PWD E-Bulletin
|
|
Issue 65 OCTOBER 2010 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. Contents
Other State and Territory News
|
New
South Wales News
Invitation to learn more about the Premises Standards
The new Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings)
Standards are due to come into force on 1 May 2011. These Standards are
designed to ensure that people with disability and the ageing population have
better access to a wide range of public buildings. Improved building access
will afford older people and people with disability greater opportunities to
access employment and services and to connect with family, friends and the
broader community. The Standards require significant improvements in the
level of access to all new public buildings and existing buildings undergoing
renovation as well as public toilets, aquatic facilities, signage and
parking. It is anticipated that corresponding changes will also be made to
the Building Code of Australia (BCA). This free two hour briefing is aimed at people with
disability and those advocating for the rights of people with disability and
ageing Australians. The briefing will cover: • An overview of the main features of the Premises Standards and
their effect and timelines for implementation; • Who is responsible for complying with the Premises Standards; • Level of access required for different types of buildings,
including the major changes from the current BCA requirements. It will be presented by Michael Small from the Australian
Human Rights Commission. Where: Smith Room, Wesley Conference Centre, 220 Pitt
Street Sydney Places are limited so please register by Friday 12
November by phoning (02) 9265 9169 or email hnichols@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au Further information and enquiries please contact Sam
French at (02) 9265 9465 or email sfrench@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au The venue is wheelchair accessible and there will be
sign language interpreters and a hearing loop – if you have any other access
and requirements, please inform them when you register so that arrangements
can be made. Empty Promises of Freedom
PWD was pleased to contribute to the article Empty Promises of Freedom, which
appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday 9 October written by
journalist Adele Horin. The article drew attention
to an issue PWD has been campaigning on for many years - the need to close
institutions that house people with disability and stop the redevelopments of
institutions. The article investigates the ongoing funding of
institutional housing for people with disability, and the fact that the NSW
state government is in the process of rebuilding some institutions, in
contravention of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) that Australia ratified in 2008. The article shows the undignified and inhumane nature
of institutions and the disgraceful manner in which people with disability
remain segregated from the wider community through support services provided
in this manner. Adele draws attention to the fact that despite State
Government promises to close all institutions fifteen years ago, only 384
people have been moved out since 1998, mostly into group homes; and more than
1600 people still live in institutions. PWD was interviewed extensively for the story, along
with the Disability Discrimination Legal Centre (DDLC), the NSW Ombudsman and
Disability Enterprises Leura. Click here to read the full article
online. Victory for Supported Living Campaign
PWD joins Family Advocacy and hundreds of people with
disability and their families in welcoming the bipartisan government
commitment to a Supported Living Fund. This support was announced on the night of 25 October
2010, when over 200 families of people with disability congregated in a
meeting room to hear the NSW Minister for Disability Services, Peter
Primrose, the Shadow Minister Andrew Constance and Greens spokesperson for
disability, Ian Cohen, unanimously endorse the Supported Living Fund as part
of a plan to give people with disability and their families far greater
control over their lives and supports. Representatives of the three major political parties
agreed it was time to move NSW from crisis intervention to prevention so that
families could plan for the future of their loved ones with disability. For the first time in over 20 years, people with
intellectual disability will receive government funding to live in their own
homes while their families are still in a position to support the move,” said
campaign organiser Ms Belinda Epstein-Frisch. The three parties have endorsed the Supported Living
Fund, and made a commitment to the four key elements of: • Providing new money • Extending the target group to include families not in crisis • Enabling people with disability to have a home of their own,
using a combination of paid and unpaid/informal support • Enabling families and people with disability to direct their own
support PWD along with many disability representative and
advocacy organisations and service providers have endorsed the Supported
Living Fund. Click
here for more details of the Supported Living Fund at the Family Advocacy
website. Plans
to reopen closed mental health wards at Callan Park
Along with the Mental Health Coordinating Council
(MHCC) and the NSW Consumer Advisory Group – Mental Health (NSW CAG), PWD is
extremely concerned about plans to reopen closed mental health wards at
Callan Park to house people with psychosocial disability. Over the past four years, there has been considerable
discussion about the future uses of the Callan Park site. Leichhardt Council
has developed a Master Plan for the redevelopment of the site of the former
psychiatric hospital. While much of the Plan can be supported, the overall
approach is marred by the return to stigmatising housing in several of the
old psychiatric wards. The current ‘vision’ for the site includes plans for
83 supported accommodation beds. MHCC’s position is that the draft Callan Park Master
Plan has been made without full consideration of the strong evidence base on
what constitutes socially inclusive, recovery-oriented approaches to mental
health. This view has been formed through extensive and continuing
consultation with MHCC members PWD also argues that the return to congregate,
segregated accommodation options is not in line with the UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The application of CRPD to housing for people with disability is
clearly articulated in PWD’s Position Paper, Accommodating Human Rights: a
human rights perspective on housing, and housing and support, for persons
with disability. PWD is engaged in legal action with the NSW Minister
for Disability Services in relation to the redevelopment of institutions for
people with intellectual disability and is appalled that other groups of
people with disability are also facing regressive moves back to institutional
models of accommodation. While there is significant unmet need for housing
and support for all people with disability, all levels of government must
recognise their obligations to realise the human rights of people with
disability in responding to this demand. NSW CAG has developed a Position Statement to outline
their views on the redevelopment of Callan Park. They strongly support the
site being used to support mental health and wellbeing, with no hospital or
medical services and with site governance including representation of mental
health consumers. NSW CAG only support transitional housing on this site, but not
extended or long-term housing. PWD is concerned that any transitional housing will
move to longer term housing given the lack of available housing and support
for people with psychosocial disability.
