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
There’s something about the end of a year that inspires hope for change. As the final hours of 2014 fold themselves away, many of us will find ourselves daydreaming of social possibilities. We may muse on the kind of Australia we want to live in, and wonder what practical steps we can take to get … Continued
Blinded when she was 20, Ms Henley uses a form of “echo-location” – clicking her fingers or tongue to produce echos much like a bat’s navigation – to find her way around a new office and a new city. “The noise bounces off objects in your environment. You can use it to work out different … Continued
Tips for planning for the evacuation needs of disabled persons in the community In any disaster planned for by emergency management personnel, one in five people encountered will have a disability of some type – Michael Rieger/FEMA In 2013, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, noted that people with disabilities … Continued
It was announced recently that the ABC’s disability website, Ramp Up, launched in 2010, will be scrapped by the end of the month. Seed funding for the website — provided by the Department of Social Services — was scheduled to cease at the end of June this year. The previous government had expected that the … Continued
The disability movement in Australia has taken some significant steps forward over the last three years. When Kate Larsen moved from London to Melbourne three years ago, she was surprised to find that Australia was on the back foot with disability issues. Today, however, she feels Australians with disability and their non-disabled allies are more … Continued
Can we change the world with a click and a share? Engaging in online activism can’t replace putting a face to a name or chatting over a cuppa, but it can help some people with disability to participate and it can still get things done, writes Jodie van de Wetering. The internet has trickled … Continued
We like to be different, but not too different, to fit in yet still be individual. It’s a tension that gets played out in various ways. By parents who want their children to have a “normal” life, to find friends and not be teased. Yet parents can also take great pride in their children being … Continued
Lawyer Richard Bernstein joins Michael Short in The Zone. Australia’s fledgling National Disability Insurance Scheme is widely seen as a fair and decent public policy that’s long overdue in one of the world’s wealthiest nations. It is in the trial phase and once fully operational will cost billions of dollars each year. Only about half … Continued
Snap Send Solve is the free app that allows you to easily report issues relating to the built environment to the relevant authorities anywhere in Australia. Spotted a dangerous pothole? Or maybe some broken playground equipment? Get it fixed quickly and easily using Snap Send Solve. It’s free! And it’s as simple as: Snap a … Continued
This forum was jointly convened by Victorian council of Social service (VCOSS) and Disability Advocacy Victoria (DAV) and was held at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre on 12 February 2014. The aim of this forum was to support organisations and individuals to explore themes around social inclusion in order to prepare a submission to the Social Inclusion and Victorians with a Disability inquiry. The feedback gathered at the forum will be used in the VCOSS submission to the Inquiry.
Access to education is a critical factor in eliminating disadvantage and protecting vulnerable children, and is essential to lifelong economic and social wellbeing. For these reasons, the Commission undertook research examining the experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian Schools to learn how schools are meeting students’ needs, as well as understanding where practice might … Continued
Even in science fiction and fantasy, ‘real world’ characterisations of disability are still stereotyped, where they exist at all. As a fan of science fiction and fantasy – genres which most often ask ‘what if?’ in more playful and profound ways – Leah Hobson asks, where are the ‘good’ disability stories? Our humanity is something … Continued
Many of the large institutions that housed generations of people with disabilities—out of sight and out of mind—are now closed. Australians with disabilities are now largely free to live in the community. Once shut in, many people with disabilities now find themselves shut out. The institutions that once housed them may be closed, but … Continued
Jock Watson spent most of his 20s in a nursing home after a car accident left him with an acquired brain injury, meaning he needed constant care. While fellow residents tried to engage the young man in their bingo games and sing-a-longs, it was an isolating experience. ”He spent much of his time in his … Continued