Access and Inclusion Advisory Panel – 10 April 2013
Name / Representatives BiographyJoanne S Chua / Joanne is a young professional from a multicultural background, who brings a unique experience of livingwith a disability. Her passion is to make a difference in terms of accessibility, independent living, and social and community involvement and development for people with disability. Joanne has a special connection with Adelaide as a professional, graduate student, volunteer and artist who volunteers, works and is involved in various recreational activities in the city. Joanne believes she can contribute to the community by bringing her many attributes to the Panel including experience with Blind Citizens Australia, Flinders All Ability Student Induction Network and Adelaide Festival Writer’s Week.
Sheelagh Daniel-Mayes / Sheelagh is a Kamilaroi woman originally from New South Wales and has a lived experience of disability, being vision impaired since childhood, she has used a white cane and is now an RSB Guide Dog user. She has an extensive history, personally and professionally, of advising Federal, State and Local government and businesses on issues of access, inclusion and equity. She is currently a PhD student at the University of South Australia and a member of the Minister’s Disability Advisory Council (MDAC) and Vision Australia’s Employment Sub-Committee and Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group. Sheelagh works, studies and socialises in the city of Adelaide and is passionate about access for all who use this wonderful city.
Jesse Frick / Jesse was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when he was 18, but has never let his disability stop him. The many challenges he faces through MS have only increased his passion for helping others. Having studied at Adelaide University in the city, Jesse is currently working in the city and has experienced first-hand the difficulties that face someone living with a disability and has a desire to make it easier for them. Jesse is a member of the Council for the Care of Children National MS advocates committee, the Julia Farr Association Board and Youth Board, as well as the PwMS (People with MS) committee for the MS Society. His role with the Julia Farr Youth Board has also seen Jesse mentor students with disabilities who are enrolled in High School.
Sue Gilbey / Sue lives in an Australia’s only CBD based eco-village located on the land of the Kaurna people. After living in the city, the suburbs will never be an option. She has worked in a variety of positions in the disability sector locally, regionally and overseas and has vast experience on panels, boards and advisory committees, from little local community boards to Ministerial appointments. A series of accidents changed her career objectives. But as one door closes another one opens. Living on the Disability Support Pension was never part of the broader life plan, but despite this she has become very involved as a volunteer community activist, social justice entrepreneur, researcher, broadcaster, interviewer, environmentalist and local and international human rights public speaker. She was deeply honoured to be the recipient of a prestigious international peace prize in 2009.
Betty-Jean Price / Betty-Jean has a background in social work, social science and teaching and is currently undertaking a PHD in Health and Urban Planning considering housing and health related issues for young people with severe mobility and complex communication needs. She has held senior positions within inner city human services and has participated on many and diverse committees such as SA Drug Court Planning Committee, SACOSS Law and Justice Advisory Committee and more recently the Dignity for Disability Policy Committee, Parent Forum - Julia Farr Association, Consumer Focus Group on Children’s Rights in Hospital – Women’s and Children’s Hospital SA, Consumer Advisory Committee - Novita Children’s Services. Betty-Jean is a Mother of two boys and is a registered carer of one of her children who has severe athetoid cerebral palsy, giving her personal understanding of the significance of disability through her family’s lived experience.
Debbie Smith / Debbie has worked in the disability sector for more than 30 years in metropolitan, rural and remote setting in Australia and overseas. She began her career as a Speech Pathologist, and then worked as a special education/disability consultant and university lecturer in special education and disability studies at various universities including Adelaide’s Flinders University. Debbie has worked closely with people who have disabilities and their families in a variety of settings, as a service provider and advocate. Debbie has previously provided expertise to the Commonwealth State & Territory Agreement Panel in Tasmania, the Disability Information Service in Northern NSW, and the Ministry of Education in Brunei Darussalam. She was the author of Southern Cross University’s first Disability Action Plan. She is currently the Client Services Manager at Muscular Dystrophy SA.
