PWD E-Bulletin |
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Issue 63 August 2010 Welcome to 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 ContentsNew South Wales News
Other State and Territory News
National News
International News
The Inside StoryPWD Media ReleasesJob/Volunteer OpportunitiesUpcoming EventsAbout PWDPrivacy StatementContact Us |
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Other States and Territory
News
South Australia: ‘Inclusion Matters: Gender and Disability in Local and Global Contexts’ SymposiumPWD encourages members
and associates to attend this symposium, in which policy makers, service
providers, researchers, consumers and interested individuals can share
knowledge and experiences in promoting the inclusion of gender and
disability. It will take place from
9am – 4:30pm, Friday 15 October at the Flinders Campus in the City, 182
Tarndanyangga / Victoria Square, Adelaide. Speakers include Kelly
Vincent (Dignity for Disability, Member of the SA Legislative Council); Dr
Lorna Hallahan (Senior Lecturer, School of Social and Policy Studies,
Flinders University; Member, SA Social Inclusion Board; Chair, SA Minister's
Disability Advisory Council; and Deputy Chair, National People with
Disability and Carer Council); Sue Salthouse (President, Women with
Disabilities Australia (WWDA); Keran Howe (Executive Officer, Victorian Women
with Disabilities Network); Margie Charlesworth (Vice President Women with
Disabilities Australia (WWDA) Inc; and AusAID Australian Leadership Fellows,
including leadership fellows from the Vietnam Women’s Union, China Disabled
Persons’ Federation and Indonesia Disabled People’s Association. Participants must
register by Friday 24 September 2010. If anyone requires the flyer or
registration form in an alternative format please contact Genevieve Chaffey
at genevieve.chaffey@flinders.edu.au For
more information about this event click here to visit the Flinders University
website. Tasmania: A State Human Rights CharterPWD is pleased by the
announcement by the Hon. Lara Giddings MP of a project to examine models for
a Human Rights Charter for The Tasmanian Law
Reform Institute also conducted a community consultation project in relation
to human rights protection in 2006 and 2007. That consultation found strong
support amongst respondents for stronger human rights protection in Tasmania.
More particularly it found there was strong support for a charter of rights
approach. A charter will act as a
statement about the values and principles of the community, and introduce
standards to ensure that human rights are a priority for the government when
making laws and decisions. Key Project Dates: September 2010 - Release of
Directions Paper October/November 2010 - Consultation with the Tasmanian
community March 2011 - Release of Draft
Human Rights Charter Bill March/April 2011 - Consultation
with the Tasmanian community Mid 2011 - Introduction of Final
Human Rights Charter Bill to Tasmanian Parliament PWD encourages all
members in Tasmania to participate in the consultation process and provide
comment on a model for a Human Rights Charter for Tasmania. It will be
important to have a strong voice about the rights of people with disability
and the inclusion of CRPD rights in any Charter. A Bill will be developed following that
consultation and will also be released for further comment. The starting point for
the project will include the work undertaken by the Tasmanian Law Reform
Institute (TLRI) in 2007. The TLRI report, Paper Number 10 - A charter of
rights for Tasmania, followed lengthy consultations and was based on over 350
submissions. The project team can be
contacted with issues or enquiries at any stage during the project by
emailing Dale Webster, Project Manager at: legislation.development@justice.tas.gov.au South Australia: Social Inclusion InitiativePWD encourages all
members and supporters in South Australia to participate in the South
Australian Social Inclusion Initiative – Activating Citizenship Disability
Survey. The South Australian
Social Inclusion Initiative aims to assist in the creation of a society where
all people feel valued, their differences are respected and their basic needs
- both physical and emotional - are met. This survey aims to
help the Social Inclusion Board to understand the views of people with
disability, their families and carers. The feedback from the
survey will help the Social Inclusion Board to make recommendations to the
Government of South Australia on ways to improve the lives of South
Australians with disability. If you wish to take
part, PWD encourages you to access the survey and download the discussion
paper from www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au. Submissions close on
Monday, September 25. Queensland: Draft 10-Year Plan for Supporting Queenslanders with a DisabilityThe draft 10-year plan
for supporting Queenslanders with a disability has been developed in response
to what people with a disability and those who advocate for them have been
saying for a long time. It incorporates a vision about what People with a
