PWD E-Bulletin |
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Issue 41, April 2007
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 contact Allyson Campbell at PWD on email pwd@pwd.org.au or on one of the numbers listed at the end of this bulletin.
Contents
New South Wales newsOther state and territory newsNational newsInternational newsThe inside storyNew publications and resourcesConferences and eventsAbout PWDPrivacy statement |
NSW news++ Position vacant – PWD Senior Education Officer For details of this position, please go to ‘The inside story’ section of this issue of E-Bulletin.++Do you have a story about public transport?PWD is working with the NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre (DDLC) to collect case studies about the experiences of people with disability when using public transport. We are collecting this information to be included in a submission to the Government as part of its 2007 Review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. The submissions will address issues to do with accessibility, equity and discrimination in the transport sector. If you would like more information, or if you have a story which you would like to share about your experiences (both good and bad) of using any form of public transport (including buses, trains, taxis, coaches, light rail, ferries, trams and airlines), please contact us before 31 May 2007:
If you require a face-to-face appointment to talk about your experiences on public transport please contact the DDLC on any of the above contact details to make an appointment. If you have any queries about this joint project, please contact Allyson Campbell at PWD on (02) 9370 3100 / 1800 422 015 / TTY (02) 9318 2138 or by email to pwd@pwd.org.au++The NSW Ombudsman and YouThe NSW Ombudsman is an independent watchdog that oversees government departments and their employees. In NSW any community service that is run by a government department (like DoCS or DADHC), or is funded by the government, must abide by certain standards. To make sure this happens the Community Services Division of the NSW Ombudsman can take complaints from members of the public and then decide to independently investigate. As a consumer of community services, you may have wanted to make a complaint about a service occasionally. Generally the first thing to do is to discuss your concerns directly with the service. Sometimes, though, this isn’t appropriate, or doesn’t solve the problem. If this is the case and you need further help, you can contact the NSW Ombudsman’s on (02) 9286 1000 or toll free from outside Sydney on 1800 451 524. If you don’t want to complain yourself you can ask someone else, like a friend or relative, welfare worker or advocate, even your local Member of Parliament, to contact the Ombudsman on your behalf. If for any reason the Ombudsman’s complaints staff can’t help, they will try to refer you to someone who can. The Office of the NSW Ombudsman can’t make services or agencies take a particular action. What they can do is consult closely, investigate widely and make recommendations that are generally taken on board by agencies and government departments and acted on. For more information about the NSW Ombudsman go to: www.ombo.nsw.gov.au++Job vacancies -- Intellectual Disability Rights ServiceIDRS is a State-wide organisation working with people with an intellectual disability to exercise and advance their rights. Leadership opportunity - Executive Officer of Intellectual Disability Rights ServiceThis position offers an exciting opportunity for someone who is committed to social and legal justice for people with an intellectual disability in NSW. The Executive Officer reports to the Board of IDRS and has overall management responsibility for ensuring the successful, innovative and responsive delivery of IDRS’s services and programs including: legal advice, information and casework support; the Criminal Justice Support Network (CJSN); systemic advocacy and policy reform; education and training and the development of resources and training material. We are looking for someone who has knowledge of the disability rights sector; experience in managing the human and financial resources of a diverse organisation; a commitment to an inclusive management style; and the ability to form strategic alliances with other organisations and negotiate partnerships with the broader community advocacy sector. Community EducatorThe primary role of the Community Educator is to co-ordinate the development and delivery of IDRS education programs for people with intellectual disabilities, their associates, disability service providers, legal and justice professionals. We are looking for someone with a commitment to the rights of people with an intellectual disability and experience in developing and delivering training, education and information programs. The person should also have experience in working with service providers, advocates or those involved in the legal and justice areas to promote training benefits and pursue training opportunities. See the website:www.idrs.org.au for information packages or contact Janene Cootes on 02 9318 0144 or at info@idrs.org.au Both positions are based in Sydney and applications close 18 May.++ Job vacancy -- NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre IncOffice Manager 28 hours per week.The NSW DDLC is a specialist community legal centre established to assist people with disability to deal with discrimination. The Office Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Centre. Duties include administration; financial management; corporate and contractual compliance; volunteer coordination; information management; and executive support to the Principal Solicitor and Management Committee. DDLC is willing to consider flexible work arrangements. People with disability and their associates, and people from an Aboriginal or culturally and linguistically diverse background are encouraged to apply. Applicants must respond specifically to the information package. For an information package contact DDLC on 02 9310 7722 or TTY (02) 9310 4320 or email info@ddlcnsw.org.au Applications close 9am on Monday, 7 May 2007. Interviews will be conducted on Wednesday, 16 May 2007. |
