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i:D Bulletin of the Disability Council of NSW
Welcome to the February edition of i:D, the electronic bulletin of the Disability Council of NSW – the State’s official advisory body on disability. We produce this newsletter once a month, usually around the time of each meeting of the Disability Council, so that we can keep you informed of our activities and the Council’s areas of interest.
Please feel free to circulate this newsletter to anyone you believe may be interested in receiving it. If you decide that you would rather not receive it please send an e.mail to us with the words UNSUBSCRIBE BULLETIN in the subject line. We hope, of course, you’ll be happy to read our newsletter and give us feedback.
If you have any topic you wish to raise with the Disability Council of NSW please contact us by e.mail.
Dougie Herd
Executive Officer, Office of the Disability Council of NSW
Contents of this month's i:D
1. Chair's Introduction by Andrew Buchanan
2. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
4. Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Transport Standards: 5-year Review
7. About the Disability Council of NSW
8. Your Privacy
1. Chair's Introduction by Andrew Buchanan
I
was delighted to give the closing address, "Making it Happen -The
Final Word" at the recent State Conference of NDS (National
Disability Services).
I posed these questions … how do we in the disability sector ‘make it happen’? And are we equipped?
I went further, suggesting that the Government (Minister Kristina Keneally, in particular, and her predecessor John Della Bosca) and the Director General of DADHC, Brendan O'Reilly, have exhibited leadership in a very real sense. This has made our task of ‘making it happen’ challenging … not to say (for some) difficult and daunting.
No longer can we use the argument, there are no resources or funding or monies devoted to disability services, and no one understands or is empathetic or that we are 'special'. For so long we in the disability sector have had the security of hiding behind these issues and providing a negative approach.
To reiterate I outlined to delegates, Government has shown leadership. Now the sector must become much smarter and more astute in the leadership we too can offer.
So, in conclusion, I recommend three recipe ingredients for 'Making it Happen':
- Sector to pull together in a disciplined and strategic manner
- Utilising partnerships
- Operating in a contemporary manner
Regards
Andrew Buchanan
Chair - Disability Council of NSW
2. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
A coalition of Australia’s peak human rights groups, disability advisory councils (including the Disability Council of NSW) and disability advocacy organisations is working together to encourage State, Territory and Commonwealth governments to support swift ratification of the new United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Convention is the first major UN human rights treaty of the 21st century. The Disability Rights Now Coalition congratulated the Federal Government on being among the first to sign the Convention on 30 March 2007. Here, at the Disability Council, we have been heartened by the supportive comments of the UN Convention made by State Ministers.
The next step is to ratify the Convention; a process that involves the State, Territory and Commonwealth governments. To date, 16 countries have ratified the UN Convention. It takes 20 countries to enact the Convention. The Disability Rights Now Coalition wants Australia to be part of that first group of ‘founding’ member states.
On behalf of the Disability Rights Now Coalition, Phillip French of the Disability Studies and Research Institute has written an excellent, comprehensive discussion paper on the UN Convention and the ratification process in Australia. The discussion paper can be downloaded from the Disability Rights Now Coalition web site at www.disabilityrightsnow.org.au
3. The Black Balloon
The
Black Balloon is a new Australian movie (starring Toni Collette, Rhys
Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson and Gemma Ward) which deals, in
part, with issues concerning people with an autism
spectrum disorder. The film’s world premiere was at the
Berlin International Film Festival in Germany in February 2008, where
it received a Crystal Bear as the best feature-length film in the
Generation 14plus category.
More information about the movie is available at the official website at http://www.theblackballoonmovie.com/
The Black Balloon was recently given an Australian preview screening at the State Parliament in Sydney. The Minister for Disability Services, the Hon Kristina Keneally MP, made the following comments prior to the screening.
“Minister Perry and members of the NSW Film and Television Office… thank you for the opportunity to see this advanced screening of The Black Balloon.
I’m delighted that we have a great film that raises awareness and celebrates the abilities and lives of people with a disability. Autism is a lifelong disorder which affects the colourful younger brother Charlie Mollison in The Black Balloon.
Currently there is no cure for autism, though changes in ability and behaviour occur over time and some individuals show remarkable improvement throughout their lives. Autism is a disorder of some parts of the central nervous system which affects the way information is taken in through the senses and stored in the brain.
As yet there are no medical tests that can be used to diagnose autism. Instead doctors and psychologists look for the presence of a particular pattern of behaviours that indicate autism, such as communication or social relating impairments.
Many people with autism have fluctuating sensory sensitivities. The way they respond to sound, touch, pain, noise, tastes and odours suggest that, at times their senses are heightened and at other times dampened.
We know that families with children who have behaviour disorders and autism want and need more long-term help and practical solutions. The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder continues to rise and we now face the challenge of how to best support these children, young people and their families.