Organisation / Representatives Name and position / Organisational Bio / Representatives Bio
Access 2 Arts / Martin Sawtell – Business Manager / Access 2 Arts Inc. is disability-led and is committed to increasing accessibility, equality, creativity, diversity and inclusion of Deaf and disabled people participating in arts and culture; both as creators and consumers. / Mr Sawtell is an Arts Manager, Arts Marketer and experienced Community Cultural Development practitioner. He has worked in both South Australia and Western Australia in a range of positions within local government and community arts organisations. He is currently the Business Manager of Access 2 Arts where his work supports artists to grow their creative practice as well as offering experiences to provide information and support to artists with disability.
Disability Information and Resources Centre / Cheryle Hocking – Library and Information Manager / DIRC’s mission is to empower people with a disability and develop community awareness and understanding on disability related issues by providing accurate, impartial/independent, relevant, timely and appropriate formatted information on all aspects of disability. / Ms Hocking is an experienced information specialist having worked in local government and the disability sector for over 20 years. As the manager of the Disability Library and Information Service, she has extensive experienced in assisting people with a disability, students and educator, health professionals and disability sector works with their information needs.
Department of Communities and Social Inclusion – Disability SA and Disability Services / Sue Lyons – Chief Project Officer, Disability Access and Inclusion and Vince Raschella – Manager, Disability Access and Inclusion, Disability SA / The role of Disability SA is to lead disability policy development and planning in SA; to provide a single port of call for people for people with disability that provides clear and easy access from intake through to service delivery; and arrange for funding to go to all service providers by the most effective and transparent means. The role of the Policy and Planning directorate is to lead disability policy development and planning in SA and influence the way other government departments and agencies include people with disability, their families and carers in their policies, programs and services. This directorate is also concerned with inter-government relations and is implementing the NDIS launch site in SA. / Mr Raschella has worked in a number of community service management positions previous to his current role with Disability SA.
Ms Lyons has a background in ageing, carers and disability. She worked in the NGO and local government sector prior to joining the SA government.
Paul Willey – Director, South, Disability Services / Disability Services provides a range of supported accommodation, nursing, therapy and allied health services to approximately 13,000 people (adults and children) with severe or profound disability. Services are aimed at maximising people’s independence and supporting people to live a good life. / Mr Willey worked in a variety of roles in the non-government sector over 17 years and during the last 20 years has held a range of executive positions with the South Australian Government including Director, Strategy and Policy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, General Manager, Aboriginal Housing Authority, Director, Personal Support and Development, Disability SA and Director, South, Disability Services. Paul has a wealth of experience in human and community services across a number of areas including low-income and community housing, Aboriginal affairs and disability services.
Guide Dogs SA.NT / Peter Skjott – Orientation and Mobility Instructor / Guide Dogs SA.NT provides high quality integrated services to individuals who require sensory support. Their purpose is to use our expertise with dogs and sensory service provision to enhance the quality of life of people living with a disability and their families. / Mr Skjott is a current member of Government and Council disability access advisory panels, and has consulted extensively with organisations and individuals for improving access for people with disabilities, including people who are blind or vision impaired. Mr Skjott has a Certificate IV in Access Consulting from the Institute of Access Training Australia (IATA).
National Disability Services South Australia / Noelene Wadham – State Manager / NDSis the peak body for more than 800 non-government disability service providers, 75 of which are based in South Australia. NDS provides information, representation and policy advice to its members, and promotes and advances services which support people with all forms of disability to participate in all domains of life. / Noelene is State Manager of National Disability Services.
Royal Society for the Blind (RSB) / Tony Starkey – Government Relations and Accessibility Officer / The Royal Society for the Blind (RSB) is the primary provider of services for people who are blind or vision impaired in South Australia, providing a full range of rehabilitation services to over 11,500 clients. / Mr Starkey has represented the RSB for over 13 years, and in a voluntary capacity for over 40 years in advocating for access to the built environment, business services and the community, to ensure that people who are blind or vision impaired independently, with safety and dignity, participate in community life.
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