Disability advocates calling for more safety measures to protect those at risk from COVID-19
Over 70 national disability peak advocacy organisations, including People With Disability Australia (PWDA) and several high profile disability advocates are urgently calling on the federal government to ensure greater protections, access to personal protective equipment, priority testing and other essential resources for support workers, carers and their disabled clients to prevent them from contracting novel coronavirus.
PWDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Smith says he feels frustrated and concerned that delays are not addressing and acknowledging the high risks COVID-19 poses on the disability sector causing it to not receive the same level of support in contrast to frontline aged care workers.
This comes after the tragic death of 55 year old Sumith Premachandra, who worked as a disability support worker in Victoria last weekend.