Other states and territory news++‘Disabled Justice’ – Queensland launch of report on people with disability in the criminal law systemOn 22 May 2007, Queensland Advocacy Inc (QAI) is launching a report based on investigations into issues for people with a disability in Queensland within the Criminal Justice System. There has been a genuine level of concern regarding these issues and some major steps have already been taken by a number of agencies to address inequities in the justice system. An objective of this report is to consolidate and extend awareness of these issues and to build the constituency for change. Recommendations are presented to approach the issues strategically, in order to generate sustainable, continuing positive change. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was recently signed by Australia. The Convention reaffirms that persons with disability have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law and requires states to ensure effective access to justice for persons with disability. For more information contact Christina or Lyn by email: qai@qai.org.au++Victoria – Women’s Report Card WorkshopsThese workshops are the end point of the Women's Report Card project that the Women’s Rights Action Network Australia (WRANA) has been working on for several years. These workshops "bring the CEDAW recommendations home" and provide an opportunity to plan how to incorporate the findings of the 2006 CEDAW review into ongoing work.
Melbourne
Bendigo
Warrnambool |
National news++ Commonwealth State/Territory Disability AgreementNegotiations are currently underway for the fourth Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA), due to commence on 1 July 2007. The CSTDA provides for funding and performance frameworks for disability services across Australia. The funding and performance frameworks are agreed to on a joint basis by both the Commonwealth and States/Territories. This multi-lateral approach aims to create consistencies in service delivery for people with disability and their families. On 3 April 2007, the Hon. Mal Bough, Commonwealth Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, met with the State/Territory disability Ministers to discuss CSTDA 4. At this meeting, Minister Brough offered, amongst other things, to negotiate with the States and Territories on a one-to-one basis. The State/Territory Ministers did not accept this proposal. In rejecting this proposal, the State/Territory Ministers said that they were not prepared to see the CSTDA disappear and were fully committed to maintaining the multi-lateral approach. As PWD understands it, things have not progressed since that meeting. As the closing date of the current agreement fast approaches, PWD views with grave concern the current status of negotiations. In particular, if no positive progress is made, people with disability are at serious risk of lack of service delivery for essential life activities. PWD therefore calls upon all Commonwealth and State/Territory disability Ministers to ensure, regardless of the outcomes of the current negotiations, that there is a guarantee that people with disability will continue to receive the services they are entitled to. PWD also calls upon all Governments to engage the disability community sector in any discussions on this issue. Above all, we need to ensure that people with disability are not made to suffer as a result of disagreement between the negotiating parties. ++Australian human rights core documentAustralia is currently preparing a core document, or report for the United Nations (UN) that provides general information about the implementation of human rights instruments in Australia. The core document also incorporates Australia's Fourth Report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and Australia's Fifth Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The development of the core document is Australia’s first opportunity to report under the UN’s newly agreed streamlined process for national reporting on international human rights obligations. Recently, a range of organisations were invited to comment on the draft core document before it is finalised and submitted to the UN. PWD has joined with a number of non-government organisations in endorsing a response to the core document prepared by the National Association of Community Legal Centres, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, and Rights Australia. The response addresses a number of key concerns, including:
The intention of the coalition of non-government organisations is to use the key concerns outlined in the response to the Australian Government’s core document as the basis for the development of a more substantial shadow, or alternative report, to be submitted to the UN on Australia’s progress in implementing ICESCR and ICCPR. For more information contact Therese Sands at PWD.++Australian Disability and Development ConsortiumThe Australian Disability and Development Consortium (ADDC) was formally launched at Parliament House on Monday, 26 February 2007 with an accompanying photo exhibition. ADDC is a national network focusing attention, expertise and action on disability issues in developing countries, building a national platform for disability advocacy. It aims to promote the rights and inclusion of people with disability in development activities, advocating that disability be fully integrated into all Australian development programs and policies. Over 100 people attended the launch, including 30 politicians, many representatives of disabled people’s organisations, international non-governmental organisations and disability service provider organisations. Feedback from the ADDC launch highlighted the encouraging amount of political interest and enthusiasm for disability inclusive