Rules for all

Recently Ryan went into Dept of Housing to put his name down, so that he could move out and be independent. He did the forms and was sent away with forms for his doctor to fill out. Within half an hour of leaving, he got a call to say not to bother to get the forms filled as he doesn't qualify.

On a day when I had a meeting with MDAQ, we rang housing to see why. There reason is because Ryan had answered the questions (truthfully), that he had to stay put. He told them that 20 years ago we built this house and it suits his wheelchair. That we look after him and haven't hurt him. So because of that he didn't qualify.

Our advocate pointed out that the government had a program (whose name escapes me at the moment) that meant that those with disabilities couldn't be excluded due to having a disability and that also allowed for them to live in society. This programme is now scrapped.

Unless the house becomes unsuitable or we hurt Ryan, he has to stay with us forever. Now I know we don't have forever, but imagine the disabilities that people have that do go on. They must stay at home.

I know that the waiting list is a mile long and I asked when the time comes that we can't look after Ryan, what then. Or if we want to move to a smaller place and it isn't suitable, what can we do. Well apparently we can then put down Ryan's name, as the housing wouldn't be suitable and if we couldn't look after him, it would be classed as unsafe.

Great!! I thought, well at least then we could get help. Hmmm, not really. You can only  put their name down when that happens, not beforehand knowing it will happen and no they won't find somewhere straight away, it will still be years of waiting.

Getting the picture yet? We will have a society of elderly looking after their children, when they really can't or a bunch of people living on the streets.

Now do you think that they apply these rules to everyone? Do they ask low income earners for example, if their parents have a house and whether they harm them? As we know, most would say no. So why aren't they made to stay with them? Doesn't everyone deserve to be able to live an independent life?

I did ask Ryan why he hadn't shown them my list of 308 ways to knock him off. I am sure then, that they might have decided he was in an unsafe environment hahaha.

Just imagine if you were told that you had to stay living with your parents. How many of us would be up on murder charges by now lol

If you want to know, just what it is like for a couple of brothers with MD living on their own, then watch this link. Scott and Daniel are from Brisbane.

Scott and Daniels Story