NDIS failing the vision impaired on guide dog access

Sometimes it's from organisations which provide money and services; and sometimes it's from the government.

That's when it makes me most furious, because governments should put the care of its citizens first.

I've had a bit to do with Annette Holden and her beloved dog Molly over the years.

Annette is legally blind and Molly is her guide dog.

In 2016, a few major companies treated them both so badly that the only way to fix the problem was to publicly expose the behaviour. All the apologies happened, but these problems never go away really. We have a deeply embedded discrimination in our society, particularly directed at those who have a disability.

But the latest harm has been caused by the NDIS. A few weeks ago, Annette revealed that she was terrified of losing her access to a guide dog because of funding delays.

Molly is only seven - but if something were to happen to her, would Annette then be able to have a replacement? It wasn't clear to her.

Now, not everyone who has a vision impairment needs or wants a guide dog (and I really hope I never need one because dogs terrify me). Molly supports Annette to function to her utmost abilities, which are considerable. Annette is not a victim. She is someone who can speak when others can't.

But what Annette discovered was that there were funding delays for these dogs and that the Royal Society for the Blind in South Australia had not received fully funded guide dogs for over 12 months and, worse, that there were 10 people waiting over a period of time where 15 to 20 dogs would normally have been funded.

The good news is that since she told her story for the first time in April this year, a few more dogs have been fully funded and are on their way to new homes.

The bad news is that it's not dog-on-demand when it comes to the NDIS.

As Jody Martin-Rankin, the executive manager of community services for the Royal Society for the Blind, puts it so diplomatically: "While there have been numerous difficulties and delays securing funding for RSB Guide Dogs following the introduction of the NDIS, we are hopeful that continued engagement and further commitment to fairly assess and fund guide dog users, will result in reasonable and necessary outcomes."

The woman is a saint: "In recent weeks we have received funding approval for two dogs and are hopeful that more will follow in the near future."

As a spokesperson for the NDIS said, the decision-making is person-centred, although I wonder whether that really means choosing the cheapest possible alternative. White canes, I imagine, cost much less than guide dogs.

Now the wonderful people who deal with media inquiries at the NDIS tell me that "participants with visual impairment who identify a requirement for a guide dog in their plan will receive funding which includes the purchase of a trained dog, the matching process, training of the participant with the dog, ongoing follow up training to maintain the dog's certification, and ongoing maintenance costs, for example, food, grooming, flea and worm treatments, medication, vaccinations, veterinary costs and/or insurance."

This sounds glorious and effective and even purposeful - but it's been very slow, just as much of the roll-out has been slow.

Annette tells me that donations from the community for guide dogs have dropped off because we donors believe that the NDIS is taking care of it all. And that's certainly its purpose - but too many are still waiting.

Others from the sector confirm it, although they are anxious about going on the record.

David Speyer, general manager of Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs, says: "Our supporters are aware that the value the NDIS prescribes to a seeing eye dog in no way reflects the total costs borne by Vision Australia to breed, develop, train and provide ongoing support to our clients."

He claims there is no evidence to suggest the introduction of the NDIS has affected the support received.

But he is clear on one thing.

"There also remains a significant gap between the number of registered NDIS participants and the number of clients that Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs supports," he says.

"This is why we continue to ask for donations so that we can provide services to people who are blind or have low vision. The NDIS is only operating in some areas and the scheme will not be fully rolled out until 2020. Even after the program is fully rolled out, not all of the people we assist will be eligible for NDIS support due to the funding available for the program."

There is one other problem, even if the NDIS does provide support to all who need and want dogs within a reasonable time frame.

After 65, there is no more NDIS. You get bumped on to a whole new scheme where there is no support for guide dogs. As if at 65, all your disabilities just, whoosh, disappear.

Jenna Price is an academic at the University of Technology Sydney.