People with disability are more than twice as likely to be in living poverty than other people in our country, says ACOSS’s Cassandra Goldie. More than 600,000 Australians with a disability are living below the poverty line according to new figures from peak welfare group, Australian Council of Social Service. The figures, released on Friday, … Continued
In August 2007, the Attorney-General appointed former Victorian Public Advocate, Mr Julian Gardner, to conduct a review of certain aspects of the Equal Opportunity Act 1995. The review was conducted between September 2007 and June 2008. A Discussion Paper was released in November 2007 and was followed by an Options Paper in March 2008. The … Continued
Celebrating 20 years of the Disability Discrimination Act Twenty years ago, life for millions of Australians got easier. The then Deputy Prime Minister in the Keating government, Brian Howe, introduced an Act that would, for the first time at a national level , make it unlawful for people with disability to be discriminated against. The … Continued
Parents of women with intellectual disabilities are going straight for sterilisation procedures rather than ”existing and viable options” to help control menstruation and contraception, a national Senate inquiry has heard. Associate Professor Sonia Grover, a gynaecologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, told the hearing she was horrified when she received ”straight-out” requests for hysterectomies. She … Continued
Access to employment is a fundamental right that everybody should be able to enjoy. However, discrimination based on characteristics such as age, race, disability, and parental or carer status can prevent some people from gaining employment, even if they are the best person for the job. Discrimination can happen at different stages of the recruitment … Continued
The recent removal of a child from a young mother with a disability, reported in (the) Saturday Age, is heart-wrenching and disturbing and leaves me and those involved in the case in emotional turmoil. Goodness knows, then, how the poor mother, ”Rebecca”, is coping, let alone her child. It appears, however, that the removal of … Continued
It is more than three months since Rebecca’s child was taken from her, but the pain is still raw and the decision still impossible for the grieving young mother to fully comprehend. She had fought hard during the court hearing to keep the little girl who had been the centre of her world for eight … Continued
This video documents the power of women leaders with disabilities in their quest to be included in international development programs. It contains interviews with highly accomplished women with disabilities who highlight the vision, determination, challenges and recommendations for including women and girls in international development programs. Their eloquent and passionate message resonates the need for … Continued
The Disability Act 2006 is the legislation for people with a disability in Victoria. It replaces the current Intellectually Disabled Persons’ Services Act 1986 and Disability Services Act 1991. It is guided by the principles of human rights, and provides the framework for a whole of government, whole of community approach to improve the social and economic participation of people with disability in the community.
I’ve been thinking about the Jill Meagher case and feeling sad. Sad for Jill and her family, and sad for all the women out there who remain invisible and unsupported when they experience acts of violence. I live just a couple of kilometres from where Jill was taken. Because I’m a woman who is deafblind, … Continued
ABC News Breakfast presenters, Karina Carvalho and Michael Rowland, interviewed Kevin Stone, CEO of VALID, about abuse of people with disabilities in supported accommodation.
ation and support needs of people with disabilities who are ageing was a major issue identified by delegates attending the 2012 Strengthening Disability Advocacy Conference. In response, DARU hosted this forum on 11 September 2012 where over 60 participants came together to explore what happens to people with disabilities as they age and learned about ageing in place for people with disabilities.
Having lived for 50 years with deformed legs and without arms, only some fingers attached to her shoulders, Mary Henley-Collopy was incensed to discover yesterday that her disabilities could have been prevented. The Melbourne victim of the side-effects of thalidomide said she was ”infuriated” that German pharmaceutical company Grunenthal ignored and covered up warnings about … Continued
More than 1800 people with disabilities were drugged to control their behaviour last year, in what advocacy groups say is a widespread and worrying practice. The use of ”chemical restraint” is by far the most commonly used intervention in Victorian disability services, according to a report by the Office of the Senior Practitioner to be … Continued
VICTORIA Police apprehend a disturbed person in the community on average every two hours and transport them to a hospital emergency department, according to a study into the challenges of policing the mentally ill. Such callouts do not often lead to criminal charges, with the bulk of people having threatened or attempted suicide or other … Continued