There has been a catastrophic failure globally to preserve the lives, health and rights of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has dramatically deepened pre-existing inequalities for people with disabilities.
Independent Assessments (IAs) are, to borrow a term from Australia’s former Prime Minister, “dead, buried and cremated.” Therefore, at first glance, the Joint Standing Committee (JSC)’s final report from the inquiry into IAs, released in October 2021, appears very late to a party that is really just wrapping up. But before you dismiss it out of hand, there is an important reason to pay attention to this report. The
As a late-in-life disabled man he says he is shocked by the lack of uniform standards for disabled toilets, parking and accessibility
As governments and the international community continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, and chart a course forward, it is essential that disability inclusion is central to health system planning, development, and decision making. Strong, effective health systems support robust health emergencies management.
Is the government so out of touch with the disability community that it did not realise there were barriers to vaccination, including anxiety and difficult behaviours that would require assistance? Our son weighs 110 kilograms and was not going to let anybody come at him with a needle. Following an intense search, we were lucky to find medical practitioners who could think outside the box, and with the support of Barwon Health’s Disability Support Unit, our son was vaccinated under anaesthetic in July.
Senior counsel assisting the royal commission, Kate Eastman, said the rates of employment among some of the large and iconic employers and brands in Australia was “disturbingly low”.
From recent film releases to sporting triumphs at the Paralympics, there has been more celebrated exposure of people with disability this year, but advocates say misrepresentation remains a problem and outcomes for those in the community are progressing too slowly.
Just 1% of employees in Australia’s largest companies are people with disabilities – that is despite the fact that almost 20% of the population live with a disability. The unemployment rate among disabled Australians is 53.4%, and advocates say that is not just bad for those with a disability but for the
economy more broadly.
As Dr Ben Gauntlett, Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner, explained by submission to the Senate, as the NDIS rules have not yet been released, Members of Parliament are effectively voting to give the NDIA powers that remain largely unknown.
Disabled person and spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services Senator Jordon Steele-John has announced the Australian Greens have released a plan to improve the lives of disabled people across the country.
Soprano Jordie Howell talks about how she’s learnt about drama and stage craft as a blind person and explores how the opera industry could be more accessible for musicians and singers who are blind.
Arts Access Victoria’s Caroline Bowditch offers ideas on how to not only welcome a new audience but include performers of all levels of ability, in order to make an event that everyone can attend. ‘It is really interesting to think that for so many people to experience the kind of isolation and the lockdowns that … Continued
We all enjoy legal rights, including the right to live free from discrimination. But how easy is it to use the law to uphold those rights? Could ‘chatbots’, a form of artificial intelligence technology, help make the legal system more accessible for people living with disabilities?
In 2017 the McGarrigles, supported by Victoria Legal Aid, won a landmark case over NDIS transport funding that had implications for thousands of other participants. The agency appealed to the full bench of the federal court. Its appeal was dismissed. Fast forward four years later and the McGarrigles are once again at loggerheads with the agency.
Seasoned Support Coordinators who were hoping for a detailed practice guide or resolutions to chronic issues will be disappointed. But the Paper and its accompanying website content does provide a clear, structured outline of Support Coordination that will likely be helpful to those new to the role and as a resource to support conversations with participants and families.