disability, families and carers, service providers, businesses, the
community, government and corporate partners are encouraged to get involved
by providing feedback on the draft 10-Year Plan for Supporting Queenslanders
with a Disability now. The draft 10-Year Plan
sets out strategies and ideas for creating communities where everyone has equitable
access to public spaces, transport, services, employment, education and sport
as well as artistic and cultural activities. The Queensland
Government is asking for any input to help create a state that welcomes and
includes people with a disability in all aspects of the community. Click
here if you would like to provide feedback on the Queensland 10 Year Draft
Plan. Western Australia: Review of Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DIAP)The City of Perth is
currently reviewing its DAIP and invites people with disabilities, families,
carers and other interested members of the community to have a say in the
community consultation. People can take part in
a number of ways including written and online surveys, and by phone, fax or
email. There is also the opportunity for focus groups if a few people would
like to get together and speak to the consultant. Written surveys are
available at: Council House (Customer Service
Desk) 27 St Georges Terrace, Perth Forrest Place Information Kiosk,
Murray Street Mall Citiplace Community Centre,
Upper Level Concourse, Perth Central Railway Station Citiplace Rest Centre, Upper
Level Concourse, Perth Central Railway Station Citiplace Child Care, corner
Wellington and Barrack Streets, Perth The City of Perth Library, Hay
Street, Perth To have your say or for
more An on-line survey is
also available on the City of Perth website www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au
under Universal Access section. Consultation closing
date: 15 September 2010 |
National News
Productivity Commission Inquiry into disability care and supportPrevious editions of
E-Bulletin have highlighted the work PWD is doing, along with other
disability peaks, to PWD’s final submission
to the Productivity Commission has now been completed and is
available on the Commission’s website. In addition PWD has
taken a leading role in the coordination and writing of the submission made
by In Control Australia, which focuses predominantly on the mechanism of
individualised funding to ensure that the new system is implemented utilising
self-directed supports. This too has been submitted to the Productivity
Commission. The process now moves
into the phase wherein the Productivity Commission considers the very many
submissions it has received, as well as the transcripts from the Hearings it
has conducted, and formulates a draft report, which is due in February
2011. During this phase PWD will continue to consult with its members
about the detail of how a new scheme will be funded and delivered, with a
view to providing detailed commentary back to the Commission following
distribution of the draft report. Click
here to read transcripts from the Hearings. PWD, Disability and Federal Election 2010PWD was very active in
the lead-up to the 2010 Federal Election, sending a special
Election E-Bulletin out to members and supporters and running a targeted and
successful media campaign. In the election
E-Bulletin we provided links to the PWD election platform, links to all the
major parties and their policies relating to disability; If you missed
our special E-Bulletin, click here to read a copy on our website. As this election was so
close, it won’t be clear for some time what will now happen in Federal
Government. With a number of seats yet
to be decided, the final result will be probably be determined by the
unusually high number of postal and pre-poll votes recorded in this
election. The counting of postal
votes also cannot be finalised until 13 days after Election Day or 3
September 2010. The current situation
is that the election has resulted in a hung House of Representatives. This is
the first time this has happened since 1940. In order to form a
minority government there needs to be a majority in the 150-seat House of
Representatives to guarantee survival of a non-confidence motion (i.e. 76
votes). A minority government can continue as long as it can maintain the
confidence of the House. At the moment, both
Labor and the Coalition parties are in discussions with the four Independents
to see if either can form Government. If you would like to
know more about these processes, click
here to read more detailed information on hung parliaments at the Hawker
Britton website. Hawker Britton is an organisation which provides
campaigning and communications support to the Labor Party. They also provide
government relations advice to all sorts of organisations and business. National Disability Advocacy FrameworkPWD recently made a
submission to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) on their National Disability Advocacy
Framework. In the submission, PWD
welcomed FaHCSIA’s use of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as a guiding document for developing a
Framework that aims to strengthen advocacy.
