Well I guess a 'draft' disability action plan is a tenative step in the right direction, but the uncaring tone in which it is written suggests the spelling ought to be 'draught', a reminder of those blasts of cold air experienced by tenants living in unmaintained dwellings.
It was launched last May, but as a NSW public housing tenant with a disability, I was not informed. I knew nothing about it until I stumbled across it on the web, well after the closing date for 'comments by the public' on Friday 26 June.
But then being a 'public' housing tenant is not the same as being a member of the 'public'. More like 'public' property.
The DDAP claims that public housing tenants with disabilities were consulted as part of its preparation, but it appears that no survey of tenants was conducted. It would have been nice to have been consulted and to be able to assist Housing NSW to improve its services to its clients.
According to the DDAP 2009-2013, one third of NSW public housing tenants have a disability. Yet none of the department's staff appear to have any tertiary training in psychology, special needs or social work. The plan reveals that client service officers can do a training course called the Certificate IV in Social Housing. Just what that equips them to do is not known.
Organisations like COTA NSW and NDS NSW have made comments about the DDAP and you can view them on the web.
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