Dr. Rosemary Crossley, AM, PhD, died on 10/5/2023. She was 78 years old. She became famous as a therapist with and advocate for people with little or no functional speech. In case after case Crossley was able to establish a means of communication with the client, demonstrating that their diagnoses of intellectual disability had been … Continued
Significant Initiatives Victorian State Disability Plan $3.9m for 2023-24 ($8.3m/3 yrs) will be invested to deliver a range of initiatives including the continuation of Disability Liaison Officers to identify and address barriers for people with disability in accessing health services. Funding for the Victorian Disability Advocacy Program to support people with disability through access to advocacy … Continued
On May 24th the death of Frank Hall-Bentick was announced. Frank and his sister Lesley Hall founded the Disability Resource Centre in Melbourne where they advocated for accessible public transport, deinstitutionalisation, equal opportunity employment and much more. “he was one of the country’s, and the world’s, most prolific and celebrated disability advocates. A recipient of … Continued
Students with disability and transport are the main winners in this year’s budget. $235 million will go towards students with disability and their families, along with expanding out of school hours care availability to accommodate their needs. For Victorians that are unable or unwilling to drive, $190 million will be used to cap public transport fares at the metro rate. A further $601 million will be spent to build 23 VLocity trains, and $219 million will go towards morel V-Line services, including extra weekend services on major regional train lines. Similarly, $32 million will be set aside for the Students with Disabilities Transport Program, which provides transport assistance for students with disability to attend specialist schools.
This week is National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Week – 2-8 May 2023. Learn a little bit about Tourette Syndrome from the unique perspective of lived experience with Jason McCurry. This is part of DARU’s ‘What does inclusion mean to me’ series. You can get more information and resources from Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia Inc. … Continued
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was welcomed in 2013. But it’s become complicated. The onus falls on people with disability to put their support needs into NDIS language, but much is lost in translation. So who can assist when misunderstandings arise and who can step in when things go wrong? In this short course you will learn about how the role of Disability Advocacy intersects with a Participants NDIS journey, and how this role differs from those of Local Area Coordinators and Support Coordinators.
In March 2021 the NDIA released the Regulated Restrictive Practices Guide which identifies each regulated restrictive practice and provides practice advice consistent with a positive behaviour support framework and contemporary evidence informed practice. This short course summarises content presented at an Advocacy Sector Conversations Forum presented by volunteer advocate,Julie Phillips. Topics include the guidelines unpacked, … Continued
Systemic advocacy is all about creating positive change for many people. In this course Dr George Taleporos, disability rights advocate, expert in disability service reform, PhD (psych), and Policy Manager at the Summer Foundation and Amy Ferguson,Managing Director at For Purpose, will give you the tools to create positive systemic change for people with disability. … Continued
DARU courses are designed primarily for advocates working within funded disability advocacy organisations to supports skill development for providing human rights based advocacy practice. However everyone is welcome to give them a go. The courses are: Available online free of charge Structured with self paced modules that you can complete at your convenience unaccredited but … Continued