News and blogs

Here’s why Disability Rights must be on the Forefront of the Human Rights Movement

Source: Human Rights Now
Author:  Janet Lord
Posted December 9, 2016

New thinking on disability requires a major shift in approach; persons with disabilities are not problems to be fixed or empty vessels waiting for their fill of charity. The social model of disability breaks free of such traditional framings. It sees barriers in participation for what they are – not limitations in the individual but in society’s limited vision. Such barriers are ubiquitous in the environment, laws, attitudes, communications, and information.

7 ways to be an ally to the disability community

Author: Mirah Nichols
Posted December 2, 2016

Being an ally to the disability community isn’t a token effort, it’s not a light little thing that you buy or forward or pass on. It’s a deeper effort of seeing, establishing, sustaining and strengthening connections with people who might seem really different from yourself. It’s about reaching out and standing up for things that may not … Continued

8 things you need to know about the ILC

Author: Every Australian Counts
Posted November 25, 2016

The second part of the NDIS is about to roll-out around the country, and it’s all about building inclusive communities.

Hiring more people with autism in IT

Source: ABC
Author: Claire Nichols
Posted November 17, 2016

People with autism are highly under-represented in Australia’s workforce. But some IT companies are hoping to turn that around, running new prorgams to recruit and train people with high-functioning Austism Spectrum Disorder. For the workers, this can mean a potential career in a lucrative industry. For the employers, this can mean a highly skilled workforce, … Continued

Doing time without the crime: mental impairment in the justice system

Source: ABC
Author: Shalailah Medhora
Posted November 14, 2016

Would you plead guilty to crime you didn’t commit and serve out the jail time? What if your only other option was being locked up with no release date in sight? A lot of people with a cognitive disability or psychiatric illness are facing that dilemma in Australia right now. They’re being told to to … Continued

New National Disability and Carers Advisory Council

Source: ProBono Australia
Author: Wendy Williams
Posted November 9, 2016

A new advisory council has been established to work with the federal government on policies affecting people with disability and drive the implementation of the National Disability Strategy.

“It’s like a five-year-old wrote it”: disability advocates slam NDIS care plans

Source: The Age
Author: Miki Perkins
Posted October 31, 2016

Disability advocates – who all emphasised their strong support for the NDIS – said the agency managing the scheme was under enormous pressure to sign up participants in an unrealistic timeframe, and with inadequate federal funding. As a result, plans for Victorians with complex disabilities are being drawn up by planners with insufficient expertise, they say.

New Data Reveals Picture of Disability, Aging and Carers in Australia

Source: ProBono Australia
Author: Lina Kanieva
Posted October 25, 2016

Almost one in 12 Australians with disability – or more than 281,000 people – reported that they had experienced discrimination or unfair treatment because of their disability, according to new data from Australian Bureau of Statistics. The figures were revealed in the latest survey data called Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings.

CEO Pay Should Be Tied To Staff Mental Health, Jeff Kennett Says

Source: HuffPost Australia
Author: Eoin Blackwell
Posted October 25, 2016

Mental health as a key performance indicator (KPI)? It’s a future BeyondBlue Chairman Jeff Kennett wants to see for Australian business. The former Victorian Premier has called for performance bonuses for chief executives to be partially tied to the mental wellbeing of their staff. Kennett is making the proposal to the Business Council of Australia … Continued

Vehicle modifications opening up road to thousands of Australians living with disabilities

Source: ABC News
Author: Norman Hermant
Posted October 24, 2016

It is estimated there are more than 30,000 people in Australia living with spinal cord injuries and amputations who could potentially drive modified vehicles. Paul Crake believes that number could be even greater when the needs of others who require modifications to drive are factored in. His company has a first for Australia: a van … Continued

NDIS: Disability advocates call new payments scheme ‘time-consuming and prone to error’

Source: ABC News
Author: Alison Branley
Posted October 24, 2016

Disability advocates are ramping up calls for the National Disability Insurance Scheme to reverse a decision on the way it handles payments to participants. From July 1 the agency that administers the scheme stopped giving people a month’s payment in advance, instead asking participants to obtain receipts and claim money back.