Young people with disabilities from all over the country are invited to join the discussion group on Facebook. It may be a great opportunity to make new friends!

Visit http://www.facebook.com/groups/125416387554300/ to join.

For more information contact Madeleine Sobb (YDAN Coordinator) at ydasmaddie@yacvic.org.au.

www.ydas.org.au

By buying Krispy Kreme Donuts you will raise money for members of the Self Advocacy Group to attend the conference.

More information is here.

The order form is here.

Independent Advocacy is seeking a person to commence duties in January 2011 for 20 hours per week with potential to increase to 28 hours (negotiable). The successful applicant will have a good understanding of social disadvantage, be able to relate to people with intellectual disability, and ideally have acted in an advocacy role. Salary is covered under SCHCDSI Award Level 5 and salary sacrifice is available. A current driver’s licence is essential.

For job description and selection criteria contact the Coordinator on 8232 6200.

Closing date 4pm 1st December.

Currently outperforming all other causes is a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

If you wish to support the cause of an NDIS you can follow the link above and vote for “Advocating for an NDIS”.

An option box will appear so you can select how many votes you wish to allocate to this cause.

Getup has been hugely successful with other causes it has adopted.

Its backing would make a big difference to public awareness of an NDIS and to the likelihood of the Government following through on the current Productivity Commission review of the idea.

To learn more about the NDIS, go to http://www.ndis.org.au/

Following the launch of Disability Speaks in April this year, we have been humbled by the increasing support and encouragement we have received from many in the community, who believe people with disabilities, their families and carers deserve better. Many have been calling for action for sometime, but this was brought into sharp focus following the tragic event reported in the media recently, in which a mother is alleged to have murdered her intellectually disabled son.

There is without doubt a genuine feeling of disgust in the wider community that South Australia has badly failed those who are most vulnerable and that much more needs to be done. We agree and would like you to help us convey this message. When the State Government slashed the Budget for Disability Advocacy agencies by more than 50% two years ago, it effectively slammed the door on people with disabilities, leaving some people wondering whether this was an attempt to silence people with a disability, their carers and families and stifle community outrage.

We would like people with a disability, their families, carers or anyone with an interest in ensuring people with a disability receive the support they deserve to consider doing three very important things:

1. Help us build our free electronic subscriber database!

Your help is needed to enrol as many people with an interest in improving the lives of people with a disability, their families and carers to subscribe to Disability Speaks database so they can receive direct up date electronic communiqués  and news . If you could subscribe 10 people, and request that they also subscribe 10 other people that would be appreciated. To subscribe simply email Subscribe to disabilityspeaks@internode.on.net

2.  Join the team – join our Steering Committee!

Join the Disability Speaks Steering Committee. The next meeting will be held at the Disability Information & Resource Centre SA (DIRC), located at 195 Gilles Street, Adelaide  at 1.00pm  Monday 3rd August, to discuss strategies to convey the key messages.

3. Tell us your story!

Tell us your family story in 400 words or less. If you are waiting for equipment,accommodation, respite or in home support let us know how long you have been waiting and what the struggle is really like.

We would like to hear from people with a disability, their families and carers that are facing challenging situations and discuss how we can share your story and highlight the despair that exists. Please email us at disabilityspeaks@internode.on.net .  With disability representing the largest category of complaints received by  the South Australian Equal Opportunity Commission, we would like to hear first hand about how long you have been waiting and the challenges that you face in being given a fair go.

Access to the  Disability Speaks online database is available to other groups, service providers and agencies to communicate key information about the SA disability sector. Whilst Disability Speaks has no affiliation with any government bodies, political parties or service providers the concept of delivering important information from a variety of sources is fundamental to the key aims of Disability Speaks in promoting the sector, including both the outstanding achievements of people with a disability and the challenge of addressing unmet service and support needs of people with a disability throughout metropolitan and country areas.

Material to be distributed online by Disability Speaks will need to be

• Of State or National disability interest,
• Contemporary and relevant to disability sector issues,
• Ethical  and  written in an appropriate format
• Promote the disability sector and people with a disability in a positive manner

The Steering Group of Disability Speaks reserves the right not to distribute any material without explanation. Disability Speaks seeks to advance awareness and discussion on major initiatives, issues and events.

Organisations wishing to avail themselves of this free offer to distribute information via the Disability Speaks powerful distribution network (which is now heading towards 5,000 recipients) should send requests via the link below.

Organisations with online contact lists are invited to add their recipients directly to the Disability Speaks database file. Our target is to build  over  10,000 disability supporter recipients. In order to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act such a database transfer should be executed after contacts are advised that such a transfer will occur and are given the opportunity to decline. Disability Speaks can supply  technological support to assist in this transfer mechanism.

The Disability Speaks website will be launched shortly at www.disabilityspeaks.com.au. It is not currently available  online .

Please distribute this information as widely as possible.

DAVID HOLST

Further information: 0418 555 683

Email: disabilityspeaks@internode.on.net

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Bill Shorten, today announced a $1.1 million boost for organisations representing people with disability across Australia.

The Australian Government has committed $620,000 to disability advocacy agencies, and over $527,000 to disability peak bodies, to help them strengthen the voice of people with disability.

Nine of the peak bodies have received $270,000 to invest in staff training, IT upgrades and/or research, and an extra $257,000 for services, such as interpreters, hearing loops, Braille material, attendant carers and venue hire.

“Advocacy agencies play a vital role in giving a voice to people with disability and ensuring their rights are protected. This funding will help build their capacity and improve advocacy support to people with disability,” Mr Shorten said.

62 disability advocacy agencies also received one-off funding of $10,000 under the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) to buy goods and services such as IT and communication equipment or staff and management training.

“The NDAP assists people with disability overcome barriers such as physical access, abuse, discriminatory attitudes and neglect which have such a negative impact on their daily lives and their ability to participate in the community,” Mr Shorten said.

“The grants come on top of more than $12 million that the Australian Government has committed to the NDAP over the next financial year.

“This funding will go some way to help these groups and advocates of people with disability continue reflecting the views of Australians with disability.

“The Australian Government is committed to delivering the best outcomes for people with disability, and this funding will help safeguard their rights and interests.”