PWD E-Bulletin |
|
Issue 73 November/December 2011 Welcome to PWD’s
E-Bulletin. The e-bulletin goes out to members and interested others
regularly by email. For members who do not have access to email, a printed
version of the e-bulletin will be sent by post. To be added to or
removed from our mailing list, or to change your email address, please email pwd@pwd.org.au
or contact PWD on one of the numbers listed at the end of this bulletin. If you would like to become a member of PWD or
learn more about our membership options, contact PWD on pwd@pwd.org.au Are you a Member of PWD? Do you believe that everyone is born equal and
has the right to fully participate in community life, gain employment, get an
education, receive health services, be free from violence and abuse and
participate in political, cultural, social and recreational activities? Would
you like to join a global movement of people fighting for the rights of the
world’s most marginalised community? If you’re not yet a member of PWD then check
out the Membership
section of our website. Membership doesn’t cost much, can be done via mail or
email, and will ensure that your voice is heard in the processes that affect
your life. Join
Today! Disability Rights Defenders (DRD)
There is now a NEW way to support PWD – Disability Rights
Defenders can now sign up online! Click
here to set up a regular donation to PWD and automatically become a DRD. Disability Rights Defenders help change lives by making a significant financial contribution to support the work of PWD through regular, monthly, tax-deductible donations. Regular donations help us pursue essential projects, such as systemic and legal advocacy projects, assist with conducting members’ and stakeholders consultations, enable us to work with Disabled People’s Organisations in the Pacific and in providing information and training to people with disability and their associates. Click here for more information about the Disability Rights Defender ProgramContents
Other State and Territory News
|
New South Wales NewsNSW Attorney General and Justice's review of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007PWD recently
made a submission to the NSW Attorney General and Justice's review of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence)
Act 2007 which is being undertaken to determine whether the policy
objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain
appropriate for securing those objectives. Since this
Act’s commencement there have been several reviews examining legal frameworks
and support mechanisms to protect victims and enable effective domestic
violence responses as well as the development of state and national strategic
plans to implement these responses. These will also be examined as part of
the statutory review. PWD has
undertaken a number of projects over recent years which have focused the
right to freedom from violence and abuse, with a key focus on people with
disability living in residential service settings experiencing domestic and
personal violence. These projects as well as our experience in supporting
people with disability through our individual advocacy services have informed
our submission to this review. Key issues
raised in PWD’s submission include:
Click here to go to
the submissions section of our website to read the full submission. For more information
contact Sonya Price-Kelly, Advocacy Projects Manager on one of the numbers listed at
the end of this E-Bulletin or email sonyapk@pwd.org.au City of Sydney Council Access Tour of Sydney Town Hall,
16 November 2011
PWD participated in the recent pilot Access Tour
of Sydney Town Hall for the City of Sydney Council. The Council currently
runs tours of Town Hall and is piloting ways in which to make the tours more
accessible for people with a range of mobility and other access needs. PWD joined other people from the disability
sector on the tour and provided detailed feedback to the Council on improving
accessibility of the tour and other ways to promote the social inclusion of
people with a disability in their local community. The first of these tours
was launched on International Day of People with a Disability (IDPwD). PWD recognises
the key role that Local Government plays in providing opportunities for
people with disability to access and participate in their communities and we
continue to work with all levels of government to promote the inclusion of
people with disability. For further
information on consultancy and training services that PWD provides to Local
Government, contact
Samantha
French, Advocacy Projects Manager on one of the numbers listed at
the end of this E-Bulletin or email samanthaf@pwd.org.au NSW Disability Network Forum
PWD
is a member of the NSW Disability Network Forum (the Forum), which was
established in June 2011 by the NSW Government.
The
Forum is made up of non-government, non-provider peak representative groups,
whose primary aim is to promote the interests of people with disability. The
Forum‘s aim is to provide a new avenue to build capacity within and across
all organisations and groups so that the interests of people with disability
are advanced through policy and systemic advocacy.
Since
its inception, the Forum has developed formal Terms of Reference and a
priority issues list. This has included discussion and input to NSW Inquiry
into Transition of Students with additional and complex care needs,
comprising initial and supplementary submissions and appearance at the
Inquiry Hearing. The Forum has also participated in several presentations and
consultations, including COAG Reform Council on Disability Reform agenda and
National Disability Services NSW on the Disability Industry Development Fund.
In
October, the Forum discussed the National Disability Strategy and its impact
on progress for people with disability. The Forum strongly advocates the
inclusion of people with disability and representative organisations in the
development of policy and practice improvements, particularly at this time of
rapid reform.
In
October there was also a preliminary workshop on Decision Support Resources
under the NSW Government’s ten year plan, Stronger
Together 2, which explored what these resources should cover, safeguards
and what could be needed. The Forum resolved to continue this discussion as
more information became available.
Finally,
the Forum participated in a Commonwealth consultation on disability aids and
equipment by a consultant referred by EnableNSW. The Forum focused on
consumer needs and feedback but also provided some structural input to the
consultant.
The
Forum can be contacted through the secretariat located at NCOSS. Christine Regan is the Forum Coordinator, ph
92112599 ext 117 or email chris@ncoss.org.au
or Val Kors (Wed – Fri) ph 92112599 ext 123 or email val@ncoss.org.au In Control NSW: Decision-making Support Resource
Readers
will be aware that PWD has been playing an active role in In Control
Australia and In Control NSW since 2008.
In October Steve Dowson, a UK self-directed support practitioner made
a return trip from the UK to Australia and did some face-to-face training on
“support brokerage” in Sydney on October 17.
This session was very well attended, and people learnt about the
principles behind providing independent, specialist advice and assistance to
people with disability and families, with imagining the possibilities of a
good life, gathering information about the resources required, planning and
negotiating for those resources and assisting people to make the choices and
decisions that come with managing support and living an inclusive life in the
community.
Steve
had previously visited in May this year and had given keynote addresses at
the National Disability and Carer Congress in Melbourne and at the In Control
BiG Event in Sydney.