However, PWD also
highlighted that specific details of strategies are not contained in the draft
National Disability Strategy and in some areas there are no comprehensive
actions that address key concerns of people with disability. PWD made a number of
recommendations about how to improve and strengthen the Framework, including: The need for the Framework to
include specific provisions related to women with disability and children
with disability. CRPD articles 6 and 7
outline the rights of women with disability and children with disability and
they are two of the general obligations that must be considered with respect
to every other CRPD article. By including
specific outcomes, principles and outputs relating to women and children with
disability this would ensure the National Disability Advocacy Program
recognises these general obligations. The need for the Framework to
include specific provisions related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people with disability and people with disability form culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds. While CRPD does not contain specific
articles in relation to these population groups, it does recognise them in
its Preamble ie: “the
difficult conditions faced by persons with disabilities who are subject to
multiple or aggravated forms of discrimination on the basis of race, colour,
sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic,
indigenous or social origin, property, birth, age or other status”. The need for the Framework to
articulate advocacy practice will need to be fearless when confronted by
conflicts of interest. Currently, the
Framework talks positively about the relationship between advocacy and
governments (9 g); and about positive contributions to legislation, policy
and practice (10 e). This suggests
advocacy will always align with government views and directions, which is
clearly not the case. PWD certainly
supports positive contributions to government work and positive relationships
with government, but this is not always possible when government policy and
directions may not be in accord with human rights principles, such as those
articulated in CRPD. The need for the Framework to
ensure the term ‘services’ is not be linked with the word ‘advocacy’, such as
is the case in the Introduction at
point 2. Linking these terms together
– ‘advocacy services’ – confuses discussion relating to the need for advocacy
to be independent of service provision.
For more information contact Discrimination and Transport –
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International News
United Nations (UN) NGO Conference – Advancing Global HealthPWD is participating in
the United Nations Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) Conference on the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with specific focus on ‘Advancing Global
Health’. The Conference is being
coordinated by the UN’s Department of Public Information and is being held in
The MDGs are an
internationally agreed set of goals for countries to achieve in order to
eliminate poverty. It is now recognised
that the MDGs cannot be achieved without the inclusion of people with
disability within actions and programs.
PWD will be raising a number of issues during the Conference in
relation to the inclusion of people with disability, capacity building of
Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and the importance of focusing on
realising rights for people with disability as key to social and economic
development. The Aboriginal
Disability Network is participating as part of the PWD delegation to ensure
that the issues and concerns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
with disability are also represented. For more information
contact Third session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPDThe third session of
the Conference of States Parties (COSP3) to the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) will be held from 1-3 September 2010 in New
York. Prior to the Conference, a Civil Society Forum will be held on 31
August 2010 from 3 to 6 pm and coordinated by the International Disability
Alliance (IDA). The COSP3 Information on the
theme of COSP3, official and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)PWD is extremely
pleased with the Concluding Comments issued by the UN CEDAW Committee to the
Australian Government following its review of Australia’s progress in CEDAW
implementation. Enshrined within CEDAW
are the key principles of equality and an agenda for national action to end
discrimination against women. It is based on the belief that basic human
rights include true equality of men and women. As a signatory to the
Convention, Australia regularly reports to the Committee on both the measures
the Government has taken to comply with its obligations under the Convention
and on ongoing challenges. The Australian Government appeared before the
Committee today in July 2010. An Australian NGO
delegation also participated in the review process by making a statement to
the Committee and lobbying Committee members on key issues for women in PWD has been involved
in the CEDAW NGO Shadow Reporting process since 2003, providing comprehensive
