Royal Commission: Analysing the recommendations on restrictive practices
DANA continues their analysis of the Final Report on the Disability Royal Commission (DRC), with their focus turning to the recommendations relating to restrictive practices.
News and blogs
Students share their experience of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative
We spoke to Khanh Tran, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws student and a Disabilities and Carers Officer at the Student Representative Council, and Gemma Lucy Smart, PhD candidate and Disability Equity Officer at the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association, about what the Hidden Disability Sunflower means to them and how you can show … Continued
Students with a disability make up almost half of Queensland school suspensions, data reveals
School is the highlight of Brittany’s* life, but the Queensland high school student, who has a disability, is rarely there. “It’s not a very nice feeling being suspended,” she said. Her sister Bell* said Brittany was suspended four times this year and put on reduced hours.
Tasmanian mum’s anguish as NDIA issues deadline to prove daughter ‘disabled enough’ for funding
Last month single mother-of-two Stephanie Maass received a phone call out of the blue that left her shocked and worried for her young daughter’s future. The person on the other end of that call was a worker for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) who said they wanted Ms Maass to prove her six-year-old daughter was “disabled … Continued
NDIS reviewers hint at assessment overhaul to cut spending growth
The reviewers of the $42 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme are expected to urge Bill Shorten to implement more rigorous and tailored assessments of participants’ needs to cut spending growth and to improve the “complicated, bureaucratic and unfair” program. But Bruce Bonyhady and Lisa Paul stress that any shake-up to how participants’ overall budgets are … Continued
Should Pre-65 Disabled Individuals Qualify for NDIS Post-65?
The question of whether there should be an age limit to joining the National Disability Scheme (NDIS) has been debated since its inception a decade ago. It is being asked again as we wait for the NDIS Review to release its final report. The report is expected to explore eligibility, sustainability and how costs should … Continued
Women with Disabilities Victoria launches project to get more women into health, social services jobs
Annabel Pitt says she struggled to decide if she should disclose her disability when she applied for jobs. “People often perceive it as lying if you tell them later even if actually what you’ve been waiting for is safety and assurance that it won’t be held against you,” Ms Pitt said. She has started a job … Continued
Terminally ill patients left in limbo as states and NDIS argue over disability supports
Australians with terminal illnesses are being left in limbo as state governments and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) battle over who should fund their disability supports.
NDIS recipients face homelessness after being told to move out of homes if they don’t want to share
People with disabilities are being forced to share homes or risk becoming homeless after a change to disability accommodation rules. Amy Tobin, a champion para-athlete, lives alone but worries she’ll be homeless within weeks after a backflip on her current housing arrangement.
Exclusive: NDIA used the law to ‘exhaust’ participants
A backlog of thousands of National Disability Insurance Scheme tribunal appeals was almost entirely artificial, not based on proper legislative interpretation and driven instead by “external pressures” to rein in costs of the scheme, according to independent reviewers chosen to work through the stricken cases.
As NDIS overhaul nears, participants with psychosocial disability fear for ‘unknown 27,000’ who may miss out
A group of NDIS participants have rallied together to express their fear for an “unknown” 27,000 people the government plans to divert from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), as a final review into the scheme is handed down this month.
Australia’s first National Autism Strategy
It’s hard to overstate what a historic time it is for the disability community in Australia right now. The final report from the Royal Commission has just been published and the NDIS review will make its recommendations at the end of the month. Amongst all of this, members of the autistic community have been gathering … Continued
Why closing special schools is such a complex topic important to so many families
When Maree MacDermid drives her son Joseph to school in the morning, it’s “like dropping him off to family”. “Every staff member in this school knows Joseph. They know how he communicates. They know his challenges,” she said. Joseph, 16, lives with severe intellectual disability, hearing and vision impairment, and has attended St Lucy’s special … Continued
Three things the disability royal commission missed: Health, transport, day programs
The disability royal commission’s final report included an expansive range of recommendations including the introduction of an Australian disability rights act, a minister for disability inclusion and a department of disability equality and inclusion. The government says it will establish a taskforce and a staged response to dismantle barriers to inclusive education, open employment, and … Continued
Greens Secure Critical Review into Disability Discrimination in the Migration System
The Greens have secured a comprehensive review of the Significant Cost Threshold, an outcome with significant potential to reduce discrimination in Australia’s migration system and improve life for many families seeking to make a life in Australia.