Whilst
Steve was in Sydney he also facilitated a workshop at PWD on the nature and
complexity of decision-making, and the various roles that need to exist to
provide support to these processes.
The session was attended by a number of non-government organisations,
representative organisations of people with disability, and Government
officers. Steve also had the
opportunity to discuss the importance of an independent decision-support role
in a self-directed support environment, directly with the NSW Minister for
Disability Services, the Hon. Andrew Constance MP and the NSW Shadow Minister
for Disability Services, the Hon. Barbara Perry MP.
Following
the visit members of In Control NSW put together a resource document on
decision-making support, which outlines the various tasks which need to be
addressed and the type of resources that are needed to assist people to make
decisions and choices for themselves. This paper
is available at the PWD website here. For more information contact Michael Bleasdale, Executive Director, Leadership Team on one of the numbers listed at
the end of this E-Bulletin or email michaelb@pwd.org.au FREE help to SAVE POWER
Want
to find out ways to reduce your power use and save money off bills?
If
you’re a NSW resident and have a Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs card or are an
energy utility hardship customer or a social housing tenant, you may be
eligible to receive a free in-home power assessment and a free Power Savings
Kit from the NSW Government.
PWD
is working with the Office of Environment and Heritage to help promote the
Home Power Savings Program, with PWD participating in the NSW Home Power
Savings Forum held on 23 November.
While
at your home, the energy expert will also install a power savings kit, worth
around $200 that contains devices such as a standby saver power board, energy
efficient light globes, a shower timer, draught-proofing, a thermometer and
more.
The
program is completely free and can help participants save an average of $265
a year off their bills. Eligible
households can call 1300 662 416 today to join the program or visit www.savepower.nsw.gov.au/freehelp
for more information. If you’re not eligible for the program, the Save Power website
provides a range of tips and resources to help you become more energy
efficient. Topics covered include
efficient heating, cooling, refrigeration and lighting. Some of the
information is available in languages other than English. Visit www.savepower.nsw.gov.au Researcher needs volunteers
A Sydney- based researcher, Karen Jordan, is
looking for volunteers to take part in an upcoming research project about the
experience of violent relationships by people with disability.
You will be eligible to participate if you:
Karen is seeking a number of women with physical
disability to assist the research team in conducting a study about your
experiences with violent or hurtful relationships and what kind of help you
received.
Karen is a postgraduate student from the
University of Sydney. Her research will inform social work practice and
education about better ways to support women with disability who have
experienced violent relationships. Karen herself is a woman with disability. You can register your interest through
calling Karen on (02) 9351 4712 and leaving your name and contact details
with a safe time to call back. Karen
will contact you to explain in more detail about the study and to see if you
would like to participate. Return to top |
Other State and Territory NewsVictoria: New research into the experiences of students
with a disability
If
you are a student with a disability – or the parent, teacher or carer of a
student with a disability – the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights
Commission would like to hear from you.
The
Commission is inviting people to have their say as part of research into the
experiences of students with disability in Victorian schools.
They
are keen to hear from students, parents and educators about what works and
what could be improved when it comes to the education of students with
disability in Victoria. There are several ways you can participate:
For
more information, click here to go to the Victorian
Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission website Victoria: SpinalHub launches its new website
AQA Victoria has
worked with a consortium of health and community providers to develop and
launch a new website SpinalHub.
This site aims to bring together useful resources about acute spinal cord
injury, rehabilitation, community resources along with user generated content
and social networking features to connect people and share ideas and
experiences.
SpinalHub.com.au is a community
website for people with spinal cord injury in Victoria and throughout
Australia. It is a joint initiative of several organisations in Victoria who
have an interest in supporting the spinal cord injury community. In operating
SpinalHub the collaborators aim to:
The site is
designed to grow with the input from the organisations involved and people
with spinal cord injury posting content, making comment and suggesting
topics. It is a great example of how like-minded organisations and people
with SCI can create something bigger and better than any one of them could do
on their own.
Western Australia: Marlon Noble to be released from
prison
PWD
welcomes the news that Marlon Noble, an Aboriginal man with intellectual
disability, will be released from a WA prison after spending ten years in
custody despite having never been convicted of a crime.
Mr
Noble’s case became known in March 2011, when WA media
reported that he had been in prison on a custody order for the past decade.
Mr Noble had been charged with the sexual assault of a minor, but due to his
intellectual disability he was deemed at the time ‘unfit to plead’ and hence
‘unfit’ to stand trial.
The
presiding judge at the time then placed Mr Noble on a custody order and he
was sent to prison for an indeterminate time and without ever having had a
trial. He was 19 at the time.
In
August 2011, it was further revealed that five men with intellectual
disability have spent a total of 30 years in WA prisons without having been
convicted of the crimes alleged against them. An
investigation has found inmates being held under similar circumstances to Mr
Noble.
PWD
is a member of the Aboriginal Disability Justice Campaign (ADJC), which is a
national campaign addressing the incarceration of people with cognitive
impairment in jails and psychiatric institutions as a result of being found
‘unfit to plead/mentally impaired’ under legislation.
There
is more information about the ADJC in the National
Section of this E-Bulletin here or click here to visit the ADJC
website. Western Australia: The Lost Generation
The
Lost Generation refers to a group of people with intellectual disability who
have been institutionalised for most of their lives and have little or no
connection to their community. The concept for the Lost Generation Project
was borne out of a four year partnership between DADAA Inc (Disability in the
Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts) and the Disability Services Commission’s
Accommodation Services Directorate (DSC ASD).
'Findings: The Story of The
Lost Generation Project' is a 30-minute documentary evidencing the model and
impacts of the award-winning community arts and cultural development
initiative called The Lost Generation Project. The documentary had its
Canberra launch at the National Gallery of Australia on Tuesday 15 November
2011, as part of the third International Arts and Health Australia Conference
and Perth launch on Wednesday 30 November 2011.
