Call for immediate proactive response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) for Australians with disability. The following is a list of issues that need to be addressed urgently to ensure the wellbeing of people with disability during the current COVID-19 public health emergency. Endorsed
This campaign is calling for people with disability who are not eligible for the NDIS to stop falling through the cracks. These people should have equitable access to the assistive technology they need to lead full and active lives. Assistive technology benefits us and our communities. It allows us to stay involved in public life, stay working if we want to, remain in our homes, and look after ourselves. We are asking the Australian Government to establish a single National Assistive Technology Program for all people who are not eligible for the NDIS, both younger and older.
It’s all about social distancing and the challenges for the blind and low vision community. Guide dogs can’t read signs So if you notice someone with a white cane or a guide dog looking a little confused, please don’t just grab them on the arm. Say hi and ask if they need any help. Social distancing is difficult for everyone, so consider the challenges if you can’t see the markings on the floor, the new signs on the wall or the screens that have been installed.
Children and young people with disabilities and their families need to be part of efforts for disability inclusive responses and recovery to this pandemic. Children and young people with disabilities should not have their rights compromised, as they already have challenges to accessing the right and appropriate support and resources to give them an equal chance to thrive and reach their potential. Progress made towards disability rights and inclusion – such as access to equal and accessible care and treatment to support dignity and safety, inclusive education, lifelong learning, employment, independent living, a right to family life and social protections – should not be undone. To ensure this, the rights of children and young people with disabilities must be respected and protected.
Victoria must eliminate seclusion and restraint practices within mental health services, and respond to damaging impacts for individuals, including human rights breaches, and physical and emotional harm! “Now that many of us have had a taste of what being cut off from human interaction is like with the COVID 19 restrictions and lockdowns, surely Victorians are more aware of the psychologically damaging effects of seclusion.”
Spinal Life Australia has lead the advocacy for accessible and inclusive built environments, including housing, since 1960. We are now launching this campaign calling on home builders and designers whose ethos and practice supports access for everyone to join our list of leaders in the industry. Accessible homes are affordable, doable within current industry practices and change people’s lives for the better. Add your organisation now by contacting John Mayo:
E: jmayo@spinal.com.au
For 40 years The government is bound by the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 to make all tram stops accessible by the end of 2022, but over the last 20 years there has been so little progress that there is now no possible way they can meet this deadline. People with disabilities have been campaigning for equal access to independent travel for over 40 years, and at the current rate of change the system will finally be inclusive in 2066! We have waited long enough. Making public transport work for everyone must be an urgent priority in the 2021 budget. We all deserve the same rights to free movement and our community is richer and stronger when everyone can participate.
The government wants to deport my boy because he lives with cerebral palsy. I am shocked that the Department wants me to show them that we have a million dollars to take care of my son’s medical costs. Please sign this petition to urge the Immigration Minister to let our family stay in this country that is our home. Kayaan was born here and this is the only life he knows. We have been living in limbo for years, heartbroken that the government is singling us out based on Kayaan’s disability.
People with mobility challenges & physical disabilities love to travel as much as anyone else. Part of their experience is airline travel. Passengers with mobility challenges who use an electric (or manual) wheelchair want to use their chair in the cabin. This reduces the risk of damage to their expensive chairs and the stress & discomfort of transferring to their seat.
Closing date: July 23, 2021
Women, girls, feminine identifying and non-binary people are encouraged to submit their artwork on the theme ‘We can all be leaders’ in a variety of accessible and creative formats. All visual artistic mediums are accepted including paintings, drawings, collages, craft, sculptures, photograph and videos. All submissions must be accompanied by an image description.
Closing date: June 7, 2021
Compulsory assessments will mean that people with disability are treated as numbers, not people, with tick-a-box assessments determining who gets support – and how much support they get. This is not the NDIS we fought for. Senator Linda Reynolds is the new Minister for the NDIS. It’s unclear where she stands on compulsory assessments – which is why she needs to hear directly from you. Tell her why these changes won’t work for you or your loved ones, and why they must be stopped immediately.
People with disability experience violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation at highly disproportionate rates, and our voices must be heard. The Hon. Ronald Sackville, Chair of the Disability Royal Commission, has requested a 17-month extension. People withDisability Australia support this call, and we ask you to do the same by writing to the Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash. You can use our sample letter, or edit as you like.