Just 99 cents an hour – that was the pay rate for two people with an intellectual disability who were employed by Australian Disability Enterprises. The Government has legislated to address the issue, but its only offering to restore half their backpay. A class action is currently underway to try and restore 100% of their … Continued
Disability advocacy groups have warned privatising the National Disability Insurance Scheme could lead to a flood of dodgy operators who are more concerned about making a profit than looking after people with disabilities. Two states, New South Wales and Queensland, plan to hand over all responsibility for disability support to charities and companies when the … Continued
A support group for young people who live in nursing homes has called on the Federal Government to bring departments together to get young people out of the aged care sector. A Senate inquiry into young people in nursing homes has held a hearing in Melbourne and is due to report in June. Di Winkler … Continued
March 2, 2015 One of five alleged sexual offenders employed by Victoria’s largest disability provider, Yooralla, worked 32 shifts while being investigated by police on suspicion of repeatedly raping a disabled woman at another disability provider. Fairfax Media can also reveal the overseas worker at the centre of the latest case was hired by … Continued
Federal government delays a 40 per cent funding cut to the disability sector amid allegations it was in breach of United Nations convention. The federal government has made a partial backflip on its cuts to disability groups, granting a temporary reprieve to eight bodies whose funding was due to run out on Saturday. Last month … Continued
Major television networks are the subject of complaints to be lodged in the Australian Human Rights Commission on Thursday, in action launched by Vision Australia. Vision Australia, which represents the rights of people who are blind or have low vision, is arguing that the networks should provide an audio description service in the same way … Continued
Disability groups have warned that people with profound intellectual disabilities risk being ignored by the NDIS when federal funding for seven peak advocacy bodies runs out next month. The peak bodies represent people who are blind, deaf, autistic, have Down syndrome or acquired brain injuries, and people with an intellectual disability. Groups such as Inclusion … Continued
The disability, health, housing and aged care sectors must ensure young people with disabilities stay out of aged-care facilities. This week, the community affairs committee started hearings for the Senate inquiry into the lives of some of the most vulnerable, disadvantaged and disabled people in Australia: young people in nursing homes. It has been 10 … Continued
Participants from the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be given the chance to speak about their experience as part of an innovative Citizens’ Jury. People with Disability Australia (PWDA) will be running the Citizens’ Jury, which begins in Sydney today and continues until Friday 20 February. A report will be provided in April 2015. This … Continued
Michael Sullivan has his own name for the NDIS, one that he believes better explains the scheme’s purpose. Speaking at a disability conference earlier this month, he said a National Disability Insurance Scheme “sounds like something might go wrong”. “How would that make you feel?” he asked the crowd at Geelong’s Deakin University, to boos … Continued
The new arrangement threatens eight peak bodies, with 200,000 members. The former chairman of the United Nations committee representing people with disabilities has added his voice to the chorus of anger over the government’s shake-up of the sector, challenging its claim it is in acting in accordance with the UN convention. Ron McCallum, who is … Continued
The Australian Public Service has launched a new scheme, RecruitAbility in an effort to raise the woefully low number of people with a disability they employ. The scheme works by fast tracking applicants who self nominate as having a disability in the recruitment process so that they are guaranteed an interview if they meet the … Continued
The Senate will hold a nation-wide inquiry into the abuse of disabled people in institutions and homes in Australia, following a Fairfax Media/ABC investigation. The Greens moved a motion in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon, which passed with Labor’s support without requiring a formal vote. Last year, Juliette Anderson, who suffered abuse at the hands … Continued
The Federal Government’s cuts to the disability sector are a “catastrophic” blow and breach the United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people, advocacy groups and one of the architects of the convention says. The Department of Social Services announced yesterday it would fund an alliance of six groups representing disabled people by demographic … Continued
A bill to stymie a class action lawsuit by workers with intellectual disabilities failed in 2014. The Australian government intends to revive it – but why? In October 2014, David Freud, the British welfare minister, gave a speech in which he argued that some workers with intellectual disabilities should not be paid the UK minimum … Continued