Last week's Four Corners Program highlighted one of the great hidden problems in our community - disability. Somewhere in the order of 1.5m Australians are living with a disability and an estimated 2.5m people are caring for them, according to latest figures.
It is fair to say that governments of all persuasions in both the Federal and State arena have been slow responding to the needs in this area. The de-institutionalisation of disability care in the 1980s brought promises of funding and community support which have been slow to materialise.  Improvements in medical treatments mean that people with disabilities have access to a greater range of therapies which assist with quality-of-life management. The rapidly ageing population will continue fuelling the need for carers (see here for example)
Sadly, disability has always had trouble attracting the attention of policymakers. There is no 'big bang' policy solution here, like throwing millions of dollars at building school halls or fitting solar panels on the roof.
Individuals and groups lobbying for change have to join a long queue of special interests. Disability is scattered all through the community, which means that the sector lacks the political clout of, say, a grassroots movement in an electorate galvanised by a proposal to build a new road.
Christians and churches have historically been at the forefront of helping provide services and compassionate care in this area. In addition, we should be at the forefront of lobbying for better outcomes in disability services. In our own midst, we can always do better, even at the basic level of welcoming people with disabilities. The Luke 14 initiative of Christian Blind Mission Australia offers many useful resources for churches and individuals.
Politically, elections provide a great opportunity to focus the minds of candidates and political parties. With a Federal election due before the end of 2010 and State poll in March 2011, here are some suggested actions.

Pray that Federal and State Governments and Opposition parties would commit to improving disability services and that they would follow through these commitments with funding and good policies.
Write to the Prime Minister, the relevant Federal and State Ministers, the State Premier, your local State and Federal MPs, and other party candidates, asking for their party's policy on disability services and what they will do in your local area;
Ask your friends to write. There is nothing like bags of letters from constituents to galvanise the office of an MP;
Use public meetings to raise the issue - perhaps your church could organise one, or have a 'meet the candidates' meeting during the election with a specific focus on disability policy;
Volunteer with your church, Anglicare or a disability services group and assist with their caring programs and advocacy efforts;
Link up with other groups and start a local campaign to improve disability outcomes for people in your area.

It's over to you.