Hello, and Welcome to the Weekly Update from the Disability Advocacy Resource Unit (DARU)

DARU Update

21st July

WELCOME

Hello, and welcome to the weekly update from the Disability Advocacy Resource Unit (DARU). If you would like to be removed from this list or kept up to date another way, please reply to this email and let us know.

DARU has been funded by the State government. It is run by a governance group, including members of the Victorian Disability Advocacy Network (VDAN), and the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS). DARU’s staff currently includes a Co-ordinator, Sharon Granek, Resource Librarian Viccy Gurr and Project Admin Worker, Melissa Yong.

We are always happy to hear from people who are interested in what we do. If you have a question, an idea, some news you’d like to see in the next update, or even if you just want to tell us something we’re doing is good or bad, get in touch! Call us on 03 9639 5807 or email Melissa

Please note that material contained in the DARU Update copy does not necessarily reflect the policy of DARU or the views of any staff members. Statements in the DARU Update do not comprise advice and readers should avail themselves of professional advice where appropriate.

IN THE NEWS

EVENTS

PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES

CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

PAID AND VOLUNTARY POSITIONS

IN THE NEWS

ACOSS submission to the Fair Pay Commission.

Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) submission to the Fair Pay Commission calls for a substantial rise in minimum wages to help ease financial pressures on low paid workers from rising rents, food and fuel prices.

It argues that the financial security of low paid households rests on three pillars: minimum wages, employment, and income support and that it would be risky to rely too heavily on the income support system alone to maintain their living standards.

The minimum wage should be at least sufficient to ensure that a single adult can achieve a modest but adequate standard of living well above poverty levels. The paper includes new data on poverty among low paid households and detailed analysis of the relationship between minimum wages and employment and incentives to work.

The paper is available online at the ACOSS website

To read this article in full visit the Australia Policy Online website

Rudd government to improve Australia’s disability Discrimination system

AFDO Media Release – Friday 18th July 2008.

The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) welcomed the announcement from the Rudd Government of intentions to strengthen the Disability Discrimination ACT (DDA) 1992, as proposed by the Productivity Commission back in 2004.

In previous years government has ignored the discrimination of people with disability, to the extent that funding was reduced for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) yet already the once 'Acting' Disability Discrimination Commissioner has been permanently appointed as the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, a very positive step in the right direction.

With these new measures, this will see the removal of many of the barriers that People with Disabilities face everyday in order to be able to engage more actively in the whole community.

To read the Media Release in full click here.

A great day for Australians with disability, but there is still much to achieve

Disability Rights Update - Friday 18th July 2008.

Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes has welcomed the announcement today of Australia becoming a party to the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and called for governments to act to make the rights in the Convention a reality.

“Sixty years ago this year, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world affirmed that human rights had to be universal,” said Commissioner Innes. “The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities gives long overdue recognition that, if rights and freedoms are to be truly universal, they have to include people with disability.”

The Commissioner noted that Australia is among the first nations to ratify the Convention.

“I commend the Government for moving swiftly to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability,” said Mr Innes. “I’d also like to recognise the previous Government for their strong support of the Convention, which included signing it on the first day it was open for signature, and playing an important and positive role during the drafting process in partnership with disability community organisations.”

More than one fifth of Australians are estimated to have some kind of disability and this is expected to increase with the ageing of the population.

“As we get older, more and more of us will have reason to hope that our society really does put universal access and inclusion for people with disability into practice - whether it is a matter of being able to fully use and access housing, public transport and buildings or just basic consumer appliances,” Mr Innes said.

The Commissioner emphasised that today’s announcement was not the conclusion of the process of recognising human rights for people with disability.

“In Australia, we have made some great advances in disability law and policy, but there is much more to do,” Commissioner Innes pointed out. “We must strive to remove barriers to physical and information access, ensure equal opportunity - not just in theory, but in practice - in employment and education, as well as address the severe inadequacies in supports and services for many people with disability and their families.

“Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a symbolic commitment to equal enjoyment of human rights for Australians with disability.”

Commissioner Innes urged all Australian Governments to work together and in partnership with the community to make that commitment a reality.

EVENTS

National Advocacy Conference – ‘Strengthening Disability Advocacy’

When: Tuesday 7th – Wednesday 8th October 2008

Where: Telstra Dome, Melbourne

Register: Registration forms will be available shortly.

Following on from last year’s very successful national advocacy conference in Melbourne, DANA [Disability Advocacy Network Australia] will be holding the conference this year in partnership with VDAN [Victorian Disability Advocacy Network] and DARU [Disability Advocacy Resource Unit].

The Conference will be held at the Telstra Dome from Tuesday 7th – Wednesday 8th October 2008

For a draft copy of the Conference Program and First Notice visit the DARU website. Registration forms will be available shortly.

For more information email or phone 03 9639 5807.

ABI Workers Forum "Perspectives on Practice"

When: Wednesday 30th July 2008 9.30 to 1.00

Where: Nerve Centre, 54 Railway Road, Blackburn.

Register: $66. To register contact Sandy or Melanie on 9813 1152 or email .

The ABI Workers Forum will explore innovative and imaginative ways to meet the needs of people with brain injury. The forum will include a range of speakers and discussion between participants throughout the morning.
Attached is a flier for the forum to be held on Wednesday July 30th 2008. This ABI Workers Forumis brought to you by Brain Link and The Journey Place for Living and Learning Inc.

