Life Without Barriers has joined 'Our Health Still Counts', a campaign led by the Council for Intellectual Disability and Inclusion Australia.
Image: A mum and her son with Down syndrome embrace. The text Our Health Still Counts is to the side.
Life Without Barriers will continue to advocate for individuals, create meaningful change so people with intellectual disabilities receive the healthcare they need and have a right to expect.
“Our health system belongs to everyone. When people in our communities struggle to access it or find it challenging to navigate, we need to make changes," Claire Robbs, Life Without Barriers Chief Executive, said.
Right now, the statistics show a really big gap: people with intellectual disabilities live, on average, decades shorter than everyone else. They face higher rates of hospitalisation for conditions that are actually preventable, and often, medical professionals lack the training needed to work with people with intellectual disability in a dignified and rights-based way.
For years, there has been brilliant advocates and people striving for change. In 2021, after much lobbying, the Federal Government funded the National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability, a sensible plan with clear steps to improve healthcare for people with intellectual disability.
The roadmap includes practical recommendations such as longer GP consultations and better training for healthcare professionals. However, progress has been slow.
Although the roadmap identified 72 key actions to be completed within three years, only nine have been carried out so far. Healthcare professionals still lack the knowledge and training to effectively support individuals with intellectual disabilities in managing their health.
"People with intellectual disability are denied access to equitable health outcomes and that needs to change," Ms Robbs said.
In 2023, the Disability Royal Commission reported on the ongoing systemic challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities in the healthcare system.
The Our Health Still Counts is a call to action. It asks the next Federal Government to take the following steps:
A renewed commitment to fully implement the National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability is essential.
Every healthcare professional and student must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide respectful, effective care for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
GPs must be given the resources and support to spend the necessary time with patients who have intellectual disabilities.
Life Without Barriers is pleased to support this important campaign. Now is the time to act, and the solutions are clear.
Quality and accessible healthcare should be available to everyone.