The
paper written by Professor Charlie Fox, 'Children
with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Families: A Brief Western Australian
History' gives a brief account of what life has been like for people with
intellectual disability and their families, from the days of the 'Fremantle
Lunatic Asylum' to more recent times www.disseminate.net.au/files/webfiles/LostGenerationHistoryFamilies.pdf
The
following web pages provide further information about The Lost Generation
Project and links to short films and interviews:
Information
about the Lost Generation Project is also included on the Shut In Campaign
website at www.shutin.org.au
South Australia: Medical Heating and Cooling
Concession
The
Medical Heating and Cooling Concession is a new energy concession that will
be introduced by the South Australian Government, commencing on 1 January
2012.
It
will provide additional financial assistance to people on low or fixed
incomes who require medical heating and cooling in their home to prevent or
reduce the symptoms and impact of multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinsons disease
or a number of other qualifying medical conditions.
To
receive the concession applicants will need to provide certification from
their regular medical practitioner or a specialist confirming they require
frequent and prolonged use of heating and/or cooling appliances in their home
to maintain their health.
The
concession amount will be $158 per year (i.e. the same amount as the current
energy concession) and will increase to $165 on July 1 2012. It will be
available to eligible applicants in addition to the current energy
concession. It
will be applied quarterly to electricity accounts in the same way as the
current energy concession or provided as an EFT payment or cheque.
The
concession will be backdated for eligible applicants in the first year to 1
July 2011.
The
Medical Heating and Cooling Concession will be administered by the Department
for Families and Communities. Initial
applications for the concession will commence from 1 January 2012.
Like
the energy concession, the Medical Heating and Cooling Concession will be
available to assist with energy bills for the principal place of residence of
people who:
Applicants
will be assessed for eligibility based on their income type as confirmed by
Centrelink. Further details of the Medical Heating and Cooling Concession
will be available in due course.
|
National newsPWD awarded Community Action Grant to prevent
violence against women
On 24
October 2011, the Hon Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Women and Minister for
Employment Participation visited PWD to announce our success in receiving
funding under the Federal Government’s Community Action Grants to prevent
violence against women. The funding
announcement was also made in the presence of the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP,
Federal Member for Sydney and Minister for Social Inclusion.
The
funding will enable PWD to research, develop and design a training package on
domestic violence aimed at women with an intellectual disability and service
providers/staff who work with women with intellectual disability. The package
will aim to increase awareness and provide guidance on prevention and
effective response to domestic violence experienced by women with
intellectual disability.
PWD
is working in collaboration with the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability
and Dr Sally Robinson from Griffith University to manage this project.
A
news story on the day of the announcement, Disabled
women vulnerable to abuse highlighted the critical importance of projects
that aim to address violence against women with disability. PWD becomes a White Ribbon Community Partner
For many years,
PWD has undertaken a number of advocacy and research initiatives to address
the high incidence of violence against women with disability. We welcome
increasing government and non-government commitment to the inclusion of women
with disability in mainstream domestic violence prevention and response
initiatives.
To further this
commitment, PWD has recently become an official Community Partner of the
White Ribbon Foundation – Australia’s campaign to stop violence against
women.
The partnership
provides greater opportunities for both our organisations to work on projects
and initiatives that aim to reduce the incidence of violence against women
with disability. PWD will provide more
information on these initiatives as our partnership progresses.
Individuals can
support Australia's campaign to stop men's violence against women by swearing
the White
Ribbon Oath.
Click here to learn more about the
White Ribbon Foundation. Jetstar’s ‘two wheelchair policy’ challenged in Federal
court
PWD
fully supports the action taken by Ms Sheila King to challenge Jetstar’s ‘two
wheelchair policy’ in the Federal Court. Ms King, a wheelchair user and PWD
Board Director, alleges that Jetstar’s policy does not comply with the
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth). The case commenced at Monday 31
October 2011.
“The
Disability Discrimination Act has been in force for 20 years and it is
completely unacceptable that people with disability are still treated like
second class citizens by a national airline.
Ms King’s fight is not for personal gain; it is a fight to achieve a
change in Jetstar policy for the benefit of all passengers who use
wheelchairs,” said PWD President Jan Daisley in PWD’s Media Release issued on October
31.
In
2008, Jetstar stopped Ms King from accessing a flight because the flight
already had two passengers that required wheelchair assistance. Ms King was forced to rebook on another
airline at greater cost as there were no other Jetstar flights to her
destination.
“Like
everyone else in the community, people with disability need to fly for work
and leisure purposes, to visit family and friends and to participate in a
range of events and community activities.
Yet Jetstar’s ‘two wheelchair policy’ seeks to limit people with
disability from enjoying full and equal participation in the economic, social
and culture life of Australia”, said Ms Daisley in the media release.
Sheila
King took part in an interview about her case, which appeared on ABC’s
Lateline program on 31 October. Click here to
see the interview and access the transcript here.
Joanna
Shulman, CEO of Redfern Legal Centre and one of the lawyers assisting Ms King
with her case, also had a piece published on ABC Online site “The Drum” - David and
Goliath battle over disability discrimination. Haraksin v Murrays Australia case: Update
PWD Member Julia
Haraksin appeared in the Federal Court on 17 October at the commencement of
her case against Murrays Australia
Ltd. Ms Haraksin has filed a disability discrimination complaint against
Murrays Coaches after she tried unsuccessfully to book a seat on one of its
coaches last year to attend a conference.
The Public Interest
Advocacy Centre (PIAC), who is representing Julia, argues that Murrays have
violated the Disability Discrimination Act, which gives the Attorney-General
the power to set a mandatory standard for accessible public transport.
PIAC reports that
they were pleased with how the first day went, with Murrays conceding they
discriminated against Ms Haraksin and breached the Standards in August 2009.
However, there remains a dispute about whether the Court has jurisdiction to
consider Ms Haraksin’s claim that Murrays were in ongoing breach of the
Standards and what the Court can and should order that Murrays do.
The decision will
be handed down next year, most likely early February 2012. The Shut In Campaign launches Vodcast
On
International Day of People with Disability, the Shut In Campaign released
its second Bulletin and launched its fourth Vodcast.
The Bulletin draws attention to the fact that there are still people with disability living in institutional accommodation in Australia today. It contains information about progress to close institutions for people with disability in Australia.