development. The challenge for ADDC is now to turn this into action. ADDC membership is open to individuals and agencies working on disability issues in developing countries. PWD is a Core Group member of the ADDC. The Core Group has been formed to guide the development of the ADDC, and it represents the key Australian disability and development agencies who were involved in the formation of the ADDC. More information about ADDC can be found on the ADDC website at: www.addc.org.auFor more information about PWD’s involvement in ADDC contact Therese Sands at PWD. . ++Reducing the red tape to protect the rights of people with disability - message from the National Disability Abuse and Neglect HotlineThe National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline was set up in 2001 to help people with a disability, their families and carers to report abuse and neglect allegations to the government authorities. Anyone can contact the Hotline to get help for someone with a disability. You might be the person with disability yourself, a family member, a friend or a service provider. You can make your report anonymously if you wish. The Hotline treats all information confidentially, except if the allegation involves a child, in which case the Hotline must make a report immediately to the relevant state authority. Once you have made a report to the Hotline and given your consent, the Hotline refers your report to either the relevant state agency, cutting right through the bureaucracy. Information about the Hotline is available in several formats, and is easily accessible for people with print disability and people with intellectual disability. The Hotline is a free service and can be contacted on 1800 88 00 52 from 8am til 8pm 7 days a week. For people requiring a TTY, the telephone number is 1800 301 130. For people who speak a language other than English, they can use the translating and interpreting service on 131 450.++Spinal Cord Injury Association transport surveySpinal Cord Injury Association (SCIA) has developed a questionnaire focusing in on all modes of transport , with the aim of representing the thoughts and experiences of wheelchair users throughout Australia. SCIA will publish the results in advance of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) review happening in mid to late 2007. To access an online version of the questionnaire, go to: www.scia.org.au/news/transport_questionnaire++Job Vacancy -- National Ethnic Disability AllianceExecutive OfficerThe national peak organisation representing the rights and interests of people from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) with disability, their families and carers, is seeking applications for the position of Executive Officer. National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) is an EEO employer and has an affirmative action policy that applies for people from NESB with disability. Remuneration package is negotiable depending on experience. For an information pack please contact Judith, for further enquiries contact Diana Qian on (02) 9687 8933. Applicants must address all of the selection criteria in the information pack. Applications must be provided electronically in a Word formatted file and be directed to: President at office@neda.org.auApplications close 30 April 2007. |
International news++Pacific Disability Forum, 26-27 March 2007PWD and the Aboriginal Disability Network (ADN) participated in the General Meeting of the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) held in Nadi, Fiji from 26 to 27 March 2007. The PDF is a regional organisation made up of disabled people’s organisations and disability organisations in the Pacific, including Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. PWD is a longstanding member of the PDF, contributing significantly to its formation and ongoing development. The General Meeting provided an opportunity for members to network, share information, develop the PDF strategic plan and to vote for a new Executive Committee. Throughout the meeting, PWD was thanked for our capacity building partnerships with a number of disabled people’s organisations in the Pacific, as well as for our ongoing commitment and support of the development of the PDF. The newly elected PDF Executive Committee members are:
The General Meeting demonstrated the significant impact the PDF now has in the Asia Pacific region as a voice for Pacific people with disability. At the previous meeting held in 2004, members focused on the formal establishment of the PDF through the adoption of a constitution, obtaining funding to progress the PDF’s work and issues of viability and sustainability of the organisation. In contrast, members at this meeting were supported by a secretariat made up of a Chief Executive Officer and volunteer staff, seed funding from NZAID, and partnerships with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Pacific Operations Centre, the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS), and the Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT). PWD congratulations PDF members on all our efforts to build a strong and dynamic regional organisation of Pacific people with disability in the Asia Pacific region. For more information contact Therese Sands at PWD.