DARU Update
3 September 2012
· ON THE MOVE
· IN THE NEWS
· EVENTS & TRAINING
· PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
· SUBMISSIONS, CONSULTATIONS AND FORUMS
· FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
· PAID AND VOLUNTARY POSITIONS
ON THE MOVE
BCA CEO Resigns
Robyn Gaile is a long standing member of BCA and has served the organisation in varied roles and has been their executive officer for almost six years. Robyn has given the board four months notice with a finishing date of December 14 2012 so that the recruitment of the new executive officer and the subsequent handover can be accomplished in the most efficient manner.
Robyn plans a long holiday before she embarks on looking for further employment in 2013.
She has been a passionate and tireless advocate for people who are blind and vision impaired often to the detriment of her own health.
The board of BCA wishes Robyn a healthy and happy future and look forward to continuing our association with her for many years.
New Advocate at YDAS
The Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS) has a new staff member, Jen Morris. Jen is responsible for a new initiative called the disability rights hub and will also be undertaking individual advocacy with young people between 12 and 25. Jen can be contacted on 92673733.
New Admin at DAV
Adele Braun has been appointed administration officer for DAV – Disability Advocacy Victoria.
Some of you may already know Adele as she previously worked with Communication Rights Victoria
Change in the Disability Rights Team at the Commission
David Mason has for some time been carrying extra duties as well as his role as Director of the Disability Rights Team. He has been responsible for leading the Commission’s input into new equality legislation, a new National Human Rights Action Plan, and for contributing to our work around the parliamentary scrutiny process for assessing whether new laws comply with our international human rights obligations. The Commission has come to the view that this second role is a critical part of our ongoing work, and should be carried out on a full-time basis. David has agreed to take on this new role, and his depth of knowledge, skills and experience will ensure it is effectively carried out. It is also a great opportunity for David to have an impact in a broader field.
The new Principal Advisor in the Disability Rights Team will be Helen Potts. Helen comes to the team from her role as Principal Advisor in the area of Age Discrimination. She has qualifications in law and human rights, and a background in community advocacy and disability. She will bring skills from which we will all benefit.
Helen joins an already strong and effective team. Cristina Ricci, whose excellent and committed work is familiar to many of you, remains as Senior Advisor. Sythany Leang continues as Advisor until her return to the Attorney-General’s department in September. Also joining the department is Qi Wen, Executive Assistant, who – along with her legal qualifications – brings experience as the Marketing Advocacy Specialist with Cochlear in China.
, Catherine Branson QC has come to the end of her term as President of the Commission. Cathy brought fearless visionary leadership to the Commission, and leaves an organisation much better suited to working in a collegiate way across teams to address broad issues in the human rights field. She too will be sadly missed.
The new President of the Commission is Professor Gillian Triggs. Gillian has been Dean of the Law School at Sydney University for the past five years, and brings with her a background in international law. I am delighted to have to her energetic leadership, and her family experience of disability will enhance the work of this team.
Commission Welcomes New Board Members
Acting Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Karen Toohey is very pleased to today welcome three new members to the Board of the Commission.
Attorney-General Robert Clark announced the appointments of Damein Bell, Abeselom Nega, and Josef Szwarc to the Board this afternoon, which will be effective from today.
Damein Bell has over twenty years’ experience working in Indigenous education and development.
He has been Chairman and CEO of the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and has served as a board member on a range of bodies including Parks Victoria and Native Title Services Victoria Ltd.
Abeselom Nega is CEO of iEmpower, a highly regarded youth rehabilitation, education, training and recruitment service that works to help disadvantaged young people from refugee and other newly arrived backgrounds to overcome problems and develop their skills and capacities.
He has previously served as Chair of the Federation of African Communities Council of Australia and as a member of the Centrelink Multicultural Advisory Committee.
Josef Szwarc is the manager of research and policy at the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture, an organisation that provides a wide range of services to people from refugee backgrounds who have survived torture or war-related trauma.
‘The Commission looks forward to the leadership, commitment and individual expertise the board members will bring to their roles,’ Ms Toohey said.
IN THE NEWS
In the News is provided in the DARU Update to alert our readers to stories published in the mainstream media that relate to disability and disability advocacy. We provide them as information only and do not necessarily endorse or reject any of the statements and opinions in them.
Aussie Paralympians Take Centre
Joint Media Release, Senator Kate Lundy, Minister for Sport
Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation, Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Families, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs, Minister for Disability Reform, 30 August 2012
Minister for Disability Reform Jenny Macklin, Minister for Sport Kate Lundy and Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers Jan McLucas today wish our 161-strong Australian Team all the best for a successful Paralympic Games in London.
Australians around the nation will be cheering on our Paralympians as they enter the stadium today to officially mark the start of the Games and take on the world.
The Olympics and Paralympics represent the pinnacle of sporting achievement and our athletes are ambassadors for the entire nation at the Games. They carry the hopes of the nation and all our Paralympians are beacons of inspiration.
For the next twelve days, the entire nation will be right behind our Paralympic Team willing them to do their best and reach their full potential.
Paralympic veteran, Greg Smith, will carry the Australian flag in the Athletes’ Parade and proudly lead our Australian Team which spans from our youngest athlete 13-year-old swimmer, Maddison Elliot, to our oldest team member 70-year-old shooter, Libby Kosmala.