Through Stronger Together this financial year, the NSW Government is providing over $3 million to ASPECT, a non-government organisation that provides a wide range of services for people with autism… $2 million is going to services for adolescents with autism who are at a high risk of early exit from school… $100,000 has been provided for a non-intensive service for children under the age of six who do not currently attend school… and $185,000 has also been provided for a kit that includes a DVD and manual to assist families with children who have recently been diagnosed with autism.
The NSW Government and I are determined that children with autism and their families do not fall through the cracks. We know that without access to new and expanded services these children and families could suffer significant social and economic problems.
I’m also determined that this year we will make some significant advances in delivering better services to respond to this condition.”
4. Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Transport Standards: 5-Year Review
The Allen Consulting Group is still welcoming responses to its draft report of the review of the DDA Transport Standards. The draft report is available to download from their web site at: http://www.ddatransportreview.com.au/
Responses to the draft report are requested by Allen Consulting no later than 31st March.
5. Critical Bridges DVD
The Critical Bridges DVD is the product of a year long partnership between the Disability Council of NSW and DET partners with responsibility for disability inclusion in schools and TAFE. We staged a series of three interagency forums, which looked at the role played by State education services at critical points of transition for students with disability and their families. The three points of transition were:
- Pre-school to school.
- School to post-school.
- Acquiring a disability in adult years.
We have produced six half-hour broadcast quality programmes that make up the DVD. If you would like to obtain a copy of the DVD or get more information, please contact either Mr. Suriya Lee or Ms. Marisa Pereira at the Disability Council of NSW on (02) 9211 2866 or
6. People and Places
Every month in i.D we like to pass on news about the people and organisations that make up the disability sector in NSW and beyond. If you have snippets of news about people joining, moving within or leaving your agency pass it on to us and we’ll share it with broader community. Indeed, if you’ve any news about your agency that people might like to read about, send it to us. We’ll try to find space to put it in but please … keep it brief.
Contact us at: info.disabilitycouncil@dadhc.nsw.gov.au
IDRS
JANENE COOTES has been appointed as the Executive Officer of the Intellectual Disability Rights Service. Congratulations to Janene who had previously served as the Co-ordinator of the IDRS Criminal Justice Support Network.IDRS WEB SITE: http://www.idrs.org.au/
ILC
ROBYN CHAPMAN has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Living Centre NSW. Congratulations to Robyn who previously worked as the Executive Officer of the Physical Disability Council of NSW.ILC NSW WEB SITE: http://www.ilcnsw.asn.au/
MDAA
DIANA QIAN has been appointed as EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association. Diana has been one of MDAA’s Assistant Directors for the last year. Previously Diana had been employed as the Executive Officer of the National Ethnic Disability Alliance. We’re particularly pleased to offer our congratulations to Diana who was, for six years, a member of the Disability Council of NSW.MDAA WEB SITE: http://www.mdaa.org.au/
7. About the Disability Council of NSW
The Disability Council of NSW is the official advisory body to the State Government on disability matters. We also provide advice to the Commonwealth on the effect of national policy at a State level.
We seek to provide best quality advice to Government and promote a positive vision of the future for all people with disability.
For us that means working with others to achieve a socially just community in which Government policy and practice reflect the lives and experiences of people with disability as individuals, family members and participants with many roles in a broad range of diverse settings. At all times we strive to remain mindful of the rights of people with disability, respecting their choices, celebrating their diversity and valuing their contributions.
Our role is clearly set out by an Act of Parliament, The Community Welfare Act of 1987. We have three duties as a result of that Act. They are:
- To advise Government on disability matters;
- To raise community awareness about people with disability and their aspirations; and
- To promote participation by people with disability.
We are committed to building and sustaining partnerships across sectors around a shared purpose. It is our hope that you will feel encouraged by our goals and will want to work with us as we organise to achieve them.
Contact Details of the Disability Council of NSW
Disability Council of NSW
L19, 323 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000
Tel/TTY: (02) 9211-2866
Fax: (02) 9211-2271
Tollfree (Voice/TTY) 1800 044 848
Email:
info.disabilitycouncil@dadhc.nsw.gov.au
Web: www.disabilitycouncil.nsw.gov.au
8. Your Privacy
We are committed to protecting your privacy and commit ourselves to conforming to the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Bill 2000, which came into effect in December 2001 and the National Privacy Principles issued by the Australian Privacy Commissioner.
This electronic bulletin is distributed by email. You have provided us with an email address. This email address will be used only for the purpose for which you have provided it. You can have your email address removed from the list for this bulletin at any time by sending an e.mail to the Disability Council of NSW
This Bulletin may contain links to external websites. The Disability Council of NSW cannot be held responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.