Shut
In calls on governments to take immediate action to close all residential
institutions accommodating people with disability, including those operated
by non-government and private sectors and allocate and provide the resources
necessary for people to move to individualised community based housing and
support options that will support their inclusion and participation in the
general community.
To
read the full bulletin, please click on the link below: www.pwd.org.au/documents/pubs/Shut-In-EBulletin2011.html
For
more information, and to see the series of Vodcasts, visit the Shut In
website www.shutin.org.au or contact Samantha French, Advocacy Projects
Manager on one of the numbers listed at the end of this E-Bulletin or email samanthaf@pwd.org.au
Winners of the 2011 National Disability Awards
In recognition of International Day of People
with Disability, the Australian Government has announced the recipients of
the National Disability Awards. This
year, the announcement was made on 22 November at the Awards function held in
Canberra.
The Awards, hosted by Minister Jenny Macklin and
Senator Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers,
celebrate the significant achievements of people with disability and workers
in the disability sector. The awards were presented by the Prime Minister
Julia Gillard, who said that the awards recognised outstanding Australians
who have made a real difference to the lives of people with disability. The
winners of the 2011 National Disability Awards are:
PWD congratulates all the winners and extends
particular congratulations to Frank Hall-Bentick, winner of the Minister’s
Lifelong Achievement Award. Frank is a
key figure in the national and international disability rights movement and
has worked tirelessly for over thirty years for our rights.
Statement of recognition for disability advocates
The
following statement was issued by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes for
International Day of People with Disability 2011, to recognise the
important contribution made by disability advocates Kim Walker, Robert Jones
and Max Murray.
Kim
Walker is a Life Member of PWD and has participated in many PWD projects and
consultations. Kim is a fierce
supporter of the Shut In Campaign, and provides her perspective on
institutions in a Shut
In Vodcast. PWD congratulates Kim on this deserved accolade and shares
Commissioner Innes’ praise of her work.
Graeme
Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner 's statement: "Not
everyone who deserves an award gets an award. So, on International Day of
People with Disability, I acknowledge the contributions and achievements of
three individuals who have improved the lives of people with disability in
Australia: Kim Walker, Robert Jones and Max Murray.
Kim
Walker has worked tirelessly for the rights of people with disability, and to
promote a greater understanding of the issues and lived experience of
disability. She has been a strong advocate for people with an intellectual
disability for over 22 years. She has worked for many organisations,
including Self Advocacy and the Intellectual Disability Rights Service, where
she worked as a Community Educator for 17 years. She also served on the Board
of the NSW Council of Intellectual Disability, and has been a member of the
Disability Council of NSW and People with Disability Australia. She has
helped many people with disability understand and stand up for their rights.
She has campaigned tirelessly for deinstitutionalisation, and the rights of
people with complex needs.
Robert
Jones and Max Murray represented the interests of people with disability
throughout the negotiations of the Premises Standards, as members of the
Building Access Policy Committee. While many people with disability
contributed to the Premises Standards development, Robert Jones and Max
Murray must be recognised for their dedication to making it happen. Their
skill, and tenacious advocacy, led to many significant improvements from
which future generations of Australians will benefit.
The
commencement of the Premises Standards on 1 May was one of the most
significant developments in the disability field this year. The Premises Standards
will have an important effect on the accessibility of new and upgraded
buildings for all Australians. Their implementation will ensure far greater
opportunities for people with disability to participate in the social,
cultural and economic life of our community as equal citizens.
All
Australians, with and without disability, owe these three people a debt of
gratitude for their work.” National Disability Insurance Scheme Update
In August 2011, the Productivity Commission
released its report from its inquiry into lifetime care and support for
people with disability. The
report is a comprehensive document describing the purpose and the nature of a
new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). There is bipartisan support for the
introduction of a NDIS and the Australian Government is moving quickly to
design the new system.
It is
critical that people with disability remain informed about how the system
will be designed and be an integral part of that design as well as all
aspects of implementation of the new system.
PWD,
along with other representative and advocacy organisations have been working
collaboratively to ensure that people with disability are at the centre of
decision-making with regards to the NDIS, and not just consulted as an
‘interested stakeholder’.
Disability Support Organisations
One
of the features of the new system, according to the Productivity Commission
Report, will be the role of independent support agencies, separate to both
government and service providers, referred to as Disability Support
Organisations (DSOs).
In
October this year, In Control Australia, of which PWD is an active member
hosted a seminar in Melbourne. A
number of cross-disability peaks and advocacy organisations were invited, to
discuss what kind of support might be provided by these DSOs and to begin to
think about where this expertise, independent from both service provision and
government, may emerge from in Australia.
Steve
Dowson from the UK attended the seminar and was able to provide some examples
of where this type of support has worked very well internationally, as well
as how self-directed supports and individualised funding delivered without
any type of assistance has led to people purchasing the same kind of services
as they received previously.
This
was very much a preliminary conversation, but those attending have agreed to
share their discussion with the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Jan
McLucas, as well as other representative and advocacy groups.
On 14
October, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs, Jenny Macklin and Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for
Disabilities, announced the members of an Advisory Group to work with all
governments in laying the foundations for reform of the system of disability
care and support.
The
new appointees to the Advisory Group are Dr Ken Baker, Dr Lorna Hallahan, Ms
Joan McKenna-Kerr, Mr Brendan O’Reilly and Ms Fran Vicary, who will join
Advisory Group Chairman Dr Jeff Harmer AO, Dr Rhonda Galbally AO and Mr Bruce
Bonyhady AM. Click
here for more information about Advisory Group members
Part
of the Advisory Group’s role is to talk with people around the country about
work to guide the foundations for an NDIS, as well as drawing on expertise
from the disability sector and outside through expert workig groups to
consider particular elements of reform
While
PWD recognises the need for a range of expertise on any such Advisory Group,
we are concerned about the lack of a representative voice of people with
disability on this group. Any new
scheme for people with disability must have mechanisms to ensure that people
with disability are central to design and implementation of the new scheme.
This is in line with Australia’s obligations under Article 4 of the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
PWD
joined with the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) and
the Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) in writing to Minister
Macklin and Parliamentary Secretary McLucas about our concerns and to invite
them to participate in a meeting of representative and advocacy organisations
on 22 November 2011.