++UN Expert Group Meeting on the Biwako Millennium Framework, 28-30 March 2007Immediately following the Pacific Disability Forum General Meeting, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) held an Expert Group Meeting on Disability in the Pacific: Strengthening Implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF). The Expert Group Meeting was a significant opportunity for Pacific people with disability to have comprehensive and specific input into strengthening BMF actions over the next five years. This opportunity was not available when the BMF was originally drafted and adopted. PWD and the Aboriginal Disability Network (ADN) participated in this meeting, along with other members of the PDF. The Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF) was adopted by 28 governments at the conclusion of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons in October 2002. The BMF is the regional policy guideline for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012. It sets out a rights based approach to achieving seven priority areas for action to progress rights and address the significant poverty faced by people with disability in the Asia Pacific region. The Expert Group Meeting considered initiatives taken in Pacific countries to implement the BMF. It also addressed issues related to disability, prepared consolidated input from the Pacific to the five year review of the BMF, and considered ways to improve regional coordination. Experts from countries in the Pacific, representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Pacific Disability Forum led discussions during selected sessions of this meeting. The consolidated input from the PDF has been incorporated into the third draft of ‘Biwako Plus Five’, the supplementary document to the BMF. ‘Biwako Plus Five’ will be considered for adoption by Asia Pacific governments at the High Level Inter-Governmental Meeting on the Mid-Point Review of the Asia Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 19-21 September 2007. For more information please contact Therese Sands at PWD. |
The inside story++Position vacant – PWD Senior Education OfficerPWD has an excellent opportunity for an experienced trainer to join our dedicated staff. If you have experience in developing and delivering training for different audiences, a solid understanding of disability rights issues, and enthusiasm to promote our disability awareness training program, this could be the job for you. This position involves presenting training to external organisations; co-ordinating PWD’s inhouse training program for staff; providing education on disability issues through lectures and talks to stakeholders and the public; marketing our training program; and participating in special training projects.
People with disability and their associates, and people from an Aboriginal or culturally and linguistically diverse background are encouraged to apply. Applicants must respond to the selection criteria specified in the information package. For an information package contact Allyson Campbell at PWD ++Federal Minister for Community Services visits PWDOn Thursday, 22 February 2007, PWD hosted a visit by the Federal Minister for Community Services, Senator Nigel Scullion. The Minister’s visit was part of his aim to familiarise himself with disability organisations, following his appointment as Minister in late 2006. The Minister was accompanied by a member of his office and a representative from the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The visit began with a roundtable meeting attended by PWD Board and staff members. The Minister heard about the history and foundations of PWD and its growth over the past 25 years. A discussion of the importance of the role of advocacy in the lives of people with disability followed. Particular emphasis was placed on the various types of advocacy and the importance of each of these types and its outcomes. At the conclusion of the roundtable discussion, the Minister made a tour of PWD, where he had the opportunity to meet with staff members and learn more about the various functions of PWD. The Minister stated he was pleased to have met PWD Board and staff and to learn about the breadth of the work PWD does.++PWD’s Portfolio Advisory Groups – call for participantsPWD’s Portfolio Advisory Groups (PAGs) provide the Board with advice on PWD policy statements and other matters as referred to them for consideration by the Board. They are designed for PWD members to have their input into such PWD policy statements and other organisational outcomes.These groups are as follows:
Or by one of the means below.
People with Disability Australia Incorporated ++The right to life for people with disabilityThere has been recent media attention on the issue of people with disability and their families being placed in circumstances where family members feel unable to continue to provide support for their child with disability. This media attention has focussed particularly on those people with disability who require a high level of support and care on a daily basis. In one incident, parents of a child with disability were acquitted of the murder of their child. As our members would be aware, on 30 March 2007, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities became international law. Australia was a signatory to this Convention. Article 10 of the Convention states that governments “reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.” PWD believes that recent incidents as reported in the media would never be an issue if every member of the community recognises and accepts that people with disability posses the intrinsic right to life, irrespective of the support and care that person with disability requires. PWD believes that there are fundamental gaps in the delivery of support services for people with disability, which result in poor quality of care. Issues of families in crisis and those driven to desperate circumstances can be avoided or minimised by appropriate and sufficient services and supports for people with disability. Services like respite and supported accommodation and others should be enhanced as a matter of urgency. Initiatives like the NSW Government’s Stronger Together disability plan are a step in the right direction.++Members event 2 June 2007To all our members please keep Saturday 2 June 2007 free as we are holding our first big social event for the year. A detailed invitation to our members for this event will be following shortly. |
Publications and resources++ Disability resources for Arabic communitiesThe Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association (MDAA), together with a number of government and non-government disability service providers, is exploring the issue of information provision to people from an Arabic background. The first step is to collect and link the resources that service providers are currently using. MDAA is looking for:
