By NOEL MURPHY
THE mother of high-profile Portarlington bullying victim Elijah Vetma has lashed out at the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which she says could leave him homeless.
Jan Vetma feared an NDIS review would reduce the level of support provided to him.
“My son is at risk of becoming homeless and left without adequate day support if (it is) not funded appropriately”, she posted on the Independent’s Facebook page.
“I will be fighting tooth and nail to maintain the services that he has been receiving.
“It has put an enormous amount of stress on the family not knowing now due to the reassessment (whether) he will be worse off.”
Elijah Vetma, who suffers Asperger’s and Tourette’s syndromes, attracted international attention six years ago when he went public about bullying at Bellarine Secondary College.
Then aged 12, he said the bullies drove him to the point of suicide.
Ms Vetma’s concerns follow a growing litany of complaints about the NDIS trial in Geelong, one of four across Australia set up under the former Gillard Government.
The Independent has in recent weeks reported cases of MS sufferers losing previous services and funding, a mother unable to obtain security assistance to prevent her 16-year-old intellectually handicapped son escaping home and a former Melbourne University health economist accusing the agency of deliberately cutting support, denying clients their rights and ignoring complaints.
The NDIS has failed to respond to the Independent’s requests for comment but an incoming publicist for the agency commented on the paper’s Facebook page that such stories “won’t be happening” after she began work.
Meanwhile, a mother of two children denied iPads recommended for communication purposes said she was rejected for work with the NDIS despite a degree in social work.
The woman, who said she was legally blind, told the Independent she was one of four social workers based in Geelong to be refused work with the NDIS .
“They didn’t believe I had enough experience in doing assessment,” she said.
“They didn’t take me on yet I know they took on one person with a CIII in disability who was a plumber and had never worked in the area.
“They’re going on about how important it is to employ people with a disability and a degree – it’s a double kick in the backside.”