To download a copy of the flyer (in PDF) click here

For more information Email contact Sandy or Melanie on 9813 1152 or email .

Emotion, Women and Disability Study: Seeking Participants

Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) member Marge Charlesworth, is undertaking a research study as part of her Honours Degree and is looking for women with disabilities to participate.

The study is titled “Emotion, Women and Disability”. It explores the ways that as women with disabilities we are frequently required to express certain emotions or suppress others in order to ‘fit in’ with society’s expectations.

The study is open to Australian women who were either born with, or acquired their disability before three years of age. It has been developed so that you can participate online - that way, you can complete the questionnaire in your own time and return to Margie’s student e-mail.

For more information you are encouraged to contact Marge via email on .

SBS Documentary Series – seeking participants

·  Are you someone with an extraordinary tale to tell?

·  Could the way you live your life inspire someone?

·  Do you deal with a severe illness or situation which others thought would beat you?

·  Do you know someone who has beaten the odds, and whose courage and spirit in the face of adversity should be heralded?

We’re looking for ordinary people who live with a severe disability or
illness or setback that could easily have had them beat. People who
can talk about the highs and lows of their life with honesty and humour.
We’re producing a documentary series which will delve into the everyday
lives of these extraordinary people.

The documentary will form part of a series to the screened next year on SBS.
For more information please email or contact Esther Coleman Hawkins on phone 03 9526 3300, mobile 041 636 5242 or email .

Screening & Background Checks

When Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 9.30am-1pm

Where Middletons Level 25 Rialto South Tower 525 Collins Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

Register $50 per person or Pre-pay package fee of $250 for 10 places at any seminar/workshop in 2008. Complete a registration form and return to PilchConnect by 31 July 2008. PilchConnect will be in touch to confirm your place at the workshop and advise on how to pay.

·  What background police checks should your organisation arrange for employees and volunteers?

·  Can your organisation be held liable if you fail to run a background check? Does your organisation have volunteers or paid staff working with children, the elderly or people with disabilities?

·  Learn about State and Federal laws governing background checks including the Working with Children Act.

Further information about the topics to be covered in 2008 can be found on our website at www.pilch.org.au through the Seminars and Training link on the left hand menu.

This workshop will cover screening & background checks, in particular:

·  Working with Children Act; and

·  Police checks.

For further information email or phone 03 9225 6680 or visit the website www.pilch.org.au.

PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The National Interest Analysis (NIA) was tabled in Federal House of Representatives on 4 June 2008 which provides an analysis of the impact of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Australia.

This is an important document for anyoneinterested in the UNConvention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Analysis states there are negligible financial or regulatory implications for the proposed treaty action given:

·  the Convention does not create any new rights;

·  Australia’s compliance with immediately applicable obligations and substantial implementation of progressively realisable obligations;

·  and pre-existing funding for disability services.

·  Further, enhancements to the processes of eliminating discrimination and improvements in disability services are already being financed

Article 4(2) provides that those obligations in the Convention that stem from economic, social and cultural rights are subject to progressive realisation, which means fulfilling or achieving those rights over time, taking into account available resources.

A link to this document isavailable at

www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/convention.htm

It is also noteworthy that Australia has not signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

VCOSS calls for examples of potential breaches to the Disability Access Standards for Public Transport

The Disability Access Standards for Public Transport set out the minimum requirements for public transport to comply with the federal Disability Discrimination Act.

The standards cover things like access to vehicles, audible announcements and wheelchair accessible taxis. Since 2002, all new vehicles and building works must comply with the Standards, and there is a timeline for making older vehicles and buildings compliant. It is an act of unlawful discrimination to breach the Standards.

It is clear that some Standards are not being adequately met in Victoria.

The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) currently has an intern collecting evidence of potential breaches with a view to encouraging greater compliance and potential legal action. If you know of specific breaches of the Standards, or if you suspect that the Standards are not being met, we would like to hear from you.

Ideally we want very specific information – such as a particular bus route without any accessible vehicles, or timetables at a station that cannot be read by someone with a vision impairment.

To download the Disability Access Standards for Public Transport click here.

For more information or to provide information on potential breaches, contact Tim Farhall via phone 03 9654 5050 or email .

Any information must be received by Monday 22 July. As the intern is only on a short-term placement, correspondence cannot be accepted after this date.

PAID AND VOLUNTARY POSITIONS

Nightlife Co-Ordinator Position - Readvertised

Nightlife is a new consumer driven, innovative night service for people with disabilities. We are seeking a flexible, creative person for the role of Co-ordinator to assist with project development and ongoing implementation.

The successful applicant will have a strong commitment to the rights of people with a disability and experience relevant to the delivery of high quality supports in the human services sector.

This exciting position is full-time and involves flexible working hours including some evening work. A current driver’s licence and police check will be required.

For further information and position description contact Delia Fisher (03)95283342 (Bus Hrs only) or email .

Volunteers wanted for Yooralla’s Peer Support Program

When Information Session for potential volunteers, Monday 28th July 2008 11.00-1.00pm

Where Yooralla, 244 Flinders St, Melbourne

Register Contact Jeanette via email or ph (03) 99165818.

·  Do you have a disability?

·  Do you have skills and life experience that you can share with someone else with a disability?

·  Do you enjoy contributing to people’s lives?

·  Would you like to help someone reach their full potential?

If you have replied YES to these questions, you may be a good candidate to volunteer for this Program.

This Program is about People with disabilities empowering other people with disabilities to believe in themselves and their abilities to live a life of their choice.