People with Disability Australia Incorporated

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Announcements                                  

Disability Inclusive Research Collaboration Conference – Research Rights: Disability Inclusion Change

In June 2012, a number of leading organisations representing people with disability will be holding a conference on inclusive research practices.

The conference Research Rights: Disability Inclusion Change aims to bring together people with disability, researchers, policy makers, activists, and people working in the broader disability sector to discuss and promote inclusive and participatory research. In doing so, it aims to demonstrate how research designs, practices and methodologies can be inclusive and driven by people with disability for people with disability, and how research findings can be made accessible to all. It will also provide an opportunity to learn about, discuss and workshop best practice in designing and implementing inclusive research in Australia and around the world. In the spirit of the goals of the conference, speakers and workshops presenters, both Australian and international, are researchers with a disability or researchers undertaking inclusive research with people with disability where people with disability are actively involved in research design and implementation.

Keynote speakers include Associate Lecturer Dr Sally French, Open University, UK, Associate Professor Christine Bigby, La Trobe University, and Dr. Edurne Garcia, Director of the M.Sc in Disability Studies, Trinity College Dublin. The conference will also feature a series of workshops on inclusive research designs and practices from a wide range of perspectives with first-hand demonstration of how research can be inclusive and participatory.

The conference Research Rights: Disability Inclusion Change will be held at The University of Sydney on 13th and 14th June. More information about the conference program and registration is available online through the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney. If you are interested in receiving the conference prospectus or have any questions please contact Gyongyi Horvath on one of the numbers listed at the end of this E-Bulletin or email gyongyih@pwd.org.au.

MEDIA RELEASE: Coroner condemns Dickensian state of licensed boarding houses

People with Disability Australia (PWDA) has today called for the NSW Government to step up their obligation to recognise, protect and fulfil the human rights of people with disability living in the licensed boarding house sector following yet another damning account of the state of this sector revealed by Magistrate Jerram, State Coroner, following the inquest into the deaths of six people with disability living in a licensed boarding house at 300 Livingstone Road, Marrickville.

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MEDIA RELEASE: Disability representative organisations welcome funds for NDIS

AFDO and PWDA tonight warmly welcomed the strong commitment made in the budget to the development of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The allocation of $1billion over 4 years will go towards the building blocks of a revolutionary new scheme, which will eventually replace the current broken, unfair and underfunded system across the country.
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Appeal to cover legal costs incurred in discrimination case

PWD has joined the growing call for changes to Australia’s anti-discrimination laws following the Federal Court’s decision on Friday 13 January 2012, which left Jetstar’s discriminatory two wheelchair policy intact and a passenger with disability, Ms Sheila King, with $20,000 to pay in court costs.

In our E-bulletin Issue 74, PWD outlined the discrimination faced by Ms Sheila King, a current PWD Board member and the action that the Disability Discrimination Legal Centre NSW (DDLC) took on her behalf.  Ms King booked her flight over the Internet in August 2008. She was contacted the next day and told she would not be able to fly on her chosen day because there were already two passengers requiring wheelchair assistance booked on the flight.

The Federal Court decision on 13 January 2012 accepted that Jetstar had discriminated against Ms King, but ruled that Jetstar would have experienced ‘unjustifiable hardship’ if it had not discriminated against her.

The Australian Centre for Disability Law (formerly the DDLC) has kindly agreed to accept donations on Ms King’s behalf, to contribute towards covering Ms King’s substantial legal costs.

To learn more about how you can make a donation, please click here or contact the Australian Centre for Disability Law on (02) 8014 7000, Free call 1800 800 708 or email info@disabilitylaw.org.au

MEDIA RELEASE: PWD welcomes Government commitments and looks towards next steps for the NDIS

People with Disability Australia (PWDA) welcomes yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister that funds will be made available in next week’s Federal Budget to begin the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the middle of 2013.
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National Report Card on Mental Health Survey

www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/report_card
This survey will help shape the national report card on mental health that will be issued each year by the new National Mental Health Commission. The survey is your chance to give your opinion on this. The survey closes on 8 May.

MEDIA RELEASE: Let’s make our rights real - An NDIS supported by strong, independent advocacy

Disability advocates from around Australia gathered on Northbourne Ave today to join the call for a comprehensive National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia.

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