Study into violence in families with a disability

A preliminary study has found disturbing levels of violence are endured by the brothers and sisters of people with a disability.

It found the siblings were sometimes violently attacked by their disabled brother or sister.

The topic is rarely discussed openly by families for fear that they'll be separated.

The study's author, Kate Strohm is speaking to Nance Haxton.

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2012/s3662209.htm

2 positions at Branch Out Cafe - Carers ACT

http://www.carersact.org.au/employment/current-vacancies

Café Coordinator
Temporary and part time at 15-20 hours per week
Help people with a disability and/or mental illness to build work ready skills
Free Parking

Branch Out Café is a Social Enterprise that is designed to build the skills and confidence of young adults with a disability and/or mental illness in a real world setting and prepare them for future employment in the hospitality industry. The Café is a funded program until June 30 2013 and the Café Coordinator plays an integral role of building business capacity for the program with the view to becoming a self funded program.

Café Trainer
Temporary part time at 20-30 hours per week
Help people with a disability and/or mental illness to build work ready skills
Free Parking

Branch Out Café is a Social Enterprise that is designed to build the skills and confidence of young adults with a disability and/or mental illness in a real world setting and prepare them for future employment in the hospitality industry. The Café is a funded program until June 30 2013 and the Café Trainer plays an integral role in training the trainees to achieve the competencies against the training program.

Disability no bar to good parenting

THE recent removal of a child from a young mother with a disability, reported in today's 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 children from parents with a disability, basically because they have a disability, may be not so uncommon.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/disability-no-bar-to-good-parenting-20121214-2bf75.html#ixzz2F4OwMSGk

The Impact of Stress and Anxiety on Individuals with Autism and Developmental Disabilities

http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/music-science-medicine-at-the-new-york-academy-of-sciences/the-impact-of-stress-and-anxiety-on-individuals-with-autism-and-developmental-disabilities

Dr. June Groden is considered one of the pioneers in the field of autism and developmental disabilities. Her primary areas of interest are stress and anxiety and procedures to reduce stress. She has focused on the development of relaxation and imagery based procedures for a population with autism and developmental disabilities. Dr. Groden is the Director of the Groden Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

Cafe helps disabled school leavers into workforce

A new cafe has been launched in Canberra's north to help young adults with disabilities transition into the workforce.

 The Branch Out Cafe in Holt was set up by Carers ACT and provides hospitality training to school leavers.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-04/cafe-provides-skills-for-workforce-transition/4408200

Reinforce - Australia's longest running self-advocacy group

http://www.reinforce.org.au/

Child removals from intellectually disabled parents 'inhumane'

Human rights advocates say intellectually disabled parents in Australia are having their children taken into state care at an alarming rate because of entrenched prejudice.

State governments say the safety of the child is paramount, while disability rights advocates say removals are wrong and inhumane.

Intellectually disabled parents make up just 1 per cent of the general parenting population, but they represent 10 per cent of parents who are before the courts in New South Wales fighting to have their children returned.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-23/calls-for-changes-to-child-removals-from-disabled-parents/4329772

Outcry over railway disabled access

yet another story of public transport only servicing a section of the public...

Train stations in Brisbane with no wheelchair access are at the centre of a social media storm sparked by one woman's frustrated Facebook post.

Nearly 1000 people have reacted to Nuala Furtado's comments shared last night after she caught the train with a disabled friend and discovered firsthand the transport challenge her friend faced daily. “We got to [Sherwood] train station and I said, 'oh, this is the suburb that you live in,' and he said 'yes I know but for my entire life that I've been living in this suburb, I've never been able to get off at Sherwood because it's not wheelchair accessible,” Ms Furtado told ABC612 Brisbane this morning.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/outcry-over-railway-disabled-access-20121025-287ef.html#ixzz2AHmMNf5j

More included in Better Start

The Government will provide $10.8 million over four years to expand, from 1 January 2013, the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative to include children with Prader‑Willi, Williams, Angelman, Kabuki, CHARGE, Cornelia de Lange, Cri du Chat and Smith‑Magenis syndromes and microcephaly.

Better Start provides eligible children with access to up to $12,000 for early intervention services. A $2,000 one‑off tax exempt payment is also available to families living in outer regional, rural and remote areas to help meet some of the costs of accessing services.

This measure builds on the 2011‑12 Budget measure titled A Better Start for Children with Disability — Early intervention.