drafting of Shadow Reports and participating on the NGO delegation in
2006. For this review process, WWDA
contributed a separate submission on the situation of women with disability
along with the NGO Shadow Report. As a
result, issues facing people with disability, and women with disability in
particular, were well covered in these reports. We congratulate the
CEDAW Committee for taking note of the input provided by PWD and WWDA, and
for making very strong recommendations, contained in the Concluding Comments
regarding the need for urgent action by the Australian Government in relation
to women with disability. The Concluding Comments include: The Committee is concerned that
women with disability are almost entirely absent from key leadership and
decision-making positions and continue to be disadvantaged with regard to
educational and employment opportunities. It is concerned about the high
levels of violence experienced by women, particularly those living in
institutions or supported accommodation. It is concerned that
non-therapeutic sterilizations of women and girls with disability continue to
be practiced in some states in In light of the
Australian Government’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, the Committee recommends : the Australian Government
undertakes a comprehensive assessment of the situation of women with
disability in Australia; addresses, as a matter of
priority, the abuse and violence experienced by women with disability living
in institutions or supported accommodation; adopts urgent measures to ensure
that women with disability are better represented in decision-making and
leadership positions, including through the adoption of temporary special
measures such as quotas and targets, in accordance with article 4, paragraph
1 of the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendation No. 25; enacts national legislation
prohibiting, except where there is a serious threat to life or health, the
use of sterilisation of girls, regardless of whether they have a disability,
and of adult women with disability in the absence of their fully For more information
contact Therese Sands, Executive Director, Leadership Team at thereses@pwd.org.au
or one of the contacts listed at the end of this e-bulletin.
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The Inside Story
Vale - Robert Ferguson Wood Robert was born in In the 1980's Robert
became President of Little Peoples Association of Australia and featured in
two 60 Minutes programmes on the topic. Robert's work with the
Advisory Committee of the Lord Mayor of Robert was heavily
involved with the Handicapped Persons' Alliance and deputy chairman of
Disabled Persons International (DPI), which led him into becoming a member of
PWD in 1981, the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP). Robert
worked tirelessly advocating for the rights of people with disability
without any regard for his own well-being. He also wrote his
autobiography called 'In Over My Head', which unfortunately was never
published. In December 2007 Robert
suffered a severe stroke, which paralysed him on his right side and took away
his ability to speak. In late July 2010
Robert contracted an infection which developed to pneumonia and led to his
passing in the early hours of 3rd August 2010. Robert was
a crusader for Disability Rights, and we at PWD salute his
endurance, tenacity, and his resilience and input to the Disability
Sector as a whole. - Upcoming PWD Members’ EventPWD will be hosting a
Members’ Event in Sydney on Friday 10 September 2010 to introduce our new
regional advocacy staff to the membership.
If you have read the recent
LinkUp you will know that PWD now has three regional individual advocacy
offices in NSW and four in QLD. This
event will enable members to find out more about the regional network. The Event will also
launch a new “Disability Rights Defender” membership strategy that will
provide another opportunity for members to assist the work of PWD. It will be a great
opportunity for members to learn about PWD’s current directions and see how
the organisation is expanding to include people from all over the country. Our MC (Master of
Ceremonies) for this event will be the popular presenter, disability rights
activist and PWD Associate Member, Julie McCrossin. Invitations will be
shortly going out to all members, encouraging them to attend this event. National Disability Hotline ServicesThe first year of the
Complaints Resolution and Referral Service (CRRS) and National Disability
Abuse and Neglect Hotline contract recently came to a close. PWD was
contracted to provide the services for a two-year period, with the
possibility of a one year extension. Future events are now
being planned to strengthen connections in communities in which PWD provides
services. In late September, Hotline staff will travel to our new Mt Isa
service to forge relationships with local services and Aboriginal communities
and to The Hotline is also
developing a strategy to provide better services to Aboriginal people. Last
month, CRRS/Hotline Director, Michael Bleasdale made an extended visit of the
