Australian of the Year demands free, daily rapid tests for people with disabilities

Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott has called for free, daily rapid antigen tests for disabled people as he vows to spend his year in the role fighting for the nation’s 4.4 million people with disabilities.

People With Disability Australia president Samantha Connor said making rapid antigen tests available for free was “the only way we’re going to keep everybody safe” and that some in the community had resorted to having friends overseas post them rapid tests.“We just don’t have the option of being able to isolate in a way that we’re locked down with people who are also never going to leave,” Ms Connor said.

“If you’re paying a couple of hundred bucks worth of RATs, that might mean that you can’t have a shower that week.” “This is about making sure that anybody who comes into our homes and exposes us, potentially, to the virus is safe. For people who are clinically vulnerable or at risk, that means that anyone that you come into contact with can potentially kill you.”

Peak organisations representing people with disabilities sent a joint letter to the national cabinet on Tuesday demanding “free and accessible access to personal protective equipment, especially N95 or P2 face masks, oximeters, as well as rapid antigen tests”. Ms Connor said people with disabilities must be prioritised for a higher number of free RATs than the general population and this could be achieved through the PBS system, similarly to the Closing the Gap scheme that gives Indigenous Australians access to free medicines.

Dana_Adele Even for multi millionaire ppl with disabilities. Would think the determining factor for free issue RATs would not be a binary question of disability but rather who needed them and couldn't afford them and couldn't get them.

Dana_Adele While RATS are in short supply, ought we not be prioritising those that actually need be somewhere? Eg for kids in school, those who need to attend to health issues and workers to keep working These are not necessarily Welfare recipients or people with disabilities..

Dana_Adele Oh here we go ….

Dana_Adele Can Russia invade Ukraine if they aren’t vaxxed or tested daily? Asking for a friend.

Dana_Adele Any test that is available to disabled people would be great. A drive through is pointless. Rang my GP this morning, had not considered what I would do if, as a blind person, I needed a covid test

Dana_Adele Well that was fast outta the bloks 😂

Dana_Adele Get in line bro

Dana_Adele Not sure why healthy disabled folks (such as myself) need to test daily? 🤪

Dana_Adele Is a person without legs more susceptible to covid or a blind person? Mmm 🤔

Dana_Adele Totally agree Dylan, congratulations on your award, good luck for the year ahead and for the tennis final tomorrow

Dana_Adele Go DylanAlcott !!!!! Absolute legend 👏

Dana_Adele And Australians demand free RATs for everyone. Like every else in the western world.

Dana_Adele what about those without Disabilities?

Dana_Adele Off to a flying start. 👍

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