Representative
and advocacy organisations forum
Since
2010, AFDO, PWD and DANA have worked closely together to bring representative
and advocacy organisations together to discuss views and formulate positions
on key aspects of an NDIS. The completion
of the Productivity Commission inquiry and commitments from the Australian
Government for implementation of the NDIS prompted us to conduct another forum
in Canberra on 22 November.
The
forum had a broad agenda of information exchange about what progress was
being made on designing the new system and in particular what was being done
by representative and advocacy groups.
A key
theme that was expressed throughout was the day was the concern about how
little engagement there had been to date with the disability peak and
advocacy sector and that the voice of people with disability was not apparent
in whatever decisions have already been made about the architecture of the
NDIS.
Parliamentary
Secretary for Disabilities, Jan McLucas attended the forum and provided a
briefing about the activities taking place at the Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) and within the Department of Families, Housing, Community
Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
Forum participants also had the opportunity to raise their concerns
and issues with the Senator.
The
Forum participants have committed to continue to work together on key design
and implementation elements of the NDIS, and to make outcomes of this work
known to Minister Macklin and Parliamentary Secretary McLucas.
PWD
will provide further information on this work as it progresses. In the new year, we intend to progressively
post information and resources about self-directed support and aspects of the
new NDIS on our website or provide links to central repositories of
information.
On 3 December 2011, International Day of People
with Disability, the Australian Government announced the establishment of a
new agency to lead the work to design the launch of a NDIS.
The new agency’s work will build on the
foundation reforms agreed by the Commonwealth, States and Territories at the
meeting of the Select Council on Disability Reform in October. Work to
deliver the foundation reforms is now underway.
The Gillard Government will provide $10 million
for projects that examine how to deliver individual, personalised care, with
the aim of ending the crisis-driven approach that is still often applied.
Throughout 2012, the Gillard Government will work
closely with State and Territory governments, people with disability, their
families and carers, service providers and the disability care and support
workforce on the critical design and development work that is needed for a
launch.
The new projects aim to give the disability
workforce, service providers and people with disability the opportunity to
work with government on the development of a launch of an NDIS.
While PWD is pleased that the Australian
Government wants to move quickly to achieve improvements to disability care
and support, we remain concerned that people with disability do not appear as
central to reform, but merely one of a number of stakeholders.
PWD
will continue to advocate strongly, work collaboratively and inform people
with disability on the NDIS as it progresses in 2012.
For
more information about the NDIS and PWD, contact Michael Bleasdale, Executive
Director, Leadership Team on one of the numbers listed at the end of this
E-Bulletin or email michaelb@pwd.org.au
or Therese Sands, Executive Director, Leadership Team on one of the numbers
listed at the end of this E-Bulletin or email thereses@pwd.org.au New Impairment Tables to be implemented in 2012
In the last
edition of E-Bulletin the various measures introduced by the Commonwealth
Government to reduce the numbers of people on the Disability Support Pension
(DSP) were discussed. The largest of
these measures, the implementation of the updated Impairment Tables to assess
eligibility for the DSP, will commence from 1 January 2012. Some information about the make-up of these
new tables is available at the FaHCSIA
website.
Since the draft
version of the new tables was released in July, there has been some
opportunity for consultation and a number of amendments and clarifications
have been made following the concern of individuals and peak organisations
about their failure to capture the difficulties that some people have in
functioning. Major revisions have
taken place with the table that describes Intellectual Disability
functioning, but although PWD is on the DSP Advisory Committee, these changes
have not been viewed.
Peak and advocacy
organisations remain concerned that the impact of changes will be that
significant numbers of people with disability will be forced onto lower,
inadequate payment whilst they look for work and that the prospect of finding
suitable work has not significantly improved over the past two years.
In 2012, PWD and
other representative organisations will be seeking to collate information
from people who are now on the Newstart allowance after being rejected for or
losing their DSP. This information
will assist in highlighting what life is like on these lower payments. We will also be looking at how people are
progressing in their quest to gain employment.
PWD’s
representative on the DSP Advisory Group is Michael Bleasdale, Executive
Director, Leadership Team who can be contacted on
one of the numbers listed at the end of this E-Bulletin or email michaelb@pwd.org.au CRPD complaint to the Australian Human Rights
Commission challenges funding for institutions
PWD
has a long history of advocating for the closure of institutions. We have strongly opposed the redevelopment
of institutions in NSW, arguing that such redevelopment is contrary to the
NSW Disability Services Act and the
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (CRPD).
In
pursuing this issue, we have recently taken the step of lodging a complaint
under the CRPD. Before a CRPD
complaint can be made to the United Nations CRPD Committee, all domestic
remedies must be exhausted. This means we have needed to first lodge a
complaint with the Australia Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
CRPD
complaints to the AHRC must be made against the Commonwealth. In
summary, our CRPD complaint alleges that the Commonwealth has breached CRPD
articles 5, 14, 19 and 28 with regard to the funding of NSW to provide
residential facilities to people with disability by:
PWD
is now awaiting a response from the Commonwealth, but we have conveyed our
view that we would like this to be an opportunity to work towards action by
the Commonwealth that demonstrates leadership in the area of community living
for people with disability in Australia.
For more information contact Matthew Bowden, Executive
Director, Leadership Team on one of the numbers listed at the end of this
E-Bulletin or email matthewb@pwd.org.au Complaint to Australian Human Rights Commission
challenges discriminatory law
On 10 November
2011, a complaint was lodged by the Victorian Disability Discrimination Legal
Service (DDLS) to the Australian Human Rights Commission challenging systemic
discriminatory practices of the Australian social security system and
alleging breach of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of People
with Disabilities (CRPD).
“The National
Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) has been highlighting for more than a
decade that the current exemption of the DDA from the Social Security Act 1991 is unjust and increases pressures on individuals
with disability that in turn can lead to worsening of their physical and
mental health,” said Sibylle Kaczorek, NEDA Executive Officer, in a media
release issued on 10 November.