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PWD Media Releases
26 August: People with Disability
say close institutions but NSW Government continues its regressive policy 19 August: People with
disability call for self-determination and individualised funding 17 August: New Government must
end violence against people with disability 13 August: PWD calls on the
next Federal Government to close all institutions housing people with
disability 12 August: Making Rights Real -
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 10 August: People with
disability want a fair go – not "goodies" 10 August: Mental Health -
Recognising the rights of people with Psychosocial Disability 4 August: Disability and
Decision 2010 - The Coalition Needs to Get it Right! |
Job/Volunteer
Opportunities
Research Officer Based in 12 month fixed term contract The Research Officer
will support the coordinated planning, implementation and dissemination of
research on disability inclusive road infrastructure in PNG. We are seeking
expressions of interest from applicants with the following experience: Postgraduate qualifications in
development, disability or a relevant field, with a strong research
component. Background in a disability or
social research related fields. Demonstrated experience in
planning and implementing research activities, including planning community
consultations, training data collectors, and knowledge of participatory
qualitative and quantitative methodologies (e.g. surveys and group
discussions). Experience in working in
collaborative partnerships with organisations, universities Experience conducting
participatory research with people with disabilities and Disabled People’s
Organisations is highly desirable. Ability to work as a member of a
team, as well as the ability to work in a self-directed manner. Excellent writing, computer
skills including MS Office and fluency in English. The position will be
situated at the To apply for this position
please email your current CV with a brief statement about your ability to
meet the key skills required to Dr.P.R.Karthikeyan at prkarthi@dwu.ac.pg Please do not send copies of certificates,
these will be requested from the successful applicant. People with
disabilities are encouraged to apply. CLOSING DATE: Thursday 2nd September
2010 AYAD ProgramsWould you like to
volunteer overseas? You are invited to
apply for a Disability international volunteering assignment through the
Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program (AYAD). The AYAD Program
is currently advertising 19 Disability assignments which give people like you
the chance to share your skills and experiences with communities in
developing countries. Each year the AYAD
Program sends 400 young Australians (18-30) on short term volunteer
assignments (3 to 12 month) in Asia, the Pacific and Africa. The assignments
are fully funded by the Australian Government through AusAID and are an
important part of Click here to view the volunteering
assignments.
Search within that page by selecting the ‘sub-section’ of Disability. Applications close
Friday 10th September. |
Upcoming Events
7 September (Melbourne) ):
Expert Group Meeting on Using the Optional Protocol to CEDAW to Address
Violations of Women’s Rights in Australia 14 September
(Sydney): Expert Group Meeting on Using
the Optional Protocol to CEDAW to Address Violations of Women’s Rights in
Australia 14th March-17th
March 2011 (Auckland, New Zealand): Pacific
Disability Forum (PDF) Regional Conference on Disability 2011. Theme –
“Promoting actions on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(CRPD) in the Pacific Region.” www.pacificdisability.org 4-6 November, Parramatta
(NSW): International
Human Rights Education Conference "Educating for Human Rights, Peace and
Intercultural Dialogue" www.humanrightseducationconference2010.com.au
9-11 February, Geelong
(VIC): The
Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability Inc (VALID) Having
a Say Conference 2011, Deakin Uni, Geelong. www.valid.org.au
13-15
November, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Asia
Pacific CBR Convention 2010 www.apcbrconvention.cbrnetworkmalaysia.org
The theme of the 2010
CBR Convention in Kuala Lumpur is Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable
Development: Introduction of ‘The New CBR Guideline’. It is designed to give
all participants the opportunity to use the new guideline, set by WHO, ILO
and UNICEF, to further enhance our work on the ground. The Convention will
continue the discussion about how we – as individuals and as members of an
interconnected world – can be involved in ensuring that everyone plays a leading
role in creating an inclusive and sustainable development for CBR. |
About PWD
People 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/donate.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 Statement
We 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
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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
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Contact Us
Please 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 |
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