International negotiators meeting under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted on June 27 a landmark new treaty that boosts access to books for the benefit of hundreds of millions of people who are blind, visually impaired and print-disabled. The treaty, approved after more than a week of intense debate among negotiators … Continued
The PM has delivered on Gonski’s recommendations for a funding boost to students with disabilities. Money is necessary, but will only go so far – attitudes must change too, writes Stephanie Gotlib On Monday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an additional funding boost to special schools of $76 million over six years. This equates to … Continued
The disability and aged-care workforce, already one of the fastest-growing in Australia, will need to expand by a fifth in the next four years as major Labor reforms worth billions power up. That this will also happen against a backdrop of a rapidly ageing workforce presents unique problems for the sector, according to a new … Continued
The national disability insurance scheme DisabilityCare Australia is at risk of ”grinding to a halt” unless enough workers can be trained to provide care by the time the program is running in 2018, according to community sector workforce analysis. Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council chief executive Rod Cooke said there was a critical … Continued
Legend has it that before the introduction of Medibank (now Medicare) in 1974, then-prime minister Gough Whitlam convinced the premiers at a Commonwealth-states meeting to introduce a national disability insurance scheme similar to New Zealand’s comprehensive insurance scheme, which was established in 1972. But during a meeting break, his treasurer Bill Hayden apparently persuaded Gough … Continued
Indigenous people with disability will benefit from a $900,000 funding package announced today to improve access to national disability support services. The First People’s Disability Network Australia will receive the funds over three years to assist Indigenous Australians to understand and access support from the newly-created DisabilityCare Australia. Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said the … Continued
DisabilityCare Australia may be Julia Gillard’s enduring legacy. In a budget week of deficits and billion-dollar figures, of cuts and thrusts across the body politic, there was a moment of unifying commendation. Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard rose to give the second reading of the Medicare Levy Amendment (DisabilityCare Australia) Bill 2013. It was … Continued
Julia Gillard once spoke of having been a shy, reserved child who had grown a shell hardened by the rigours of politics and who had learnt the arts of ”holding a fair bit back, and hanging tough”. ”If that means people’s image of me today is one of steely determination, I understand that and I … Continued
The Prime Minister becomes emotional introducing the NDIS funding plan in parliament, and MPs across the party divide agree the issue is important and distressing for Australians.
Autistic children face a struggle, part of which is the need for funding to help them achieve successful schooling. He sits at the back of the class, obsessed with a pull of string in the worn carpet. The subject does not engage him, nor does the droning lecture emanating from somewhere near the whiteboard. The … Continued
An advocate for the disabled has welcomed the Victorian Government’s decision to close one of the state’s two remaining institutions for people with severe intellectual disabilities.
Bendigo’s Sandhurst Centre will close within three years. The state government will commit $7.9 million in next week’s budget to build new accommodation homes for the centre’s 29 residents. Minister for Disability Services and Reform Mary Wooldridge said the Sandhurst Centre was one of two remaining government-run disability institutions in Victoria. “Residents of Sandhurst will … Continued
Speaking at a press conference in Tasmania, Ms Gillard said she welcomed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s ”change of mind” about supporting the levy. ”On the basis of that change of mind by the Leader of the Opposition I will be bringing to the parliament the legislation to increase the Medicare levy by half a per … Continued
The Government has secured the qualified support from the Coalition for a levy to in part fund the new National Disability Insurance Scheme. Yesterday we spoke with Canberra woman Sally Richards who has long campaigned for national disability care and Sally joins us again today to give us her reaction to the Coalition’s support for … Continued
Disability rights activists say some people with intellectual disabilities are being short-changed when it comes to superannuation. The Federal Government is being urged to change super laws so that low-earning workers with disabilities qualify for super payments. Parents fear their children will end up on welfare despite being quite capable of working.