We argue that there should be more funding provided to the expansion
of the Housing and Support Initiative (HASI), which has been successful in
supporting people with psychosocial disability to access and maintain secure
tenancies, improved mental and physical health and improved social and
community connection as well as economic participation and overall improved
quality of life. MHCC is interested in hearing from you regarding your
views on these matters and encourages mindful
discussion about recovery oriented service provision. For more information go
to www.mhcc.org.au or email info@mhcc.org.au NSW CAG can be contacted on telephone (02) 9332 0200
or email info@nswcag.org.au PWD
at the 2010 Nepean Disability Expo
Representatives from PWD and the National Disability
Abuse and Neglect Hotline, which is operated by PWD, held a stall at the
Nepean Disability Expo, which took place at the Penrith Panthers Pavilion in
Mulgoa Road, Penrith on Friday and Saturday 22-23 October. The Nepean Disability Expo is held every second year
and is a major event in the region’s Disability Sector with over 80
exhibitors at this year’s event. PWD and the Hotline joined a large group of
disability information, services, technology, vehicle providers and equipment
suppliers, but stood out as one of the only disability rights and advocacy
organisations. As such, PWD and the Hotline strongly represented the
human rights and advocacy sector and provided information about our vision
and services to the many people who attended. Access All Areas Film Festival
Access All Areas is a touring film festival that aims
to increase access to Australian cinema. For the third year running the
festival will screen across NSW during November and December 2010. The festival will visit cinemas and schools in Wagga
Wagga, Orange, Parramatta and wrap up in Sydney on 3
December to celebrate International Day of People with Disability. Featuring films that have been captioned or
audio described and screened in accessible venues, Access All Areas is being
billed a celebration of Australian cinema to which everyone is invited to
attend. The screening in Sydney will take place on Friday 3
December at 6:30pm at the Dendy Opera Quays Cinema, near the Opera House. Two
simultaneous screenings will take place, one with open captions and one with
audio description. The festival has FREE entry so bookings are essential
to guarantee a seat. Please call the festival office on (02) 9281 5608 or
email karina@thefestivalists.com to make a booking and
inform them of any access services you require. For more information on films, screening times, venues
and access please visit the website www.accessallareasfilmfestival.com.au |
Other State and Territory
News
Queensland: PWD represented at Mount Isa Mental Health
Week
One of PWD’s Executive Directors Matthew Bowden
recently attended a Celebration Dinner as part of Mount Isa’s Mental Health
Week activities. PWD has a growing presence in the Mount Isa and Lower
Gulf Communities, with advocates Val Brown and Dennis Willetts
providing individual advocacy support to people with disability in the area
from the new PWD office located in Mount Isa. Matthew gave a speech at the dinner, speaking of the
ranging issues people with psychosocial disability face in Australia and how
they continue to be some of the most marginalised and isolated people in our
communities. He noted how human rights concerns, such as discrimination,
vilification, homelessness, incarceration and unemployment, remain in very
high levels for people with psychosocial disability. Matthew also spoke on how in Australia we currently
see very little funding directed towards treatment and support services which
are consumer lead and how there is strong evidence that when people with
psychosocial disability are afforded the right of self-determination and
given control over the policies, program design and support services that
there are much better outcomes for consumers. Matthew referred to key reforms urgently required in
order for Australia to successfully protect and promote the rights of people
with psychosocial disability. These included: • Consumer representative groups are funded at the regional, State
and Commonwealth levels to provide a voice for people with psychosocial
disability. • Improving the way that supports are provided in culturally
appropriate ways, especially to Indigenous Australians. • Affording flexibility in the workplace to people with
psychosocial disability, so that when experiencing an impairment which is
episodic in nature this does not preclude people from participating in the
workforce. • Support for the recovery model, so that health services and
community attitudes shift from believing that once a person receives a
diagnosis that recovery is not an option. • Adult guardianship system needs reform so that we are supporting
people with psychosocial disability to make their own decisions. Involuntary
treatment should always be the option of last resort. For more information please contact Matthew Bowden,
Executive Director on (02) 9370 3100 or email matthewb@pwd.org.au Victoria: Album Launch “Tragedy of the Commons”
PWD would like to alert Members and supporters in
Victoria of an opportunity to support the band Rudely Interrupted as they launch their debut album Tragedy of the Commons on Sunday 28
November, from 2pm – 5pm, at the Northcote Social Club, 301 High Street,
Northcote Victoria. Formed in 2006 by chance, Rudely Interrupted is a unique band of six young musicians, five
of whom are people with disability. The band is neither a novelty act nor a
cover band but rather a talented and dedicated group of musicians that are
generating popular indie music for a growing legion of fans. Rudely Interrupted first performed live in 2007 and have since toured the world,
performed on some of the biggest stages and starred in a critically acclaimed
documentary film. This is a unique opportunity to support a group
actively breaking down barriers and making their talents known and
