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Physical Disability Australia Ltd P O Box 38 Willawarrin NSW 2440 Phone: 02 6567 1500 Fax: 02 6567 1500 Email: [email protected] Physical Disability Australia ‐ Bulletin December 2011

Victoria
Tasmania
Queensland • Conferences and activities • Subscribe Unsubscribe Welcome to the December edition of PDA's e-bulletin. There has been a lot happening this past month, with several announcements on the National Disability Insurance Scheme from the government, including a new website to keep people updated. International Day of Persons with a Disability took place on December 3, with many events held around the country. There were some global and national announcements made, which you can read about in this bulletin. I hope you enjoy this edition of the bulletin. PDA Annual General Meeting deferred to January 2012.
PDA has deferred the Annual General Meeting to January 27th after receiving permission from ASIC to do so. This will now be held by teleconference at 2.30 pm and there will be room for approximately 20 members to listen in also. If you would like to be one of the participants, phone us on 02 6567 1500 or email [email protected] to reserve a place. Agenda will include: Acceptance of New Constitution. 2.30 27th January, 2012 – telephone dial in numbers will be provided to those who RSVP and
reserve a position.
National News
Report card damns disabled quality of life
Source: smh.com.au, November 30, 2011 By: Jessica Wright Australians living with a disability have the worst quality of life in the developed world and their employment opportunities have hit rock bottom, according to a report issued today. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/report-card-damns-disabled-quality-of-life-20111129-1o562.html#ixzz1fjIPGV8z Labor endorses National Disability Insurance Scheme
Source: ABC News, December 3, 2011 The ALP national conference has endorsed a National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Federal Government had already committed to the scheme but today Prime Minister Julia Gillard moved a resolution to include it in the Labor party platform. Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-03/labor-endorses-national-disability-insurance-scheme/3710744 Every Australian Counts – including those with disability
Source: Australian Human Rights Commission, December 1, 2011 Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes said today that more needs to be done to improve the opportunities for people with disability in our society. Read more: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2011/121_11.html Accessible transport report
Source: Australia For All Alliance The report is the accumulation of two years of research into the lack of accessible transport for people with disabilities. Conducted by PDA member Sheila King, this is another research project that earns Sheila more accolades for taking on this work. PDA will be working with Sheila in the new year to move further into the issue of transport compliance for people with disabilities. To read the report: http://db.tt/CuTzUScz Designing a National Disability Insurance Scheme
Source: Government Media Release, December 3, 2011 The Gillard Government today announced a new agency will be established to lead the Commonwealth's work to design the launch of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Read more: http://www.janmclucas.fahcsia.gov.au/mediareleases/2011/pages/ndis_3dec2011.aspx Deadline of 2013 on Disability Cover Plan
Source: smh.com, October 16, 2011 Plans for a national disability insurance scheme will be accelerated by the federal government, which will tell the states this week it wants the foundations ready a year earlier than projected. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/deadline-of-2013-on-disability-cover-plan-20111015-1lq89.html#ixzz1csY6PUte Increase in use of disability services
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, October 14, 2011 The number of Australians using disability support services continues to increase, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Between 2004-05 and 2009-10, the number of Australians with disability using employment services rose by 83%. Read more: http://www.aihw.gov.au/media-release-detail/?id=10737420216 Time to Get on the Bus
Source: PIAC, 17 October 2011 A disability discrimination claim against Murrays Australia Limited is being heard by the Federal Court. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), acting on behalf of Ms Julia Haraksin, claims Murrays is in breach of the national Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. Read more: http://www.piac.asn.au/news/2011/10/time-get-bus-landmark-disability-discrimination-claim-hearing-against-murrays-federal-c Women in Wheelchair takes Jetstar to court for Discrimination
Source: news.com.au, November 2, 2011 By: Angela Saurine A disabled woman is taking Jetstar to the Australian Federal Court seeking a declaration that the airline's "two wheelchair policy' is discriminatory. Sheila King, 75 was banned from a Jetstar flight from Adelaide to Brisbane in August 2008 because the flight already had two passengers requiring wheelchair assistance Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/news/woman-in-wheelchair-takes-jetstar-to-court-for-discrimination/story-e6frezi0-1226182350298 Commonwealth Vow to beat Polio
Source: The Sunday Telegraph, October 30, 2011 By: Gemma Jones Commonwealth heads, including the leaders of Britain and Canada, have joined forces with billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates in a mission to eradicate polio from the world. The leaders' pledge came after British Prime Minister David Cameron met with Julia Gillard to discuss the world economy ahead of the G20 summit in France next week. Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/commonwealth-vow-to-beat-polio/story-fn6b3v4f-1226180507049 What do Employers think about workers with a Disability
Source: Warringah disability newsletter

This new study shows that employers generally agree that people with disability have a good
attitude towards work, but many have the misconception that people with disability are less
productive.