“The DDLS argues that the 10 year waiting period
which is justified by the exemption of the DDA from the Social Security Act
in fact breaches Article 25 of the CRPD, which guarantees the right to access the highest attainable
standard of health’ said Ms Kaczorek.
The DDLS is
further arguing that the exemption ‘breaches Article 28 Adequate Standard of Living and Social Protection especially as
it relates to point A, that people with disabilities can get necessary
services, equipment and help for disability related needs.’
Click here to read
NEDA's full Media Release Migrants with disability still not welcome
A story appeared
on ABC Radio on 4 November which discussed the current discriminatory nature
of Australia’s migration laws, which prevent people with disability from
migrating to Australia.
PWD has discussed
this issue in Ebulletin 68
and been part of the campaign to change discrimination in migration law and
practice in Australia. We actively
support the concerns held by the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)
over the Federal Government’s stance on skilled migrants with disability and
the assertion that it is time for the Australian Government to demonstrate
its acceptance of human rights for people with disability and to get rid of
barriers that prevent the skills shortage from being addressed.
The ABC story
featured an interview with Brandon Ah Tong, Policy and Public Affairs Advisor
with Vision Australia and Senator Sue Boyce, Liberal senator for Queensland.
The transcript
for the story is available on ABC Radio Online - Disabled
migrants still not welcome ADJC Position statement on the inappropriate
incarceration of Aboriginal people with a cognitive impairment
On 28 October,
the Aboriginal Disability Justice Campaign (ADJC) launched its position
statement on the inappropriate incarceration of people with a cognitive
impairment.
The statement
calls for Australian governments to develop and implement legislative and
service frameworks to address the needs of Aboriginal alleged offenders with
cognitive impairment, including:
The ADJC also
seeks the end of the widespread and unwarranted use of prisons for the
management of unconvicted Aboriginal persons with cognitive impairment.
To read the full
statement, visit the ADJC page on the PWD website www.pwd.org.au/systemic/adjc.html
National Curriculum to include Auslan
On 22 November,
Minister for Education, Peter Garrett announced that Auslan (Australian Sign
Language) will be included in the National Curriculum. This announcement was
welcomed by representative organisations, including PWD and Deaf Australia.
“We believe every
deaf child has the right to communicate in the way that suits them best and
for many deaf children, this means being bilingual in both English and
Auslan,” said Karen Lloyd AM, Executive Officer of Deaf Australia, in a media
release issued on 23 November.
“This
announcement brings us one step closer to realising this goal for young deaf
Australians and will change how Auslan and deaf people are perceived by a new
generation of Australians, both deaf and hearing,” said Ms Lloyd.
The curriculum
recognises the connection between young people learning their native language
and achieving a secure acceptance of their own identity and helping them to
develop a wider recognition and understanding of their language and culture.
Many bilingual deaf Australians often identify with Auslan as a native
language and find it more effective to communicate and learn using Auslan.
This does not exclude the value of English, but further emphasises the need
for bilingual learning.
Click
here to read the full media release from Deaf Australia |
International NewsDisabled Peoples International (DPI) 8th World
Assembly, Durban South Africa 10-13 October 2011
Australia was
represented at the DPI World Assembly by a delegation of ten Australian people
with disability brought together by People with Disability Australia (PWD)
and the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO).
Both AFDO and PWD
share a proud history of working towards the achievement of human rights for
people with disability both domestically and internationally and this
Assembly was an opportunity to continue our commitment to the implementation
of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
throughout all Australian jurisdictions and in the international arena.
The ten delegates to
the Assembly were:
Participation at the
DPI World Assembly provided the opportunity to share best practice human
rights advocacy and raise awareness of human rights Issues affecting people
with disability, within Australia and at the regional and international
level.
Participation by
people with disability from Australia at this Assembly has increased our
collective understanding of best practice promotion of human rights and
advocacy, while increasing international awareness of human rights issues
affecting people with disability in Australia.
The DPI Assembly provided the opportunity for
Australian representative organisations – referred to internationally as
Disabled Peoples Organistions (DPOs) - to network and further build our
capacity to promote the CRPD compliance within Australia.
The Assembly topics
focussed on practical strategies for achieving ratification and implementation of the CRPD. Parallel Topics included:
The Australian
delegates made a number of successful presentations focused on CRPD
implementation and monitoring in Australia, with topics covering the NGO
process for reporting on CRPD to the United Nations, rights to inclusion for
people with intellectual disability, rights to community living, HIV and
disability rights and rights of people with psychosocial disability. Further
details of these presentations and key outcomes are listed below.
The Australian
Delegation highlighted the following key areas for further development:
You can download the final ‘Durban
Declaration’ and Assembly presentations from www.dpi.org.au. A full copy of
the Australian Delegation Report will be available on the PWD Website
shortly.
To read more
about the World Assembly, including the day by day updates from the
delegates, visit www.pwd.org.au/dpi-worldassembly2011.html
For further
information about PWD input to the World Assembly, please contact Samantha
French, Advocacy Projects Manager on one of the numbers listed at the end of
this E-Bulletin or email samanthaf@pwd.org
Pacific Disabled Persons Organisation (DPO)
Fund Committee Update
The Pacific Disabled Persons Organisation
(DPO) Fund has been established by the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) with
funding from the New Zealand and Australian Agencies for International
Development (NZAID and AusAID). The purpose of the Pacific DPO Fund is to
improve the lives of persons with disability by supporting the organisational
development and project work of Pacific Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs)
PWD has supported the establishment and
administration of the Fund through active participation in the Pacific
Disability Forum and is currently represented on the Funds Committee. PWD is
one of three elected members from the PDF. The third round of funds has
recently closed and PWD will be working with the PDF and other Committee
members to assess applications from Pacific DPOs.
Further information about PWDs participation and
support for the Pacific Disability Forum and Pacific Fund Committee, contact Samantha
French, Advocacy Projects Manager on one of the numbers listed at the end of
this E-Bulletin or email samanthaf@pwd.org.au
For further information about the Pacific DPO Fund, contact: The Chairperson South Korean Delegation Visit to PWD
On 31 October, PWD hosted a delegation from South
Korean Rehabilitation Services and provided presentations on PWDs work and
the broader disability advocacy sector in Australia.
