The Disability Information and Resource Centre

From Every Australian Counts:

On Monday, hundreds of people began meeting with their Federal MP to make sure the National Disability Insurance Scheme doesn’t slip off the national agenda.

There are big issues coming up in the Parliament next week, but we are committed to ensuring that our politicians stay strong in their support for an NDIS.

We need to let our MPs know that we are watching and that we will act if progress is not made.

Will you ask five friends to join the campaign?

The Federal Government has stated it “shares the vision” for an NDIS, and it has taken the first step dedicating $10 million to the groundwork necessary to get the scheme up and running.

But we need to make sure that the government takes the next step, and the one after that.

And we have a plan to make sure that happens.

Watch the new video to learn more about where the campaign is heading.

We want to show our politicians that at least 100,000 people support an NDIS, and those people will keep campaigning until the scheme is locked in.

To make sure the NDIS gets moving in 2012 we want to see:

• Launch sites announced and locked in by the end of the year;
• The National Disability Insurance Agency established to run the NDIS; and
• Funding allocated to make both these things happen.

After so much hard work together, we are close to achieving this landmark reform. We cannot allow an NDIS to be swept back under the carpet.

Ask 5 friends to join the campaign today, and let’s keep on campaigning.

John Della Bosca
and the Every Australian Counts team
www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au

P.S. Send a message of support to campaigners who are visiting MPs on the Every Australian Counts Facebook page.

Older Australians, their families and carers are invited to participate in a conversation on ageing with Federal Minister for Mental Health & Ageing Mark Butler on 27 September 2011.

Time: 9.30am – 11.00am

Venue:

Clovercrest Baptist Church
2 Famechon Cr
Modbury North, SA 5092

RSVP:

5.00pm, Monday, 26 September 2011

P: 1800 182 324

conversationnor@cota.org.au

Further Information.

Yesterday, August 10th, the Federal Government announced it’s support for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

From The Australian:

Julia Gillard throws weight behind historic disability reform

Julia Gillard throws weight behind historic disability reform

AUSTRALIA will have a National Disability Insurance Scheme after Julia Gillard yesterday declared her unequivocal support for the key social policy and the Productivity Commission said any hostile state could be bypassed.

The Prime Minister’s support for the historic reform came in response to the commission’s final report on disability care and support, which strongly endorses a commonwealth-run, no-fault NDIS.

“I certainly want to see a national disability insurance scheme. I share the vision of a national disability insurance scheme as the right way forward for our country,” Ms Gillard said.

But the Prime Minister said there was a lot of policy work still to do before the scheme, estimated to cost an additional $6.5 billion beyond current disability funding, could be rolled out. She said it could be seven years before the scheme was up and running.

Ms Gillard also warned that the new system must be “fiscally sustainable”, saying “We’ve got to get the money right and that will take time”.

Fierce resistance from some states to the mining tax, the carbon tax and aspects of health reform have dogged the federal government’s recent reform agenda, leading to concerns over its ability to deliver major policy.

But a disability insurance scheme, along with large-scale, aged-care reforms proposed earlier this week, could be the circuit-breakers the government is looking for. The NDIS has received bipartisan support, with the federal opposition and most states backing the measure. Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten, a former parliamentary secretary for disabilities, said the NDIS was a key plank of social policy.

“There are four pillars which assure the quality of Australian life for all – the minimum wage, the age pension, compulsory superannuation and Medicare. The National Disability Insurance Scheme has the potential to be the missing fifth pillar,” he said.

Read the rest of The Australian’s story here.

Read the government’s press release.

Read the Productivity Commission’s Final Report.

This news story comes from AAP.

Two men with intellectual disabilities are taking on the federal government in court, hoping to win a pay rise for 20,000 disabled workers across Australia.

Michael Nojin, 44, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, impaired motor skills and an intellectual disability, has done office jobs such as removing staples, shredding documents and sweeping floors for $1.79 an hour.

Gordon Prior, 58, has a vision and intellectual impairment and has worked as a gardener for $3.47 an hour.

The men will go to the Federal Court in Melbourne next Monday, arguing that the wage assessment tool – created for disabled workers by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) – has failed disabled workers and kept their wages unfairly low.

If they are successful, they hope to improve wages for more than 20,000 people with a disability who work at Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) across the country.

Association of Employees with Disability (AED) Legal Centre solicitor Kairsty (Kairsty) Wilson said the organisation had another 60 clients with a complaint about their wage assessment.

They dispute the Business Service Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT), introduced by FaHCSIA in 2004 to set the wages of workers with disabilities.

“The government’s intended goal with BSWAT was to ensure that people with disabilities received a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work,” Ms Wilson said in a statement.