See for more information:
www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/ResearchStatistics/ProgEval/Documents/EmployerServicing201
1.pdf
Community organisations to reduce violence against women with disabilities
Source: Fahcsia media releases, October 24, 2011 The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP and Kate Ellis have announced new funding today to community organisations supporting women with disabilities to take action to reduce violence against women. Read more: http://www.kateellis.fahcsia.gov.au/mediareleases/2011/pages/ellis_m_reduced_violence_24october2011.aspx 150,000 of Australia's lowest paid workers including 120,000 women are set for a pay
rise
Source: The Daily Telegraph, November 10, 2011
By: Patrick Lion
About 150,000 of Australia's lowest paid workers - most of them women - would be given pay
rises under a $2 billion package announced by the federal government.

In Sydney, Prime Minister Julia Gillard today announced that she would put a joint submission
on equal pay with the Australian Services Union to Fair Work Australia.
Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/of-australias-lowest-paid-workers-including-
120000-women-are-set-for-a-pay-rise/story-e6freuy9-1226191139695
Improving the lives of people with disability worldwide
Source: Fahcsia, December 5, 2011 The Australian Government today announced support to improve the lives of people with disability worldwide at a symposium on the World Health Organisation and World Bank's World Report on Disability in Sydney. Read more: http://www.janmclucas.fahcsia.gov.au/mediareleases/2011/pages/jmc_m_pwd_5december2011.
aspx ACCAN Standing Advisory Committee vacancies
Source: WWDA
ACCAN is currently recruiting one member for its Standing Advisory Committee on Consumer
Affairs (SACCA) and a member for its Standing Advisory Committee on Disability Issues
(SACDI). The Standing Advisory Committees provide advice to ACCAN on communications
issues. The focus of the Standing Advisory Committee on Disability Issues is to give advice on
accessibility technologies, such as Emergency Services, Captioning Quality, Web Accessibility,
Applications for people with complex communication needs, etc.
For the application form and Terms of Reference for the SACCA and SACDI, please click on the
links below.
SACCA position available
SACDI position available
It is expected that the successful applicants will attend the next meeting of the Standing Advisory
Committees in February 2012 at the ACCAN office. The term of appointment will be from
February 2012 to 30 June 2013. Applications close 5pm, 21 December 2011.
Citalopram and heart problems – changes to recommended doses
Source: Therapeutic Goods Administration The TGA is advising that citalopram should no longer be used at doses greater than 40 mg per day. A recent study by the Forest Research Institute in the USA has shown that higher doses of citalopram can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart. The maximum recommended daily dose of citalopram is now 40 mg. Read more: http://www.tga.gov.au/safety/alerts-medicine-citalopram-111104.htm Real time speech captioning delivers for the hearing impaired
Source: Australian Government media release, December 5, 2011 People with hearing impairments could benefit greatly from a new Australian invention which delivers real time speech captioning to laptops, tablets, iPads and other web-enabled devices. The technology, known as Ai-Live, allows live speech to be streamed as text in seconds. Read more: http://minister.innovation.gov.au/carr/mediareleases/pages/realtimespeechcaptioningdeliversforthehearingimpaired.aspx Guidelines for the Prescription of a wheelchair or scooter
Source: BIA NSW 2011 EBulletin, November 3, 2011 Lifetime Care and Support Authority in conjunction with Enable NSW have recently released a publication "Guidelines for the prescription of a seated wheelchair or mobility scooter for people with a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury", providing recommendations that range from the goals and evaluation, assessment and review, capacity and performance and risk of injury, wheelchair features, through to propulsion, training, transport and maintenance. The guidelines are intended to inform and guide occupational therapists and physiotherapists. To download the publication, go to www.enable.health.nsw.gov.au/publications or www.lifetimecare.nsw.gov.au/Resources.aspx. National Dialogue on Physical Disability
Physical Disability Australia have created a blog site for the National Dialogue on Physical Disability as part of our year long event (to 2012) to determine our way forward for the people we represent. Therefore as a person with a physical disability we would like to hear your views on this important subject to help inform us for next year when we hold a round table (read Forum) where real people with physical disability will be invited (and paid for) to attend a national Round Table to both celebrate and to strategise the ways forward for PDA www.pda.org.au. If you wish to be part of this important event, then start talking, discussing, arguing (friendly of course) through this blog. http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4780416588165543752#overviewstats You will need to register, then tell us your thoughts on physical disability, especially topics on what is included in physical disability? Personal Invitations to the forum will be based on how much input individuals have during the next 6 months. So come on.have your say. Sue Egan Physical Disability Australia is CALLING FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Individuals are cordially invited to bring their expertise into any of the following committee
groups, and to help further the work of PDA. You do not need to be a member, or a person with
a disability but it helps to know about disability, not just good intentions.
