Posts by Tom Adson
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Rosemary, when you have calmed down a bit, bless your heart. I think that contacting the 'alien's and having a conversation around collaborating between disabled people and public servants would be a great idea. How many public servants and other groups read this blog?
I suppose the current stoush around SERCO may not have done a lot to help enfranchise those in a dark place.
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"Obviously too hard to work across silos. Next conference I would like to see public servants from a variety of agencies on a panel together answering the challenge – how can we work together better to make a difference for the disability community?"
Perhaps my most recent blog may help answer your question. Perhaps John Kirwan could sit passively in the 'alien' Chair, and be kept free from pressure and stress and general discomfort. I think his presence alone would be enough to keep the panel focused on "The Disabled First", and what their real needs are.
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Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
I heard the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons (although I don’t think disabilities was mentioned) referred to on ‘Nation TV” a moment ago (mid-morning Sat, 25th July 2015). It was suggested that the UN convention may have been breached in relation to the SERCO debacle. If the public debate moves on there is no reason why Bob Dylan’s rolling stone might not gather momentum and collide with the topic of disability and all the issues around it, suitable social housing being one of them. This may be another example of a breach of the UN Convention.
Prison is one form of social housing, but a very small part of it and at the negative end. The very expensive end. Many prisoner’s have mental health problems. They shouldn’t be in prison.
Many of the disabled people who have never transgressed the law are imprisoned in more subtle ways by stigma, discrimination and prejudice, and the incapacity imposed by their condition. The physically disabled are in some ways easier to help because they are clear to see, but the psychologically impaired are often invisible, so they are easily or even conveniently ignored. However the new epoch has something in its favor and that is the hope that can be injected into our blogs.
It appears that messages covering billions of wavebands (and millions of dollars too it seems, and I am not objecting to this) can be transmitted to the ‘aliens’ via millions of computers, so I can’t see why the illuminated minds of earthlings can’t do the same for the disabled who are planted on terra firma. If this is done the chains and bonds that cramp out thinking might possibly be thrown away, and the disabled will then have a chance to feel the freedom that is embedded within our Bill of Rights Act.
Perhaps a good ‘God’ might be Sir John Kirwan, if he would be prepared to take it on. I am sure God would be on his side. He doesn’t have the “blues any more”, so it would be interesting to see how he did it, and is managing to move on with his life towards better things. Sir John’s greatest asset would be his ability to wrap the right team around him to ensure he like other disabled people are at the centre of those of us that care.
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Hilary, have just read your history, part one; just another example of how adding light to our world makes us feel more humble. I wonder what we learn when we eventually meet up with the aliens'.
Sincere thanks.
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This morning I woke up with my eyes and ears wide open, and the following made me think.
People who complain to the ACC are wasting their time.
A million people in NZ are illiterate and that means that many solo parents refrain from filling in their annual return to the MSD. It's too complicated.
Yesterday I advised that those who wish to apply for a job at MSD should dust off their PhD’s if they are looking for a tea person's job.
I have made the point that the writer has expended in excess of 300 hours trying to get past Step 8 of the Recovery Plan as suggested in Blueprint 11. It looks as though I have to wait for at least two years to see the big plan implemented over the following five years.
I look at the Treasuries schematic for their “Living Standards: The Heart of Our Policy Advice” and it reminds me of a crusaders castle, the bureaucrats’ on the inside and the plebs on the outside who are all disabled, to a larger or lesser degree. They can't be perfect.
Their was a suggestion that the Reserve Bank stimulate the economy in order to create jobs. My take on it is that their are enough 'jobs' out there to keep a couple of battalion's going in every modest community, it's just that you can't expect to be paid for doing them.
Does this mean the plebs and the most severely disabled have been ‘dropped’ from the system?
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Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
It’s nice to see Paul Gibson giving the Govt a Prod.
As Rosemary said we do not need permission to start creating a plan and becoming more active. The primary carers and the cared for know well what is needed and they are having their eloquent say here on this blog site. I hope the Commissioners are reading it too.
We all struggle when a loved one needs our care, and to a point parents and family do willingly what they can. They must do their duty. For some it is tougher than others, and that is what a good reformed system should accommodate, focus on those who have it toughest. At the end though the primary carers (Mum, Dad ...usually) fade out and the loved one may be left alone. Who will care then? This is the question on my mind.
