MP to check on SA's indigenous lands

4 Oct 2012, 1:19 pm   -   Source: AAP

South Australian Dignity for Disability MP Kelly Vincent will spend the next week in the state's indigenous lands.

South Australian upper house MP Kelly Vincent will spent the next week in the state's Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands to examine health, education and disability issues among indigenous communities.

The Dignity for Disability MP will visit Umuwa, Mimili, Pukatja, Kaltjiti and Amata in the state's north.

"Indigenous Australians have twice the rate of disability as the non-indigenous community in this country," Ms Vincent said in a statement on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, this means they often experience barriers on two fronts - firstly the racial issues, then also their disability.

"The extreme remoteness of many of these communities also adds to the disadvantage.

"They are often many hundreds of kilometres on dirt roads to the nearest services."

Ms Vincent said the scarcity of fresh, healthy and affordable food in the APY Lands was a significant cause for concern.

She said she also wanted to know if the communities were aware of the imminent roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme from July next year.

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