Volunteers needed to participate in any of the following:
• Aids and Equipment Project – need people from Qld, Victoria, NSW, to make up the full committee. • Ageing and Disability Project – need people interested in this issue to participate in a committee setting • Wellness and Health Issues for people with physical disability – committee members needed. • Obstacles to employment – we need information and instances of the obstacles people with physical disability experience in attempting to gain employment. This can include lack of training, lack of personal support, lack of jobs available, discrimination, no transport and many more. However we want to be able to document these instances into a full report to government. • Public Transport – progress committee. This committee will take the report produced by Sheila Kind of Access for all, and research where all states and territories are with their compliance to move toward accessible transport and consider why this is so slow. Contact [email protected] or 02 6567 1500 (local call cost) International News Wheelchair Users Stage ‘Roll-In' Protest Against ‘Taxi of Tomorrow'
Source: November 3, 2011 By Mary Johnson, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer Wearing yellow buttons stating "Separate is NOT equal," a dozen advocates in wheelchairs rolled into the "Taxi of Tomorrow" exhibit near Madison Square Park Thursday to raise concerns about the lack of disability access in the city's forthcoming fleet of cabs Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20111103/murray-hill-gramercy/wheelchair-users-stage-rollin-protest-against-taxi-of-tomorrow#ixzz1csUMyhU5 Disabled Children: Help further their education petition
'Disabled Children: Help further their education to complete a higher education degree', is a petition pushing to achieve the inclusion of clear provisions under the country based Disability Acts Globally i.e. United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, South America and Canada To read more about what we're trying to do and to sign my petition, click here: http://www.change.org/petitions/disabled-children-help-further-their-education-to-complete-a-higher-education-degree Ban calls on Countries to work for Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities
Source: United Nations Website, December 2, 2011 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for governments, civil society and the global community to work alongside persons with disabilities, saying their participation is essential to achieve inclusive and sustainable development worldwide. Read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40602&Cr=persons&Cr1=disabilities
State News
Better Bus Access – Report of the Bus Access Forum
The Bus Access Forum hosted by VCOSS and COTA Victoria on 1 September 2011 has produced a report. Copies of this report are available from the VCOSS website: www.vcoss.org.au If anyone wishes to receive a paper copy of the report, please do not hesitate to contact Michelle Lane by email ([email protected]) or phone (9654 5050) and she will be able to arrange a copy to be sent you. $3.4 Million for Tasmanian Health and Medical Research
Source: Department of Health and Ageing, October 17, 2011 The Menzies Research Institute will benefit from the single largest investment in health and medical research grants in Australian history, the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing announced today. The Gillard Labor Government is providing $673.7 million for 1,140 grants to support researchers, research projects and research institutions Australia-wide. Read more: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr11-mb-mb128 National Health reforms Delivers for Hobart
Source: Department of Health and Ageing, October 4, 2011 Patients in Hobart and surrounds will benefit from better access to emergency treatment, sub-acute hospital beds and cancer services as a result of the Gillard Government's historic national health reforms. Read more: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr11-nr-nr201.htm South Australia
Access to Adelaide library increased for people who are blind and vision impaired
Source: Media Access Australia, October 26, 2011 Onkaparinga City Council has been successful in their bid for 15 DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) digital playback devices under the Australian Government's $1 million Increasing Accessibility Library Initiative, giving people with print disability in South Australia greater access to library materials. Read more: http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/access-to-adelaide-library-increased-for-people-who-are-blind-and-vision-impaired Social Inclusion: Strong Voices