recognised. Victoria: Women with Disabilities Victoria's 2010 election
statement, key health messages and media release
Women with Disabilities Victoria (WDV) have now
released their election statement and key health messages for the upcoming
Victorian state election. PWD supports their statements and joins their call for
the Victorian Government to take action to address violence against women
with disability. WDV have identified six key actions the Victorian
Government can take to address this issue, including funding specific
initiatives for women with disability as part of the implementation of the
government’s Right to Respect: Victoria’s Plan to Prevent Violence against
Women 2010-2020. The WDV election statement also calls for changes to
the health care sector to stamp out discrimination against women with
disability and changes to the planning of other essential services such as
housing. The WDV election statement is available on the WDV
website www.wdv.org.au WDV will be seeking meetings with all major political
parties prior to the Victorian Election on 27 November 2010. Victoria: Improve Services to Crime Victims with
Disability
The Department of Justice, through the Victims Support
Agency is conducting a survey aimed at adults with disability, carers and
guardians. The purpose of the survey is: • To improve our knowledge of the extent and type of crimes
committed against people with disability. • To help us understand the best ways of informing you about your
rights should you become a victim of crime. • To improve the response of Justice and victim service agencies
to victims of crime who have a disability. The survey is available in plain English and easy
English. Information about the survey is available from any of the following
collection or access points. Completing the survey is voluntary and anonymous.
Surveys can be completed by: ·
Going on line to www.justice.vic.gov.au/victimsofcrime (plain English version) ·
Call (03) 8684 6743 and complete
the survey by phone ·
Call (03) 8684 6716 or email margaret.camilleri@justice.vic.gov.au and request a survey be mailed to you The survey will be available until end of
December. If you have any questions
regarding the survey, you can call (03) 8684 6716. Tasmania:
Anti-Discrimination Commissioner welcomes human rights consultation
PWD is pleased to report that Tasmanian
Attorney-General, Lara Giddings MP, has announced further community
consultation on human rights protection and the possibility of a human rights
charter in Tasmania. In 2006-07, Tasmanians spoke out strongly in support
of a charter of human rights specific to Tasmania with almost 95% of
submissions in support. The Department of Justice is now going to conduct
consultations across the state. The Office of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner is
also available to meet with communities and groups interested in responding
to the Directions Paper. For more information, contact them on (03) 6233
4841. As well as seeking community views on the inclusion of
civil and political rights and on the range of mechanisms proposed for
protecting human rights in Tasmania, the Directions Paper specifically seeks
views on whether or not a Charter for Tasmania should include protection of
the following rights and freedoms: • The right to an adequate standard of living • Environmental sustainability It also seeks views on specific recognition of the
rights of people with disability in relation to respect for physical and
mental integrity; right to exercise the full extent of their legal capacity
including ensuring appropriate access to support needed to exercise this
right and ensuring appropriate safeguards in relation to supported or
substitute decision making; and the right to live independently and be
involved in the community. For more information on the consultation process,
please visit www.antidiscrimination.tas.gov.au South Australia: Introduction of the Disability (Mandatory
Reporting) Bill
In July 2010, a private members Bill was introduced
into the SA Parliament by Kelly Vincent, Dignity for Disability MLC. The
Disability (Mandatory Reporting) Bill would introduce a Disability Mandatory
Reporting obligation similar to the legal protection afforded children and
elderly people in care. Under the Bill, workers and volunteers would have a
legal obligation to report incidences of abuse or concern and would be
protected for doing so. The foundation of the Bill focuses on the citizenship
rights of people with disability and is based on the UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
PWD welcomes measures to protect the rights of people
with disability, but believes that a stand-alone mandatory reporting Bill is
not sufficient to protect people with disability from abuse, neglect and
exploitation. We argue that there
should be a Vulnerable Adult’s Protection Framework that would contain a
suite of legislative, policy and administrative measures to more
comprehensively and adequately respond to CRPD Article 15, Freedom from
torture and inhumane, cruel and degrading treatment or punishment; Article
16, Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse; and Article 17, Protecting
the Integrity of the Person. Many of our views are contained in our research
report, Rights Denied: Towards a National Policy Agenda about abuse, neglect
and exploitation of persons with cognitive impairment. This research was conducted
throughout 2008- 2009 and informed by an ‘Expert Group Seminar’ where the
draft research findings were discussed by academics, researchers and people
with disability who have expertise in the area of abuse, neglect and
exploitation. Our research was aided
by financial assistance from the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW and we
acknowledge their support. We are pleased that the Julia Farr Association in SA
has provided a response to the Bill, which contains many of the findings and
recommendations from Rights Denied.
