Tauranga woman Jodie Thorne uses a wheelchair, due to having a degenerative muscle disorder called facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Photo / Brydie Thompson
A disabled Tauranga woman who was denied funding to repair her wheelchair says “our voices have been heard” after the Government announced more flexible funding for disabled people.
Jodie Thorne told the Bay of Plenty Times last month that she was not eligible for funding for repairs to her motorised, off-road wheelchair, due to changes the Government introduced last year.
The changes impacted what disabled people could purchase with government funding.
The 44-year-old has a degenerative disorder called facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, which causes weakness in muscles.
Her motorised wheelchair allowed her to take her dog for a walk, go to the beach and coach equestrian. After the lift-and-tilt functions stopped working, it meant she could not get in and out of it herself.
Thorne said she could not afford the repairs.
On Wednesday, the Government promised more flexible funding for disabled people through amendments being made to the support system.
A list of changes announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston included no longer applying the controversial March 2024 purchasing guidelines – the same rules that restricted Thorne from using government funding to repair her wheelchair.
The changes would come into effect from February.
Thorne said she was “cautiously optimistic” following the announcement.
“I think obviously there’s been a lot of mistrust and hurt caused by these changes ... over the last 18 months to the disability community.”
She was “really happy that it seems like our voices have been heard” and dropping the purchasing guidelines was a “positive step”.
“It sounds like, hopefully, we are the ones that are going to be able to make the decisions about what we need ... ”
Thorne put a caveat to her comments, “because we don’t know all the details yet”.
Thorne said waiting until next year for the changes to come into effect would be “tough” for people and it seemed like a “long wait”.
“They were quick enough to make the changes overnight to stop everything.”
Thorne said she understood it was a “big change” and the Government needed to get all processes and systems in place “so that it’s successful”.
“It would be great if it could be brought in sooner or even if there was an interim relaxation of those guidelines so that some things could ... still be purchased or used in the meantime.”
Thorne, however, would not need to wait until next year to get her wheelchair repaired.
She said Medifab – the company she bought her wheelchair from – heard of Thorne’s funding plight.
The company repaired her wheelchair and covered the cost, which was “amazing”.
Her wheelchair was returned to her on Thursday.
Thorne said she was looking forward to doing dog agility training and taking her dog for a walk by herself.
She said she was “really thankful for all the lovely comments and offers of support” after the initial story was published.
Her intention was not to raise money but to “try and make change so something like this could happen”.
In a statement, Upston, the minister, said the changes would be implemented next year as Disability Support Services (DSS) needed time to develop the approach to setting new budgets, improved assessment tools and processes, “and ensure the changes are made effectively”.
“I have wanted to avoid any sudden changes as I know this can be unsettling.”
Ministry of Social Development DSS taskforce programme director Alastair Hill said the changes were “significant” for disabled people, families, and carers.
“We heard clearly from the disability community that they want certainty, choice, and control.”
He said the changes were “much wider” than changing the flexible funding rules and required work to ensure DSS processes, systems and tools were “well-designed, properly implemented and well-understood”.
“Implementing those wider changes is integral to ensuring that the system is sustainable and affordable.”
Hill said there had not been a “consistent approach” to assessing or allocating funding towards disabled people’s needs.
“The changes announced this week are a package that will provide national consistency and ensure that decisions on the allocation of supports are fair, transparent, and sustainable.”
DSS would provide more information to users closer to the time of changes coming into effect.
Medifab was contacted for comment.
The changes apply to people who have had their assessment done by a Needs Assessment Co-ordination Service (NASC) and have been informed by feedback from the disability community.
The main changes are:
Source: Disability Support Services
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.