Australians can be enormously proud of our nation’s Paralympians. We’ve sent a strong team of 305 members including 161 athletes and 144 support staff which represents the largest Australian Paralympic Team in history. Half of our team will be competing at their first Paralympic Games and they will undoubtedly do Australia proud as they make their debut in London.
The London Paralympics will be larger than the 2008 Beijing Paralympics with over 4200 athletes competing in the Games from over 165 countries.
The Government is pleased to be able to contribute to ensuring the success of the Paralympics through financial and other practical assistance. The Gillard Government has provided strong funding to support our Paralympic Team, committing over $13.7 million in 2011-12 for the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) and $2.7 million in Direct Athlete Support (DAS) to help Australia’s Paralympic athletes reach their potential.
To read the media release online, visit: http://www.janmclucas.fahcsia.gov.au/node/252
Quality Win for People with Disabilities
RIAC Media Release, 27 August 2012
Local disability advocacy organisation the Regional Information and Advocacy Council (RIAC) has become the first agency of its type in Australia to meet the national disability advocacy standards. “This is wonderful result for people with disabilities, their families and carers who live in regional parts of Australia who rely on our assistance, to have the comfort of knowing that our standards are of the highest quality,” said RIAC Chairperson, Ms Julie Goodall. “We are accustomed to the focus to be mainly on metropolitan services and for a regionally based agency to be the first is a great outcome for all,” she said.
As a National Disability Advocacy Program funded agency the Regional Information and Advocacy Council (RIAC) has been required to undertake an Independent Third Party Quality Assurance Audit to ensure its ongoing recurrent funding. “I am delighted to announce that RIAC has been successful in its preparation and has been audited and found to comply with all of the Disability Services Standards (Advocacy Standards),” said Ms Julie Goodall. “I am delighted that all of the work undertaken by the RIAC Board and staff has paid off. To have such hard work recognised with this outcome is the culmination of 5 years of preparation in ensuring that appropriate policies, procedures and practice requirements have been established,” she said.
“I would like to pay tribute to the work of the Quality Improvement Partnership (QIP), of which RIAC is a member, in providing such valuable assistance,” she said. “It has always been the view of the RIAC Board, that it is essential for our clients and staff, to have a solid quality framework in place, to ensure the highest possible standards of assistance are provided. To receive such recognition vindicates the decision of the Board to invest so heavily in the development of quality systems.”
“However, the Board recognises that quality improvement never ends and will be diligent in ensuring that its work will continue with RIAC looking to not only comply with the Advocacy Standards, but to exceed those standards and work towards best practice models,” she said. The RIAC Board will continue to investigate developing partnerships which will strengthen the work of RIAC into the future,” Ms Goodall said.
For further information please contact Mr Steve Doran, Chief Executive Officer, Regional Information & Advocacy Council (RIAC) on 0358 221 944.
Australia’s Failed Disability Report Card
Pro-Bono News, 29 August 2012
A coalition of major disability organisations claims Australia is failing to meet the basic rights of people with a disability in a new report to be delivered to the United Nations.
According to their report Disability Rights Now, Australia is behind in nearly all areas of life including education, employment, access to health and support services, and participation in society.
The report makes 130 recommendations to the United Nations Disability Committee who are reviewing Australia's compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the first time.
“While much progress has been made over the last 30 years, Australians with disability remain significantly disadvantaged on nearly every socio-economic indicator,” a coalition spokesman from the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, Lesley Hall said.
“This report card on the difficulties faced daily by people with disability shows how far we still need to come to achieve genuine equality for all Australians.”
“This Report gives a voice to people with disability around Australia about their lived experiences and what practical steps Australian governments should take to improve their lives, safety and well-being.”
The United Nations Disability Committee will undertake its review of Australia in Geneva in 2013.
The Disability Rights Now report will be launched by the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes shortly.
To read this article online, visit:
http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2012/08/australia%E2%80%99s-failed-disability-report-card#
Don't Mess with the NDIS
David Penberthy, The Sunday Telegraph, 26 August 2012
I was getting a coffee near my Adelaide office when something really awful happened. A little boy aged about four or five wandered up to me on his own as I was waiting at the intersection. He was walking around as if in dreamland. He stepped onto the road as a taxi approached.
A woman standing next to me screamed and I stuck out my arm and grabbed him. His parents were nowhere to be seen. The two of us stood with him, asking where Mum and Dad were. He couldn't talk very clearly, and was mumbling to himself.
There was a hotel nearby and I thought he might have wandered out of the lobby. Out front there was a harried-looking couple loading suitcases into the boot of their car and clipping another child into a safety seat. I called out to them, asking if the boy was theirs, saying he had wandered onto the road. The mother let out a gasp. She grabbed her son by the arm and pulled him towards the car, tears starting to well in her eyes. She said quietly: "He's got autism".
I would describe the look on this mother's face as a combination of exhaustion and defeat. I couldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day and emailed some mates telling them what had happened. One of them has a child with an intellectual disability. He wrote this in reply, which with his permission I have reproduced here, as it tells the stark reality of what these families face.