This response has been provided to the SA Parliament for their
consideration in looking at a broader scope for the Bill. If the Bill becomes law, PWD urges the SA Parliament
to ensure that it is accompanied and supported by an effective legislative,
policy and administrative framework. Click here for more information about the
political party, Dignity for Disability, at their website South Australia: Upcoming Seminar, “How you can Help
Protect your Sons and Daughters with Disabilities from Sexual Abuse”
Following on from her introduction of The Disability
(Mandatory Reporting) Bill in July 2010, Ms Vincent’s Parliamentary Office
has been deluged of reports from workers and families supporting the Bill and
lamenting the lack of current supports to prevent, report or manage abuses of
some of our most vulnerable citizens. Kelly Vincent, MLC said “I have been informed of
several tragedies in the past few weeks, where people with disabilities have
suffered horrendous abuse. We are working with Government to prevent abuse at
a systemic level, but I believe that every parent and carer needs to educate
themselves and their children, in a developmentally appropriate way to stop
these nightmares.” Kelly Vincent, Dignity for Disability MLC, in support
of Carers Week welcomes parents and guardians of children and adults with
disability to the first of a series of workshops aimed at giving families the
tools to protect their sons and daughters from sexual abuse. It is estimated that children with a disability are
700% more likely to be a target of abuse. While that is a frightening statistic,
parents and carers can arm themselves and the people they care for, with the
tools to understand, recognise and report sexual abuse. In this first seminar of a series of events, world
renowned child abuse expert Dr Briggs will share her knowledge of the problem
and offer practical ways to help children and adults with intellectual
disability in particular, protect themselves. “I ask all parents of children with any disability,
parents of adults and with an intellectual and/or communication disability as
well as disability support workers to make every effort to attend” said Ms
Vincent. Speaker: Emeritus Professor Freda Briggs AO Free childcare provided (bookings are essential) RSVP via Email (preferred) D4DEvents@parliament.sa.gov.au Australian Capital Territory: 7 Short Films with a
Difference
In commemoration of the International Day of People
with Disability, the ACT Human Rights Commission and the ACT Community Arts
Office present 7 Short Films with Difference. The films include six of the
best short films which screened at The Other Film Festival 2010 and
Beautiful, a new film from the Through A Different Lens project 2010 (ACT ArtsAbility). The event is an initiative of the ACT Disability &
Community Services Commissioner, with the ACT Community Arts Office. The event will take place on International Day of People
with Disability, Friday, 3 December 2010, at the National Film and Sound
Archive, Canberra. Admission is free however bookings are essential to
ensure you get a seat. For bookings and information contact the ACT Human
Rights Commission, Phone: 6205 2222 or email human.rights@act.gov.au |
National
news
General practice surgeries to have height adjustable beds
PWD, Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Physical
Disability Council NSW (PDCN) and Council on the Ageing NSW (COTA), are
thrilled to announce that the Royal Australian College of General
Practitioners (RACGP) 4th edition of the Standards for General Practices,
launched on Friday, now includes a requirement for general practice surgeries
to have height adjustable examination beds. This is a fantastic outcome for our joint advocacy in
this area over the last five years. PWD would like to thank everyone who
endorsed our collective Submission (November 2009) to the RACGP regarding the
issue of adjustable-height examination beds in GP surgeries. It was
incredibly heartening to see the number of endorsements we received in such a
short time frame. A copy of the WWDA, PWD, PDCN and COTA Submission is
available on WWDA’s website in both PDF and Word formats. Please visit www.wwda.org.au/subs2006.htm PWD especially thanks PWD member and former Board
Director, Sheila King, whose Australian wide survey into numbers of height adjustable
examination beds in GP practices provided the evidence-base for advocacy
efforts. Below is an extract of a Press Release from the
Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) announcing the achievement: New standards improve health
outcomes for everyone Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes,
today welcomed the launch of the Royal Australian College of General
Practitioners (RACGP) 4th edition of the Standards for General Practices
which include a requirement for general practice surgeries to have height adjustable
examination beds. “I want to congratulate the RACGP for taking this
initiative,” said Commissioner Innes. “Over the years my office has received
many distressing accounts of the experiences of patients with disability and
older Australians trying to use fixed height beds, some
having to be examined on the floor or whilst in their wheelchairs,
some not receiving important screening examinations at all.” Height adjustable examination beds will assist general
practice teams to reduce the risk of injury to all patients. They will also