2012 was not long ago, when “Blueprint 11, Improving mental health and wellbeing for all New Zealanders. How things need to be, June 2012, Mental Health Commission” was launched. In two years the Gospel for the new epoch will be launched, so providing the right kind of feedback will be important.
I can understand the Govt closing the flood gate to a flurry of genuine claims, and many not so genuine ones too; and that could break the bank unless a good process that does not depend on snail mail is put in place. Those days are over, they are a dead parrot. However the river of life is drying up and the disabled along with their primary carers gasp for air, and I for one wonder what will be done with all those state houses that are not occupied, and what the cost will be for a disabled person to find an affordable and suitable place they can call their home.
I think we have to accept that any process that may finally be implemented will have sophisticated information technology behind it, depending on ‘realtime feedback’. If it is done well it can be of great benefit, if it is done badly it will produce an excruciating pain in the backside. That is why the design must have disabled people at the centre, not administrators introducing yet another layer of bureaucracy, unless it lowers the cost and improves the service. It must also be clear that it will only be another tool in the bag, and allow the old ones to be used more efficiently and effectively. Friendly supportive people interaction will be essential. There is no substitute for that.
We don't want to end up with the MSD job application system. If you want to experience a pain in the backside go to their web site and try applying for a simple straight forward job. I am sure they have done their best, but if you wish to be a tea person dust off your PhD in mathematics.
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Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Sacha,
"ah, submissions"
It is a problem, and which ones should we read, and do the best submissions get our attention when we don't know they are there; and of course do we have enough time to read them? None of us can know everything, and a paradox of education and knowledge is that we wind up realising just how little we know.
Many submissions I read are high quality and super slick, and they can make me envious and think; why can’t I do that? Of course the authors of those submissions deserve my respect and I become a fan. Many submissions reflect deep intellect and are full of meaning gained from dedicated research and years of discipline. However 80%+ of citizens do not have PhD’s, or posses the genetics of Albert Einstein. Most would never read any submission, and if they did they would give up at the first paragraph because of incomprehensibility... to them, it's just too tough to take in... They just disconnect and their hope suffers. “I am not part of the crowd, they think”
My view is that if we make the effort and keep the whisk working the cream will float to the top. Like I say at some stage there must be investment followed by practical outputs, otherwise the consequential costs will be off the planet. Words are powerful things, they are mightier than the sword we are told, and for the moment they are the best weapons that we have. The next step is to use our words in an organised manner and in any quarter to recruit those who wish to get a better deal for the disabled, whatever that disability may be. Once recruited the “Good Samaritans’” can join their local battalion offering their diverse practical skills and experience, where the rubber needs to hits the road so to speak. Perhaps the Prod Commission (PC) can use their resources to kick start the process by prodding the Govt, the opposition and the minor political parties; and perhaps the Human Rights Commission and offer themselves (PC) as the recruiting office. Some of the disabled can become an effective part of the implementation team and be seen to be doing a worthwhile job. They can keep their timesheet honest (being accountable) and send it to the Treasury/IRD, via email and get a cash return for their efforts, just like every other working citizen. Those who choose can donate their Bond back to the ‘Good Samaritan Trust’. It all makes sense to me.
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Sacha, thanks. I worked for the Govt for 49 years starting in the military, then the hospital service, then higher education and finally back with the military as a civilian working on energy policy. During that time, along with many others we had a genuine desire to be of good service. Fair pay was important, but performing well for the benefit of the country as a whole took precedence.
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Just an Idea? We could call the extra 2% on GST the 'Good Samaritan Tax'. Legislation should ring fence it to ensure that it is used for the intended purpose.
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Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Sacha,
To be fair, it does look like they have ‘involved’ some disabled people, families and DPOs in the creation process. Wonder how they selected them?
I chased up the Prod Commission after seeing something on TV. I contacted them and they welcomed me aboard and have been very helpful ever since. That is how I came across this blog site. My take on it is that they think you are doing a very good job and are sincere when they say they want to know what you think and what needs to be done that can be done.
I have made a 2 submissions, the most recent in response to the DRAFT (June 2015). It would be great of you can find the time to read, and tell me where I'm going wrong. Just search with my name.