Source: South Australian Government This afternoon the South Australian Premier released the Social Inclusion Board's Disability Reform Blueprint, titled Strong Voices. Strong Voices sets out the Board's recommendations for reform across six key areas including: Creating accessible and inclusive communities, Providing choice, taking control, Strengthening rights, protection, advocacy and safeguards, Early investiture, Diversifying housing choices, and Shaping accessible and inclusive services. To access a copy of the document: http://www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au/files/Strong%20Voices%20-%20Social%20Inclusion%20Board.pdf A text only version: http://www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au/files/Strong%20Voices%20-%20screen%20reader%20version.htm If you require part or all of this publication in a different format, please contact the Social Inclusion Unit by calling (08) 8226 0916. Conferences and activities
Person Centred Approach Consultations
The *NSW Government* wants to improve the lives of Aboriginal people with a disability and want to make the lives of families and carers easier. They want to create a system where Aboriginal people with a disability, their families, carers and communities have more say in decisions about the support given to them and more choice in the services they use. To do this, the Aboriginal Disability Network NSW*/wants to talk to Aboriginal people with a disability/*, their families and their carers. We want to know what you need so that disability services can be made better. The Aboriginal Disability Network NSW will facilitate Aboriginal consultations around the state, to hear your views. The current consultation dates are listed below and for further information: contact the office of the Aboriginal Disability Network NSW on 02 9519 5005 or [email protected] Tuesday 13th Dec -- Grafton Wednesday 14th Dec -- Casino Thursday 15th Dec -- Ballina Friday 16th Dec - Tweed Heads NDA NSW Annual State Conference
Source: Warringah Disability Newsletter When: 13-14 February 2012 Sydney Hilton Hotel A new vision and role for disability service providers is emerging as the system overhaul enables people with disability to exercise greater choice and voice in the services and supports they need to live. This includes a future National Disability Insurance Scheme and the current shift towards individualised, portable and self-directed funding arrangements. Registrations will open early December - see http://www.nds.org.au/. For registration and general enquiries, phone Miriam Sosin on 9256 3133 ([email protected]). For sponsorship, exhibition or advertising opportunities, contact Julie Walton on 9256 3115 or [email protected] FlashMob
Source: WWDACT
When: Saturday, March 3, 2012
RSVP: December 19, 2011
As part of the Women's Services Network Summer of Respect campaign (an antisexual violence
and respectful relationships campaign) WWDACT is producing a FlashMob event to highlight
and promote respect for women with disabilities and recognition for the strong, confident and
amazing women we are!

What is a FlashMob?
A FlashMob is a seemingly 'spontaneous' event where an issue is highlighted through dance or
song in a public arena. In the case of WWDACT, a FlashMob is a dance event to a mash up of
Pink's Raise Your Glass and Aretha Franklin's Respect.
WWDACT invites members and supporters to be involved in this contemporary form of
awareness raising.
Although FlashMobs seem to be a spontaneous gathering, a lot of work goes into them.
WWDACT needs approximately 100 people to participate. WWDACT would like to produce a
FlashMob with as many women with disabilities as possible, which is why we are calling on
every member to participate.
(WWDACT will provide transport). RSVP by calling Nicole on 6290 2166.
If some members and supporters do not wish to participate in the performance component of the
FlashMob, that's okay because we have lots of behind-the-scenes jobs! Although I stress that
WWDACT would like the majority of performance participant's to be members and supporters.
FREE Membership!!!
Want to become a member of PDA? Does your organisation want to become an associate member? Then contact PDA at [email protected] or go to our website: www.pda.org.au and complete the form and return to us. It's free if you have a disability and $27.50 if an organisation plus GST. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to PDA Bulletin.
Unsubscribe - Please send a reply email with Unsubscribe in the subject heading to
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Subscribe - We also encourage any interested parties who would like to receive future bulletins
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Thank you and Regards
Joanne Hutchins
Communications Officer
Physical Disability Australia Ltd.
[email protected]

Source: http://www.pda.org.au/uploads/documents_for_download/Bulletin%20December%202011.pdf