limit the risk of misdiagnosis or non-detection of serious medical
conditions, reduce the occupational health and safety issues for health
practitioners and reduce the risks associated with legal responsibilities
under discrimination law. www.hreoc.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2010/30_10.html In Control’s 100 Leaders Project
PWD would like to alert all supporters of a project
being launched by PWD Organisational Member, In Control Australia. The aim of the project is to amass 100 stories of Australians
living with disability and/or family members involved in supporting a person living
with disability, who have taken leadership in their own life in terms of
personalised support and active citizenhood. They hope to connect these stories together
at the In Control Australia website, so that by visiting one place a person
can connect with 100 stories of personalised support. The idea was triggered in this blog posting - http://juliafarrrobbi.blogspot.com/2010/09/hundred-leaders.html In Control’s particular interest is stories that
reflect all of the following: • The principle of personal authority, where a person is taking
leadership in her/his own life by creating a personal vision and then having
support arrangements in place that support that vision • The principle of active citizenhood,
where people creating personalised support arrangements that support the
person into community life as a visible and valued member • The demonstration of authentically personalised support arrangements that do
not rely on congregated settings where people living with disability are
grouped together • The demonstration of personalised support arrangements that do
not rely exclusively on paid assistance and disability-specific supports, so
that the person’s daily life includes people who give their time freely, and
includes access to freely available mainstream community resources In Control hopes the stories will inspire and inform
people about what is possible and that this will contribute to the momentum
for helpful change in states/territories and nationally. For more information, please contact Robbi Williams on telephone (08) 8373 8333 or email robbiw@juliafarr.org.au or at the Julie Farr website www.juliafarr.org.au Accessible Buses are a Must
PWD has continued its support for PWD member Julia Haraksin by appearing alongside her on a Channel 10 news
report on 15 October, which detailed her current action against a major
private bus company. Julia has filed a disability discrimination complaint
against Murray Coaches Ltd in the Federal Court in Sydney 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),
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. Julia is seeking orders that Murray's retrofit 25 per
cent of its buses to make them wheelchair accessible, in compliance with
federal disability standards. Click
here to learn more about the case and view the news report on YouTube. New
24 hour sexual assault and domestic and family violence hotline announced
Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis, has
launched a new telephone counselling service for Australians who have
experienced or are at risk of physical or sexual violence. 1800 RESPECT is a confidential service that is
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week over the phone. Australians can access the line by calling
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). Ms Ellis said 1800 RESPECT will give callers access to
qualified and specialist counsellors who will provide counselling,
information, advice and referrals, free of charge. "Sexual assault and
domestic and family violence are among the most pervasive forms of violence.
They have serious and often devastating consequences for victims, their
extended families and the community," Ms Ellis said." 1800 RESPECT has been designed to provide both
immediate and ongoing assistance that is individualised to the often complex
needs of victims of violence and their families." The service will also
provide professional support, such as debriefing and supervision, to staff
from small and isolated services which deal with people who have experienced
physical or sexual violence. www.kateellis.com.au/newsroom/380/
National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) survey
available online
NEDA is conducting a survey audit on disadvantages for
people with disability from non-English speaking background, who are not in
receipt of the Disability Support Pension. The survey is looking to reveal the rate of incidents
where people with disability have been denied access to support services, aids
or equipment on the grounds of not receiving a Disability Support Pension. NEDA is looking for people with disability from
non-English speaking background with the above experience and/or anyone with
knowledge on such experiences. At this stage NEDA is compiling an audit of scenarios
that apply for different states and territories. The survey is confidential
and there is no need to name any of the people involved. If you have information we invite you to fill in the
survey, which can be accessed via this link www.surveymonkey.com/s/XSWHCFV Webcast of Premises Standards Awareness Seminars 2010
Throughout August and September 2010, the Australian
Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)
delivered awareness raising seminars on the Disability (Access to Premises –
Buildings) Standards (Premises Standards).
