Illawarra Advocacy is hosting high tea fundraiser, Tea For Change. Photo: @dolgachov, Envato.
After 35 years of helping people with disabilities fight for their rights, Illawarra Advocacy is facing unprecedented demand and a wait list as cost of living pressures, housing shortages, and the challenging complexities of the NDIS increase the need for its services.
In a bid to address the influx of support requests, the Wollongong not-for-profit disability support organisation is hosting its first major fundraiser, Tea For Change.
While the free and independent advocacy organisation is federally funded, manager Alison Oyston said it was experiencing critical pressure, with referrals skyrocketing.
Operating with just five staff members – only one full-time – the organisation has been forced to implement a four- to six-week waiting list for the first time in its history.
Alison said Illawarra Advocacy provided free support through two programs – a national disability advocacy program and NDIS appeals, serving the Illawarra, South Coast, and Southern Highlands regions.
She said the advocacy program supported those experiencing infringements of their rights often related to health, education or housing issues, while the appeals program challenged the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) through the Administrative Review Tribunal for those unsuccessful in accessing the NDIS or receiving inadequate plans.
“Illawarra Advocacy has seen an exponential increase in referrals for assistance with a 77 per cent increase in our NDIS appeals program” she said.
“What we’re seeing in our area is what would be described as a convergence of factors that have caused people with a disability to be incredibly vulnerable at the moment.
“One of those is the cost of living crisis, coupled with a really significant housing crisis in the Illawarra and South Coast, but also challenges with decisions coming out of the NDIS adversely impacting participants and those seeking to access the scheme.”
She said issues coming its way were multifaceted and often involved not just NDIS-related concerns but also intersections with other services such as health, education and housing.
“The complexity of these matters has had an attendant impact upon our ability to service the demand we are experiencing,” she said.
“While we’re federally funded, that funding is finite and the whole idea behind our fundraiser is to try and get more boots on the ground to service this influx.
“The government just isn’t recognising the need for increased funding for disability advocacy organisations to service the current demand which flies in the face of recommendations from the disability royal commission.”
In fact, Alison said there were fears that considerations being made by the Federal Government about the future of disability advocacy could see funding cease for smaller organisations like Illawarra Advocacy.
She said the organisation was started 35 years ago to provide citizen advocacy support, assigning an advocate as a mentor to people with a disability, but later transitioned to what it does today.
“In terms of the impact we make to people’s lives, it is truly often life transforming,” she said.
Alison said in some cases, underfunding and inadequate plans had cost the life of a person with a disability.
“Across the nation, all the disability advocacy services are really screaming from the rooftops how serious this situation is,” she said.
“At present, we’re having to turn lots of people away, and we’ve had to implement a capacity cap for the first time in our 35-year history.
“We still try to triage on the basis of vulnerability and urgency, but just about every matter that’s coming our way at the moment fits that category, so it’s really hard.
“And we hate turning people away – we’re really super passionate about supporting people with a disability.
“Most of my staff and our board have lived experience with disability as well.”
Alison said the Tea for Change high tea fundraiser, featuring Jade Aroha Tonta as host and performances from the disability sector, aimed to secure additional resources to support more vulnerable community members.
It will involve a silent auction and raffle prizes, alongside the high tea treats.
Book tickets for Tea For Change fundraiser on 28 September at The Woolshed, Yallah from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.