“Our case is that BSWAT has failed in this function and has instead acted to keep the wages of these workers far below what the community would regard as reasonable.”

The AED Legal Centre says while Mr Prior was paid $3.47 an hour as a gardener under BSWAT, he received $10.33 an hour under a different assessment tool when he began a new job at a laundromat.

Mr Nojin was assessed as deserving $2.46 an hour for his work under BSWAT and, when he challenged this for being too low, a BSWAT reassessment reduced his wages to $1.79 an hour.

The AED says BSWAT has been the preferred wage assessment tool for a significant number of ADEs across Australia because it keeps pay lower than other assessment mechanisms.

It says disabled workers perform tasks such as packaging, recycling, gardening, production line work and mail sorting, for which they are paid an average gross hourly rate of $3.61.

A FaHCSIA spokeswoman said as the case was before the court, it was inappropriate to comment on issues subject to judicial proceedings.

© 2011 AAP

View the original article.

The Australian Government is developing a National Carers Strategy as part of their commitment to provide carers with the recognition and support they need through the National Carer Recognition Framework.

The discussion paper, Towards a National Carer Strategy, was released on 18 October 2010 as a basis for consultation with the community. It proposes a high-level vision, aim and goals for the Strategy.

Children with Disability Australia (CDA) is seeking your feedback on the proposed Strategy and on what you think are the issues facing families/carers of children and young people with disability.

You are invited to attend a consultation to discuss the National Carers Strategy

Where

Adelaide South West Community Centre
171 Sturt Street, ADELAIDE

When

9.30-10.30am, 18 November 2010

If you would like to register to attend, or would like further information, please contact CDA on (03) 9815 1094 or 1800 222 660 (rural or interstate callers), or by email at juliat@cda.org.au.

Further information about the Strategy and a copy of the discussion paper is also available at www.cda.org.au.

The Rudd Government would continue to work for better services for people with disability and to ensure they got fair treatment in the workplace and the community, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities Bill Shorten said yesterday (April 19).

Mr Shorten spoke at a disability forum in Glenelg, in Adelaide, hosted by the Member for Hindmarsh, Steve Georganas.

The roundtable allowed people with disability, their parents and carers, and disability organisations to voice their concerns and ideas and be heard by Federal politicians.

A press release from Bill Shorten can be found here.

Also on Bill Shorten’s site is a transcript of an interview he gave with Sonya Feldhoff on ABC Adelaide regarding the opening of the Special Olympics.

Here is an opportunity to meet with representatives from the Federal Government’s Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy face to face to talk about the issues relating to telecommunications accessibility.

On 16 February 2009, Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, announced that his Department would undertake a feasibility study into whether a disability equipment program that is independent of telecommunications carriers should be established.

More information on the study (including the discussion paper) and the Signposts for Change Forum can be found at www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_consumers/telephone_services/access_for_people_with_disabilities/independent_disability_equipment_feasibility_study

The Minister made the announcement at the Signposts for Change: People with Disabilities and Telecommunications Forum in Melbourne.
Comprehensive public consultation is being undertaken as part of the study.

This consultation includes:
• a discussion paper (submissions closed on 17 April 2009),
• focus groups with individuals from the disability community, and
• face-to-face consultations with disability and consumer advocates, carriers, health professionals, industry representatives and government departments.

As part of the consultation process, representatives from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy are visiting Novita Children’s Services on Thursday 25 June 2009. The representatives would welcome the opportunity to meet between 6 – 10 clients who are interested in sharing their personal experiences in accessing or trying to access telecommunications equipment or services in a focus group setting.

When: 2 pm Thursday 25th June 2009 for approx. 2 hrs
Where: NovitaTech, 171 Days Rd, Regency Park SA 5010
If you are interested in being involved in this focus group please contact:
Glad Greco Phone 1300 85 55 85, Email: glad.greco@novita.org.au as soon as possible but no later than Monday 15th June 09.
If you require additional information, please contact either:
Rob Garrett Research & Innovation, Novita,
Email: rob.garrett@novita.org.au Phone: (08) 8243 8263, Fax: (08) 8243 8208 or
Nadine Coutts Consumer Engagement, Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, GPO Box 2154 CANBERRA ACT 2601

Email: nadine.coutts@dbcde.gov.au Phone: (02) 6271 1862  Fax: (02) 6271 1850
Please note that numbers for the focus group may need to be limited. Assistance may be available for transportation by taxi to and from the focus group.

For information on participating in the formulation of the Federal Government’s National Disability Strategy link to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs web-site at:

http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/disabilities/nds.htm