The Premises Standards are the culmination of extensive national consultation
and follow the Australian Government’s tabled response to the 2009 report,
Access all Areas. Over 2,000 people attended presentations by Michael
Small of the AHRC and the ABCB’s Kevin Newhouse. Delivered in all capital
cities, the half-day seminars provided detail and clarification on the ways
in which the Premises Standards will enable consistency between building law
and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Key themes included how the
Premises Standards set performance requirements and technical specifications
for non-discriminatory access, as well as providing a practical and on-going
approach to improved building access. On 1 May 2011 the Premises Standards are expected to
take effect and it is anticipated that the Building Code of Australia (BCA)
will be harmonised with the Premises Standards at this time. This move
towards national consistency will generate greater certainty for
practitioners in the design and construction of buildings, while ensuring
buildings are more accessible for people with disability and our ageing population. The Premises Standards and changes to the BCA will
introduce some new access requirements and significantly improve those that
building professionals are already familiar with. If you missed the Premises Standards Awareness
Seminars 2010, click
here to access a webcast on the Australian Human Rights Commission website. The webcast is captioned. More information is available on the Attorney
General’s Department website at www.ag.gov.au/premisesstandards and the AHRC website at www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/buildings/access_to_premises.html Applications open for board scholarship program for womenMinister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis has
called on Australian women to apply for a new scholarship program aimed at
increasing the number of women on boards.
PWD encourages women with disability to consider apply for this
program. Applications opened on 26 October for the Board
Diversity Scholarship Program, a $400,000 election commitment from the
Australian Government, which is jointly funded with the Australian Institute
of Company Directors (AICD). The program will offer more than 70 scholarships to
board-ready women to assist them to attend the AICD’s highly regarded Company
Directors course or Mastering the Boardroom course. Participating women will
also receive a one-year membership of the AICD. This initiative complements the Australian Government
commitment to the increased representation of women on Government Boards. The
Government has committed to a 40:40:20 membership ratio on Australian Government
Boards by 2015. Applications close on 12 November 2010. For more information on applying for the scholarships,
visit www.companydirectors.com.au/diversityscholarship |
International News
PWD and Capacity Building
in the Pacific
This month PWD completed its commitment to supporting
the roll out of governance and human rights training on ‘building the
capacity and knowledge of DPO’s and government representatives to progress disability
issues in the Pacific’ in partnership with the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF)
and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). The project was conducted in nine Pacific Countries
including Vanuatu, Solomon islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga,
Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu. The final training was held in Tonga with Naunau 'oe 'Alamaite
Tonga Disability Association (NATA) and government representatives from
Department of Education, Health, Finance. PWD also facilitated training on
successful advocacy at the Tongan National Women’s Forum where the Tongan
Women’s Committee was established to represent the interests of women with
disability within NATA Tonga. PWD was also successful in raising funds for a data
projector requested by NATA Tonga. This will assist the DPO in their delivery
of presentations and their advocacy work on the rights of people with
disability in Tonga. PWD thanks the Pacific Disability Forum and the
Australian Human Rights Commission for the opportunity to participate in the
successful delivery of this project. Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) visits PWD
PWD played host to a four day visit from PDF Co-Chair,
Mr Sam Vilsoni from 11 to 15 October 2010. Sam is also a Project Officer at the Fiji
Disabled People’s Association (FDPA). The visit provided PWD Board and staff with an
opportunity to discuss and share issues and information about people with
disability in Australia and the Pacific, including the recent signing of CRPD
by the Fijian Government. Sam visited PWD on his way to meetings being held by
the Asia Pacific Disability Forum and the UN Economic and Social Council Asia
Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand. Opening
of the second round of the Pacific Disabled Persons Organisation Fund
PWD would like to alert all Disabled Peoples’
Organisations in the Pacific that the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) has
announced the opening of the second round of the Pacific Disabled Persons
Organisation Fund (Pacific DPO Fund). The Pacific DPO Fund has been established by the PDF
with funding from the Australian and New Zealand Governments. The purpose of
the Pacific DPO Fund is to improve the lives of persons with disabilities by
supporting the organisational development and project work of Pacific Disabled
Persons Organisations (DPOs). An organisation can apply for up to Fiji$10,000 per
application. This is the same for Organisational Development Activities and
Projects. Further applications from a
DPO will not be considered until all reporting requirements have been met to
the satisfaction of the Fund Committee. Interested organisations are urged to review the full
Guidelines, application details and forms posted at the PDF's website www.pacificdisability.org and click on the DPO Fund page. Any questions on the proposal process should be