The resources you suggest may be published on a website, or may be a Word or other document that people are sharing via email. Please only send Word and other documents if you have permission from the author to share the information publicly. All resources will be published on the Arabic page of the MDAA Clearinghouse, which already has a great many links at: www.mdaa.org.au/clearing/arabic.htmlPlease send all suggestions to Luis Moreno at MDAA: luis.moreno@mdaa.org.au by 23 May 2007. For each resource, please include a title, short description and the link. |
Conferences and events++5-8 May, 2007Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc 2007 National Conference, at Chifley Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia:
++14-15 May 2007NSW HACC and Community Care Conference, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. For general information and a registration form contact:Aged & Community Services Association of NSW & ACT Inc PO Box 3124 Rhodes NSW 2138 Ph: 02 8754 0400 Fax: 02 0743 4556 Email: events@agedservices.asn.au ++31 May 2007Housing and Support for People with Disability Conference, organised by Shelter NSW and Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW.Good news stories and new directions. Bringing together people with disabilities, friends, advocates and carers, housing, and disability organisations, state and local government, housing developers and researchers to encourage the provision of housing that works for people with disability. Time: 9am to 5pm Where: Avillion Hotel Sydney, cnr. Pitt and Liverpool Streets, Sydney Program and registration form online at: www.shelternsw.org.au/docs/fly07sem-about.html or contact Flora phone: 9267 5733, fax: 9267 5001, or email: flora@shelternsw.org.au ++6-8 June 2007ACE Annual Disability Employment Network Conference 2007 Grand Hyatt, 123 Collins Street, Melbourne
For further information, contact ACE: Confirmed Speakers include:
++22 June 2007Hot topics in disability discrimination law – A focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and education.The NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre is running a free half day seminar on current issues and developments in disability discrimination law. Graeme Innes AM, Human Rights Commissioner and Commissioner Responsible for Disability Discrimination, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), will provide an opening address. Guest speakers will then talk about the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and issues affecting students with disability and their families in the area of education. To conclude the seminar there will be a panel discussion and question time for the audience. The forum will be held in Sydney between 9.30am and 1.30pm on Friday 22 June 2007. If you would like to attend, you should email NSW DDLC: info@ddlcnsw.org.au or phone (02) 9310 7722 or TTY (02) 9310 4320 to request a registration form. Numbers are strictly limited. Registrations close on Friday 8 June 2007, but places may fill up earlier than this date, so please register early if you would like to attend. ++23-25 July 2007An inaugural international conference, ‘Children & Young People are Key Stakeholders: Values, Vision & Innovation’, will be held in Perth on 23-25 July 2007. Three organisations came together to create this conference: The Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families WA, Mercy Care WA and Wanslea Family Services WA. They are supported by the WA Department for Community Development, Office of Children and Youth and the Department of Education and Training’s Care and Protection Division. The conference purpose is to contribute significantly to their understanding of children, young people and their families in the community.For more information, go to www.caypaks.com++12-14 September 2007The Australian Association of Developmental Disability Medicine Conference 2007 is being held in Adelaide from at the Adelaide Holiday Inn. This conference will be for everyone with an interest in the health of people with developmental disability, health research, practice and ethics.Please follow this link for further information about the conference, www.ncoss.org.au/mail/email-promotion-april-07.pdf or visit the conference website via this link: www.plevin.com.au/AADDM2007 For further information please contact:Phil Plevin Conference Secretariat Plevin and Associates Pty Ltd PO Box 54 Burnside South Australia 5066 Telephone: 08 8379 8222 Facsimile: 08 8379 9177 Email: events@plevin.com.au |
++About PWDPeople with Disability Australia Incorporated (PWD) is a national disability rights and advocacy organisation. Its primary membership is people with disability and organisations primarily made up of people with disability. PWD also has a large associate membership of other individuals and organisations committed to the disability rights movement. 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; we represent the interests of people with all kinds of disability. PWD is a non-profit, non-government organisation. For information about membership of PWD, contact Allyson Campbell, PWD. ++PWD's training servicesPWD has extensive experience in the development and delivery of professional training across a wide range of disability areas, including:
Training packages developed are flexible and tailor-made to meet the needs of the particular organisation. To find out more about PWD's training services or to discuss your specific training needs, contact our Senior Education Officer, Kathryn Knight or Ph 02 9370 3100. |
++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
Allyson Campbell, PWD. This newsletter contains links to websites. We cannot be held responsible for the privacy practices (or lack thereof) or the content of such websites. |
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