Free rapid tests for people with disabilities in care homes, but others miss out

Physical Disability Council of NSW chief executive Serena Ovens welcomed the news but was disappointed NDIS participants who do not live in residential care were left out.

“The NDIS has said they can use their core funds to pay for those rapid tests, but it’s stealing from Peter to pay Paul,” Ms Ovens said. “In using the funds they have to purchase the rapid tests then they’re no longer having the funds they need for their daily care and supports.”

While healthcare card holders can access free rapid tests in pharmacies, not all people with disabilities would have a card.

Ms Ovens said the announcements from both governments were also “very late”, reflecting the fact disability was often an afterthought behind aged care.

The disability sector has been lobbying for free RATs for months and the Australian Services Union wrote to the NSW and federal government in January calling for free rapid tests and other protection measures for disability workers.

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The Omicron outbreak and furloughs of sick or isolating disability support workers has wreaked havoc for the disability sector.

As of Friday, federal Department of Health figures show, 650 NDIS participants on NSW have COVID-19, while 1259 have recovered and 22 have died. Among NDIS support workers in NSW, 1060 currently have the virus, and 2101 have recovered.

Australian Services Union NSW branch secretary Natalie Lang said the free rapid tests were “a drop in the ocean when the sector and the workforce are desperately crying out for a whole suite of supports that are essential”.

“People with disability need to both have certainty that they’re going to have safe services delivered, but also certainty that the workers who are supporting them can keep turning up,” Ms Lang said.

Ms Lang said access to rapid tests was good, but workers also needed personal protective equipment, paid isolation leave and priority access to vaccine boosters.

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