directed to Ms Angeline Chand DPO Development Officer on email development@pacificdisability.org The deadline for applications is Friday 14 January
2011, 4pm Fiji Time. US President Barack Obama signs technology access bill for
people with hearing and vision impairment
A US bill signed into law on 8 October means that for
the first time, people with hearing and vision impairments in the United
States will be able to more easily access smart phones, the internet and
other common technologies. The law came as part of the 20th anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, which acts to prevent discrimination,
increase access and improve services to all people with disability in
America. The law sets federal guidelines that require the telecommunications
industry to: • Make getting to the Internet easier by improving the user
interfaces on smart phones. • Provide audible descriptions of on-screen action to help the
blind more fully enjoy television. • Add captions to online TV programming to help the deaf. • Make the equipment used for Internet telephone calls compatible
with hearing aids. • Add a button or other switch to television remote controls for
simpler access to closed captioning on television. Click
here to read more at the Sydney Morning Herald website Keeping
the Promise: Outcome of the 2010 MDG Summit
On 20-22 September, close to 140 Heads of State and
Government gathered at UN Headquarters for a Meeting of the General Assembly
on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), also known as the “MDG Summit.” The summit sought to accelerate progress towards achieving
the MDGs by 2015 and to undertake a comprehensive review of successes, best
practices and lessons learnt, challenges and
opportunities that could lead to concrete future strategies for action. On the final day of the summit, Member States adopted
an outcome document – ‘Keeping the Promise: United to Achieve the Millennium
Development Goals’ in which Member States set out an action agenda in order
to reach the Goals by 2015. This document highlighted that a key missing dimension
in MDG implementation to date has been the need to firmly anchor the MDGs in
a human rights framework. This would mean reporting MDG progress to national
and international human rights oversight bodies and much more human
rights-adjusted MDG reporting to ensure that averages do not mask major
disparities between groups, especially among women and girls, migrant
workers, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples. In the document, a summary of Roundtable 2 and
Roundtable 5 made reference to people with disability and the specific
circumstances that make them particularly vulnerable: Roundtable 2: Meeting the goals
of health and education Summing up Roundtable 2, Co-Chair Gert
Rosenthal said that several speakers had underscored the link between education
and health. As the two sectors were
central to poverty reduction and achieving all the Goals, many interventions
had stressed that they must be closely coordinated in national development
plans. Inequalities in education and health were seen as barriers to
attaining the Goals. It was therefore crucial to improve access to
good-quality education and health services, particularly for women and
children, those living in rural and remote areas, vulnerable and poor
populations and persons living with disabilities Roundtable 5: Addressing the
special needs of the most vulnerable Summing up Roundtable 5, Co-Chair Winston Baldwin Spencer, said the international community must spare no
effort to advance equality and non-discrimination in terms of gender, age,
disability, ethnicity, geographical location and HIV status. Adequate
resources were needed to tackle basic sources of vulnerability, such as lack
of access to adequate nutrition, education, skills training, health services
and decent jobs. Click
here for more information on the Summit and the Outcomes document, on the UN
website. |
The Inside Story
PWD Annual General Meeting
– Message from the President
"As the PWDA 2010 AGM is fast approaching I would
like to encourage all Members to attend and stand behind all we as Members believe in. This year we have some very important Constitutional
changes to consider and vote upon, in our endeavour to forge forward as a
leading identity within the Disability Sector. 2010 has been a year that has seen much change and
expansion of our advocacy services; let us keep the ball rolling into 2011. We are also having a half-board election, which will
bring new blood and ideas into our curriculum. We already have Directors with a wide scope of
expertise, but we are always willing to open the door wider and embrace new
talent. Preceding the AGM we will be holding a forum on
Employment with a panel discussion. These types of events are always popular
and interesting, so please mark your diaries for Saturday November 27th. You
will receive all the appropriate information by mail in due course. Hope to see you all on the 27th Sincerely PWD Annual General Meeting – Invitation
PWD invites all PWD members and supporters to our
Members’ Event and Annual General Meeting, to be held on Saturday 27 November
2010. The afternoon will begin with a Panel Discussion
(12pm-3pm), hosted by television personality and PWD supporter Julie McCrossin, which will investigate how welfare provisions
and government action has made it harder for people with disability to gain
employment. The AGM, from 3pm – 5pm, will follow this discussion
and drinks and light refreshments will be served at the end. Place: Mercure Sydney Hotel,
818 – 820 George Street, Sydney, (limited parking available) RSVP pwd@pwd.org.au or telephone 02 9370 3100 by Friday 19 November 2010. Join us as we welcome our new Board members! Vale
- Anne McDonald
PWD expresses its condolences to the family, friends
and colleagues of Anne McDonald who passed away suddenly on Friday 22 October
2010. Anne was a committed and passionate
advocate for people with disability to live independently and with dignity in
the community, having herself been put in an institution at the age of three.
