Disability Access News

Posted Mon May 12, 2008 10:00am AEST

A meeting this week may end a tenancy dispute involving a young disabled Tasmanian man.

19-year old Lucas Dyson and his parents have been seeking a key to Mr Dyson's shared unit in Launceston, which is to be managed by a new service provider, Abel Australia.

Disability Services will not issue a key, mainly for safety reasons as keys can be stolen, lost or copied.

Abel Australia supports that decision.

The Department of Health has put in place interim measures, that it says are acceptable to all parties.

It means Mr Dyson will not be subject to new care provisions until the meeting with his family is held.

Advocacy Tasmania's Julian Eades, who is representing the Dysons, says there's now some hope that the matter will be resolved.

"I'm quietly hopeful that this intervention from a senior bureaucrat is going to carry through on her commitment to find a way forward, it's been the first positive contact we've had from the department so far," he said.

Mr Eades says a senior department official will try and resolve the impasse.

"Who has committed to extending the interim support arrangements for Lucas so that he doesn't have to transition to the new provider until we can hopefully iron out some of the issues," he said.

"We're actually meeting with that person next week, so we're feeling hopeful that that's at least going to find a way through the maze."