Hannah Hammoud
Local disability advocate Despina Havelas has raised concerns over what she has described as Brimbank council’s lack of “dedicated disability contact”.
Ms Havelas has a 24-year-old son with Autism whom she said was in regular contact with council’s disability officer before they resigned in January. Since the resignation, Ms Havelas said council has not found a replacement for the position.
Ms Havelas has been advocating for clarity on council’s disability support, and said she has repeatedly sought answers but has been left dissatisfied with the responses.
“We don’t know who our contact is now. The current navigation officer is not providing clear guidance, especially for those not connected with the NDIS,” she said.
With first-hand experience through her son, Ms Havelas emphasised the importance of having a dedicated disability contact within the council to help residents navigate available programs and services.
“We used to be given a heads up about what was happening, but now we’re being sent in circles,” she said.
Pointing to nearby councils such as Moonee Valley which has an access and inclusion officer, Ms Havelas said she fears Brimbank may not prioritise disability services moving forward.
Brimbank council community wellbeing director Lynley Dumble said council supports people with a disability across a range of services and programs.
“Information about the support available for people with a disability can be found on our website under ‘disability and care’,” Ms Dumble said.
“Individuals who would like additional help to access council services are encouraged to contact the service navigation officer. The disability action plan 2022-26 provides details about council’s focus and priorities in this area, and has been developed in partnership with people living with disability in Brimbank.”
Ms Havelas said council’s navigation officer is simply not fulfilling the same role as a dedicated disability contact.
“The language is so poor. It feels like they’re just playing semantics with me. We need to have a specific person that is available to the community in that space – that’s all I want, nothing more,” she said.
“The navigation officer has limited disability knowledge. It is not the same as having a dedicated disability contact. Council’s first priority in their disability action plan is to improve communication. Well my English is good and my understanding is good and I’m still having trouble communicating. So how is my son, who has an intellectual disability, going to connect with council?”