Years later she successfully fought the Supreme Court of Victoria to escape
the institution, then fought for – and won – the right to manage her own
supports. Outside the institution, she
achieved a degree and co-authored a book which became an award winning film
“Annie’s Coming Out”. In her acceptance speech after winning the Personal
Achievement Award at the Australian 2008 National Disability Awards, Anne
spoke of the need to continue the struggle to get all people out of
institutions: “I went to the Supreme Court and won the right to
manage my own affairs. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean that the institution
offered the other residents the right to manage their own affairs. I was an exception. Through no desire of my own, I was
out front in the struggle to get rights for people without speech. I tried to
show the world that when people without speech were given the opportunity to
participate in education we could succeed…. Some people who should know better have tried to give
me a halo. Anybody could have done what I have done if they too had been
taken out of hell as I was. If you let other people without speech be helped
as I was helped, they will say more than I can say. They will tell you that the humanity we share is not
dependent on speech. They will tell you that the power of literacy lies
within us all. They will tell you that I am not an exception, only a
bad example.” PWD mourns the passing of this tireless advocate and
acknowledges her important contribution in the fight for the rights of people
with disability. Farewell Amanda Tink and Julie
Rosenberg
On Friday 22 October, Amanda Tink
left PWD, as her 12 month contract came to an end. Amanda worked for the past year as PWD’s
Training Officer, assisting with the development and delivery of our training
programs. She also participated in other events, such as workshops for the
development of a sector response to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry
into disability care and support. Recently she also assisted the systemic
advocacy team develop our training into more professional modules. This month PWD also farewelled Julie Rosenberg, who
has long been a valued member of the Administration team. Julie joined PWD in
March 2007 and has contributed enormously to the smooth running of PWD’s day
to day activities, from packing information boxes to catering to organising
the mail to being the friendly face at reception greeting visitors. PWD would like to thank both Amanda and Julie for all
their great work and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. Call
out to young people with disability!
Are you between the ages of 16-25 and a person with
disability? Do you know someone who is? Then we would love to hear from you! We are looking to improve the way we deal with youth
issues, how we communicate with youth and how we can better provide young
people with disability with the resources to advocate for their rights! We’re
looking to better connect, inform, entertain and enlighten young people with
disability – giving them and voice and finding new and better ways to make it
heard. We’d also love to increase our number of young members
so if you support the work and values of PWD then please promote the value of
membership to others around you. There are also plenty of things we need to learn about
what young people with disability want, which is why we need YOU to give us
feedback! We want to hear what you want, the issues that concern you and your
friends. Write to Daphnee at daphneec@pwd.org.au or call 02 9370 3100. PWD Supporter Survey
PWD has launched its first ever supporter survey, to
learn more about you and how we can better meet your needs. Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time
to respond – your contribution is hugely appreciated! For those who haven’t filled out the survey, we
encourage you to visit this site and fill out the questions. It should only take 5-10 minutes to complete, and
would be of enormous help in directing us towards providing better services
for our supporters. We have endeavoured to make this survey accessible to
everyone. If you experience any difficulty, please contact us for assistance
on telephone (02) 9370 3100 or freecall 1800 422
015 or email pwd@pwd.org.au Thanks, and we look forward to receiving your
feedback! Have you thought of becoming a Disability Rights Defender?
Not everyone has the time or ability to come to
meetings, write submissions, and volunteer to protect the rights of people
with disability. If this is you, there is now a way you can support PWD
– becoming a Disability Rights Defender! By doing so, you will join the
hundreds of other Australians striving towards the vision of a socially just,
accessible and inclusive community, in which the human rights of all people
with disability are respected and celebrated. You can become a Disability Rights Defender by making
a regular, monthly, tax-deductible donation – and in doing so, help change
lives and make a real difference to the work of PWD. Want to learn more? Contact PWD at pwd@pwd.org.au or download an application form from www.pwd.org.au/donations.html |
Upcoming
Events
13-15 November 2010:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Asia Pacific CBR Convention 2010 - Promoting
Inclusive and Sustainable Development: Introduction of ‘The New CBR
Guideline’. For more information http://apcbrconvention.cbrnetworkmalaysia.org/ 18-19
November 2010: 22
November 2010: Sydney, NSW NCOSS Sector Development
Conference: The Future of Community
Management – Reviewing our Governance Model www.ncoss.org.au/futureofcommunitymanagement 30
November-3 December 2010: Jakarta, Indonesia
Regional Conference on ASEAN and Disability: Celebrating International Day of
Disabled Persons: Mainstreaming Disability in MDGs in ASEAN
Community For more information visit www.dpiap.org
10
December 2010: Galway, Ireland Centre for Disability Law and Policy Conference & Launch
of National Disability Strategies research project.
Shuaib
Chalklen, the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability
will be presenting the keynote speech at the conference. For more information: www.nuigalway.ie/cdlp/NDS/welcome.html
14
December 2010: Sydney, NSW Emergency
Readiness and Response for People with a Physical Disability Workshop
– run by Physical Disability Council of NSW. This free workshop will be held
at the Medina Hotel, 2 Lee Street Haymarket (next to Central Station). To RSVP
phone Ben Williams on 1800 688 831 or (02) 9552 1606 or email benw@pdcnsw.org.au
or admin@pdcnsw.org.au
9-11
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 14-17 March 2011: Auckland, New Zealand Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) Regional
Conference on Disability 2011 -
Promoting actions on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) in the Pacific Region. For more information www.pacificdisability.org |
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/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 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 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
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 |
|
|