PWD receives a number of requests to host foreign
delegations, which is an opportunity to share good practices and the
challenges facing people with disability in our respective countries. Hosting
delegations from the disability sector is also a way in which PWD supports
international cooperation, which is an area covered by Article 32 of the
Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
For further information about PWDs hosting of
foreign delegations and requests to visit PWD contact Samantha French,
Advocacy Projects Manager on one of the numbers listed at the end of this
E-Bulletin or email samanthaf@pwd.org.au Australian Disability and Development
Consortium (ADDC) Practitioner’s Group Meeting, 10 November 2011
PWD participated in the Australian Disability and
Development Consortium (ADDC) ‘Practitioners Interest Group’ meeting where
organisations involved in international development programs came together to
discuss disability-inclusive practices and practice.
PWD was the only Disabled Person’s Organisation
(DPO) at the meeting, so it was an opportunity to highlight the work that PWD
has done in supporting DPOs in Asia and Pacific, our role on the Pacific
Disability Forum and other capacity-building projects.
It was also an opportunity to emphasise to the
group how critical it is to make contact with organisations of persons with
disability in any development project to ensure people with disability are
genuinely included in decision-making about development programs.
For further information on the consultancy,
training project work that PWD provides in the area of disability and
development, please contact Samantha French, Advocacy Projects Manager on one
of the numbers listed at the end of this E-Bulletin or email samanthaf@pwd.org.au CRPD Committee: 6TH SESSION
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (the Committee) met for its sixth session from 19-23 September
2011, to review Spain’s progress in CRPD implementation and to adopt the list
of issues for the review of Peru. Key themes of Spain’s review included the role of
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the
national legal framework, the restricted legal capacity of persons with
disability and the issue of reasonable accommodation.
Reasonable accommodation was a major theme in the
Committee’s recommendations. Despite its explicit incorporation into Spanish
law, the Committee found the denial of reasonable accommodation was not
systematically recognised as discrimination in practice. The Committee
observed that the decision to provide reasonable accommodation was made
conditional upon the severity of a person’s disability. It also observed that
there was a general lack of understanding of the concept of reasonable
accommodation by public and private actors, including what constitutes
‘accommodation’ and what can be considered ‘reasonable’.
Consequently, the Committee said that Spain fails
to respect several provisions under the CRPD, including the prohibition of
discrimination, the right to education and the right to live in the
community. Australian aid helps disability outreach in
Fiji
On 9 November
2011, the Australian High Commission to Fiji announced five disability support
organisations would be receiving funding worth FJ$235000 under Australian aid
infrastructure and capital grants to increase their outreach.
The organisations
which are benefitting from the Australian funding include the Fiji Disabled
Peoples Federation, Counterstroke Fiji, the United Blind Persons of Fiji, the
Psychiatric Survivors Association of Fiji and the Spinal Injury Association
of Fiji.
Australia’s
Acting High Commissioner to Fiji, Ms Judith Robinson handed over vehicles,
office equipment and medical equipment to the successful recipients of the
AusAID grant. Services for women with disability in the
Pacific needs improvement
Women with
disability are among the most vulnerable when it comes to gender-based
violence, yet support services for them in Fiji are severely lacking,
according to a media release issued by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC)
on 16 November.
Naomi Navoce, the
Gender and Youth Officer at the Pacific Disability Forum, attended the
National Network Meeting on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Suva
and spoke of how many women and girls with disability never report attacks to
authorities because of stigma, fear and difficulties of access.
“Violence against
women with disabilities is one of the sensitive issues. There are girls and
women with disability out there who are living silently in fear because they
are victims of violence and abuse,” said Ms Navoce in FWCC’s media release. The National
Network Meeting was organised by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre to enable
those working in the area of eliminating violence against women to share
their knowledge and to work more cohesively and effectively.
The four-day
meeting was organised by the FWCC, and gathered some 100 delegates including
representatives from the Fiji Police Force, Social Welfare Department, Legal
Aid Commission, Provincial Councils as well community, disability
representatives, faith-based organisations and women’s groups from diverse
locations such as Taveuni, Vanua Levu, Naitasiri and Serua, and the Western
Division.
|
The Inside StoryFrom the President
Where has the
year gone? Hasn’t it just flown by?
I would like to
thank the Board for all the hard work they did this year and for their
support. I wish Joe Mannix all the very best as he completes his second term
on the Board and I would like to extend the Boards’ gratitude for his hard
work as Treasurer for 2011 - all the very best to you Joe!
The AGM was a
success and I welcome our three New Board Members Heidi Forrest, Faye Druett
and Craig Wallace into the fray for the next two years; likewise Mary Anne
Bath and Peter Cassar who were re-elected for their second term.
As a member of
the Australian Delegation to the Disabled People’s International (DPI) World
Assembly in October I was very proud of the way AFDO and PWD worked together
and made their presentations very informative, powerful and well received.
The whole experience of participating at DPI was awesome and a real eye
opener as it demonstrated how we in Australia compare to other countries
around the world regarding disability issues. We always complain about our
lot, but believe you me, we are much better off in more ways than one than
other people with disability living in poorer countries. But this doesn’t
mean we can rest on our laurels regarding UNCRPD and NDIS.
On 24 October I
received a ‘Law and Justice Volunteer Award’ from the Law and Justice
Foundation, this made me feel very humble and proud. I wish to thank my
nominator and all who were in support.
In closing I like
to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year, and I look
forward to seeing you all at our New Office in 2012.
Jan Daisley, PWD President PWD Treasurer and Interim Executive
Following the
2011 AGM, the new Board met to nominate and elect a new Treasurer until the
2012 AGM and an interim Vice-President and interim Secretary until the first
Board meeting in February 2012.
The following
Board members were elected into these positions:
PWD President Jan Daisley wins Law and Justice
Volunteer Award
On 24 October, PWD
Executive Director Michael Bleasdale, President Jan Daisley and Secretary
Peter Cassar attended the NSW Law and Justice Foundation Awards Night. At
this prestigious event, Jan Daisley was announced as the joint winner of the
Law and Justice Volunteer Award. She
received a trophy and was invited to speak to those assembled.
