years old and their diagnoses were either down syndrome(n=5), intellectual disability(n=5), autism(n=4), cerebral palsy(n=1), and/or spina bifida(n=1). The results concerning the GCRS indicated that, clients spent an average of 3 days a week at GCRS and the average program rate per week per client was 5. Furthermore, all twelve participants were extremely happy with GCRS, specifically with diversity and content of the programs and the high quality of the staff members. Clients also reported that with the help of GCRS, it was possible them to develop themselves and pursue goals they have set for themselves. Based on the questions concerning the NDIS, 11 clients from twelve joined the program as soon as it was launched at GCRS in 2018. Five of the clients knew what NDIS stands for and the remaining three clients could not define what it was. Based on the answers, NDIS provided transportation for 11 clients, carer support for 7, speech/physiotherapy for five, and two were provided with assistive aids by the NDIS program.
To date, NDIS is still a new concept and has just recently extended across Australia. The main purpose of the NDIS program is help people with disabilities become more independent, to get more involved in the community and to exercise choice and control in the pursuit of their goals. Based on this study, it can be concluded, that NDIS program together with GCRS offers to the clients more freedom of choice and independence to decide their own affairs concerning their daily living. The NDIS program demands financial investigation from government level, but same time it creates new work possibilities on field. Therefore, it would be interesting to study, whether this program will have financial influences due participants possible improved quality of life.