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs will fund the costs of this measure through a redirection of resources.

http://www.budget.gov.au/2012-13/content/myefo/html/09_appendix_a_expense-07.htm

Deohaeko Support Network

Deohaeko Support Network is a group of families who came together nearly 20 years ago to think about and plan for good lives for our young adult sons and daughters who have a developmental disability.

http://www.deohaeko.com/Deohaeko_website/Home.html

What Would You Have Said to Yourself on the Day of Your Child's Diagnosis?

http://www.hopefulparents.org/2012/09/what-would-you-have-told-yourself-on.html


 

NDIS: Your Story - share your stories and experiences

NDIS Your Story is an opportunity for you to share your own story and tell us how you can expect an NDIS to meet your most important needs.

People with disability, their families and carers must be at the centre of this reform. Your stories, experiences and aspirations will help reform disability care and support in Australia.

Send Your Story in 250 words or alternatively submit photos or videos - whichever best shares your experience.

http://yoursay.ndis.gov.au/yourstory

Association for Children with a Disability

Association for Children with a Disability

We are an information, support and advocacy organisation for children with a disability and their families, in Victoria, Australia.

Our organisation is run by parents of children with a disability so we know what it means to have a child with a disability. We cover all types of disability and are a non-profit organisation.

http://acd.org.au/

First look: Liz Carr as Clarissa Mullery in Silent Witness

Disabled actress and comedian Liz Carr is to become a regular fixture on our TV screens in the popular BBC One science-based crime drama. Damon Rose caught up with her to find out more about the new character she'll be playing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ouch/2012/10/first_look_liz_carr_as_clariss.html

Labor's promises to boost disability support

ACT Labor has pledged $15 million in support for people with a disability, their families and carers ahead of next month's election.

Part of the package includes the previously announced extra half-day of support per week for young people with a disability who have graduated from school, adding an extra $5,000 per person per year.
It would spend $1.5 million on payroll tax concessions to businesses employing school leavers with a disability.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-28/labor-promises-to-boost-disability-services/4286270

Canberra businesses / social enterprises

Jackmail
http://www.jacksonwest.org/jackmail

Ronnie's Succulent Snails
http://www.ronniessucculentsnails.com.au/


wigglygigglybyj
http://wigglygigglybyj.wordpress.com/

any others?

Discussion Point - Autism Specific School for Canberra

So the Libs have promised a 40 place Autism specific "school" for Canberra. There has been a lot of discussion all over facebook, twitter, and apparently websites such as the Riotact etc.

I rarely give any personal opinion on this blog, preferring to keep it to events, facts, and reporting only, however this seems to be such a huge issue in the ACT right now I think it's worth having a conversation over.

My thoughts are that :

• 40 places are not nearly enough given the rates of autism / disability (i would go so far as to say they are a token)
• the model requires the parents / centre to be fundraising to keep it going which is frankly crazy (lol)
• it's not a "school", it's an early intervention centre
• why is it autism only? why is it not a general early intervention centre for all children with disabilities, with autism streams within (but only where a specific autism stream is a necessity due to the needs of children with autism)
• it's a promise which is likely to backfire if generating votes was the main focus. while some people are excited by the idea the majority of people i see discussing it have major concerns about it.

Just reading the latest story to be posted on the Canberra Times about it and they predict fees will be less than $23000 pa per child - OMG! there is NO WAY on earth that we would have been able to afford that and no way on earth parents should have to pay that! what about parents on low incomes? what about parents who have autism (or other disabilities) themselves and are unable to work  due to their disability?

So what are your thoughts?

Report finds discrimination against students with a disability rife in Victorian schools

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission reviewed all types of schools in Victoria and found widespread bullying and discrimination.

More than 500 educators reported using restraints to control disabled students. Child advocates have labelled the report's findings are "inexplicable" and "dumbfounding".

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2012/s3596473.htm

20 years of the Disability Discrimination Act Survey

20 years of the Disability Discrimination Act Survey

Preamble

The Diversity and Disability (DnD) program of the Migrant Resource Centre North West, and the Disability Discrimination Legal Service are conducting a joint research project to better understand the way in which people with a disability from an English and non-English speaking backgrounds may experience discrimination.
If you or someone close to you has experienced discrimination, please fill this questionnaire or come to our workshop. Dates of the workshops will be promoted soon. A free interpreter service is available through DnD on request. Contact DnD or the Disability Discrimination Legal Service below for more information.
We will ensure that information you provide to us will remain confidential and you will not be able to be identified by the way in which the information is used.

Follow this link for the survey, thanks: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VZ62F5S

Migrant Resource Centre
Address: 5 Main Road West, St Albans Vic 3021
Phone Number: (03) 9367-6044
Fax: (03) 9367-4344
Email: christian@mrcnorthwest.org.au

Disability Discrimination Legal Service
Address: Level 2, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
Phone Number: (03) 9654 8644
Fax: (03) 9639 7422 TTY: (03) 9654 6817 Freecall: 1300 882 872
Email: info@ddls.org.au
Website: www.communitylaw.org.au/ddls

Funny for the day