PWD is extremely
proud of Jan’s achievement, which was for her voluntary work with PWD over
the past 30 years and in the sector more broadly. The program that was distributed at the
function described Jan’s activism against discriminatory treatment in
institutions, stating that:
“Through her work, many people with disability
have been empowered to access support and services that enable them to
participate fully in the community.
Jan’s expertise and leadership has gained the respect of ministers and
senior public servants and she respectfully represents the views and needs of
people with disability.”
Click here for more
information on the Law and Justice Awards and Jan's Prize Do you have a personal story about access?
The Board is
looking for PWD members who are interested in providing personal accounts of
their positive and negative experiences of access. Access to transport, the built environment,
information and communication, the internet and telecommunications or any
other access issues of importance to you could be valuable to share.
The personal
stories will be used by the Board for the first 2012 edition of Link Up,
which will focus on Accessibility.
If you would like
to provide a story, please contact Therese Sands, Executive Director, Leadership
Team on one of the numbers listed at the end of this E-Bulletin or email thereses@pwd.org.au
|
PWD Media Releases14 October 2011: Australians with
disability participate in World Assembly 31 October 2011: Jetstar’s ‘two
wheelchair policy’ challenged in federal court 1 December
2011: World AIDS
Day: Let’s talk about accessible Sex Ed Return to top |
PWD Training OpportunitiesPWD is currently reviewing its training on offer and
making changes to its existing training packages.
In the 2011/2012 financial year, PWD will no longer be
issuing a training calendar with fixed trainings but instead will be
providing a training brochure detailing the training options on offer. In
addition, we will also be marketing customised training packages that can be
adapted to meet the needs and interests of individual organisations and/or
services.
We will continue to offer our two-day Responding to
Sexual Assault training which aims to challenge myths surrounding sexual
assault and people with intellectual disability, build capacity of staff to
support victims of sexual assault, as well as decrease the vulnerability of
people with intellectual disability to this crime. Also available is our one-day
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) training which
provides a discussion of the development of the CRPD, the rights enshrined in
it and the practicalities of implementing these rights, as well as
information about its available complaints process.
PWD will continue to provide Disability Awareness
training, however in a new, flexible format with core and optional
supplementary modules. Core modules will provide a general introduction to
disability awareness, exploring the concept of disability, the myths and
facts surrounding it, as well as respectful language and communication.
Supplementary modules will include customised components that incorporate
information, case scenarios and examples applicable to the context in which
the training is delivered.
PWD will continue to focus on developing and delivering
training in its expertise areas of abuse and neglect as well as disability
and human rights. In addition, we remain open to discussing the development
of specific trainings based on interest.
Click
here to read further information on our website.
|
Upcoming Events9-11 February 2011: Geelong, VIC Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability Inc (VALID) Having a Say Conference 2011, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria. For more information www.valid.org.au
20-21 February 2012: Melbourne, VIC International
Conference on Human Rights in Closed Environments at Monash University Law
Chambers. Click
here for more information
12 – 14 March 2012: Bangkok, Thailand Disability-Inclusive
MDGs and Aid Effectiveness Conference at the UN Conference Centre.
Click here
for more information
14-17 March 2011: Auckland, New Zealand Promoting
actions on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(CRPD) in the Pacific Region at the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) Regional
Conference on Disability 2011. For more information www.pacificdisability.org
24-25 March 2012: Honolulu, Hawaii.
Pacific Rim International Forum, hosted by the Centre on Disability Studies
(CDS), at the University of Hawaii. For more information contact Charmaine
Crockett prinfo@hawaii.edu
26-27 March 2012: Honolulu, Hawaii.
28th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability &
Diversity "Living to Our Complete Potential". For more information
contact: prinfo@hawaii.edu or www.pacrim.hawaii.edu
17-21 September 2012: New Delhi, India.
TRANSED 2012: The 13th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for
Elderly and Disabled People. Click here
for the call for abstracts |
About PWDPeople with Disability Australia Incorporated (PWD) is a
national disability rights and advocacy organisation. Our membership is
people with disability and organisations made up of people with disability.
Individuals and organisations committed to the disability rights movement can
join PWD as associate members. PWD was founded in 1981, the International Year of Disabled
People, to provide people with disability with a voice of our own. We have a
cross-disability focus and represent the interests of people with all kinds
of disability. As a non-profit, non-government organisation we increasingly
depends on membership fees, public donations, bequests and fundraising
activities to maintain our commitment to improving the lives of people with
disability. PWD is a deductible gift recipient so donations of $2 or more are
fully tax deductible. Your tax deductible donation will mean we can continue to
maintain our services. If you are interested and would like to support PWD
please visit www.pwd.org.au/donations.html For information about membership, contact PWD on email pwd@pwd.org.au or one of the numbers listed
at the end of this E-Bulletin. |
Privacy statementWe are committed to
protecting your privacy. In doing so, we commit ourselves to conforming to
the Privacy Amendment
(Private Sector) Bill 2000, which came into effect in December
2001 and the National Privacy Principles issued by the Australian Privacy
Commissioner. This newsletter is distributed by email. You have provided us
with an email address. This email address will be used only for the purpose for
which you have provided it and you will not be added to any other mailing
lists unless you specifically request that this be done. Your email address
will not be disclosed without your consent. You can have your email
address removed from the mailing list for this newsletter by sending an email
to pwd@pwd.org.au
This newsletter contains links to websites. We cannot be held responsible for
the privacy practices (or lack thereof) or the content of such websites.
|
Contact usPlease note that PWD
publishes items contributed by other organisations at our discretion. While
we will assist where possible in the dissemination of information, we do not
take responsibility for the promotion or advertisement of events organised by
other organisations. If you would like to
receive PWD E-Bulletin
in an alternative format or have an enquiry, contact PWD by email pwd@pwd.org.au
or on one of the numbers listed below. People with Disability Australia Incorporated |
|
|