The problem with the author's rejection of the devaluation of people with disabilities, is that he doesn't make the connection between his own choices, his own valuations, and the devalued status of the disabled that results.

For example, when the author goes to buy milk for, say $2 a litre, does he reject the valuation of it at the market price, and insist on buying milk that is produced by people who can't walk or see, and that, accordingly, costs say $500 a litre? No, of course not! Such milk is not even available on the market because everyone, including the author and all the disability advocates, simply won't buy it.

The article is simply a plea for the political, and therefore coerced funding of services for which its advocates are not willing to pay voluntarily. So much for their caring values.

You really are a heartless scumbag Peter. As are most conservatives. Your lot would be happy to see people with mental illness and disabilities locked up in asylums again where you wont have to see them and wont have to care.

<<The article is simply a plea for the political, and therefore coerced funding of services for which its advocates are not willing to pay voluntarily. So much for their caring values.>>

WTF are you on? As if disability advocates have the money to provide all the care the disabled need. As if disability advocates and supporters never reach into their own pockets to help. Do you understand the word empathy Peter? The word care? Would you like it if you were to lose a leg or something and be thrown on the scrap heap? It can happen to anyone and as a society we have decided to give those unfortunate people the help they need to live a reasonable life. Only uncaring and nasty people would say this is wrong and somehow depriving the better off of anything. We all benefit least of all by knowing that if it happens to us we will be looked after.

As a parent and carer of a person with severe cerebral palsy, I wholeheartedly welcome the proposal to develop a National Disability Insurance Scheme. Such a scheme will go a long way to ensure that people with disabilities (and their carers) will have equitable access to services and supports which meet their individual needs in a timely way.Ideology and rhetoric are no substitute for forward thinking and solution based action. Bring on the ADIS.
Robyn Chapman

Mikk
Obviously indulging yourself in a fit of bitter invective has not helped you understand the issues. The issue is not caring, since we can be caring either way, nor valuing the disabled, since we can value them the same either way. The issue is whether we should get the funds by using coercion, by threatening to beat people into submission and lock them in a cage if they don’t pay – the method being advocated by the author, you, and tissy. It is mere fake moral superiority to cast the issue in terms of the value of caring versus not-caring; the real moral issue is the values of coercion versus consent.

It may be said that, unless we use government, the people won’t pay the amount you would like them to pay. But that then disproves your argument that, in forcing them, “we as a society” are deciding to pay that much. Obviously we as a society don’t agree, otherwise you wouldn’t be calling for the state to force the issue. And there is no evidence that the state is more representative of the people, than the people are of themselves. The reluctance of those in favour of such a policy to pay for their own values, also disproves the author’s assertion that the problem is as easy as a change in attitude, otherwise they would prove it, lead the way and change their own attitudes about what values are important.

What exactly is the intention of and the means for insuring against disability?

By its intention, I mean how is it intended to work? What is it expected to accomplish? Who is the insurer? Who is the policy holder?
What do the premiums cost, who evaluates the amount and whence comes the funding? Can one insure against being born disabled?

From the article and the few responses not much of value can be gleaned that would prompt a carefully considered assessment.

Dear Extropian1,
Perhaps a navigation of NDIS web site would be a good place for you to start.See HTTP;// WWW.NDIS.org.au
Cheers
Robyn Chapman