20/08/2008

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.”

Disability SA 2008 Peter Edwards Memorial Award

Call for Nominations

The late Peter Edwards AM was involved for many years in redefining and reshaping services for people with intellectual disability. He had a great personal interest in their well being, and gave freely of his time and expertise in both an official and unofficial capacity. Each year, his significant contribution is recognised through an Award established in his name.

The Award is granted in two categories:

1. a person with intellectual disability

2. a person who works directly with people with intellectual disability

and comprises a monetary component.

Each category recognizes personal development and/or achievement, and the Award is made available to assist further development, which could include (but is not restricted to) implementation of a project or assisting in the pursuit of activities that enhance the life of a person/people with intellectual disability, undertaking training or skills development programs, purchasing books or equipment, or participation in a seminar or conference.

Nominations are being sought for the 2008 Award and can be made by any person or organisation. The Award is open to any individual who fits either of the two categories.

Nomination forms are available from Jill Searle, telephone 8372 1406, or e-mail jill.searle@dfc.sa.gov.au. Completed forms should be returned to:

Executive Director, Disability Services

Disability SA

103 Fisher Street

Fullarton SA 5063

The closing date for nominations is Monday 25 August 2008

THE HON JULIA GILLARD MP DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Minister for Education; Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations; Minister for Social Inclusion

JENNY MACKLIN MP

Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

BILL SHORTEN MP

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE Embargoed 19 July 2008

Autism specific child care centre for South Australia

The Australian Government will set up one of six autism specific child care centres in Adelaide to provide dedicated early intervention and care for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

In an Australian first, the six centres will also form the basis of Specialist Autism Sites which will also focus on research and training to help achieve a better understanding of autism and develop best practice services.

Parents know that mainstream child care environments can be over-stimulating for children with autism, making it difficult for them to develop new skills.

Raising a child with autism can be extremely difficult and few people understand the challenges that parents face.

Research indicates that an autism specific approach to child care and early intervention can stem a decline in a child’s intellectual advancement and improvements in many other areas of development. The six new autism specific centres will involve teachers, psychologists, an occupational therapist and a speech pathologist in the delivery of programs designed to develop the skills of the child in the following areas:

• Social interaction and play skills

• Cognitive development

• Self-help/tasks of everyday life

• Communication

• Sensory integration

• Fine and gross motor skills

The Centres will enable the Government to measure the effectiveness of the autism specific child care and intervention model and help inform consideration of further expansion.

Today’s announcement builds on the Government’s $190 million Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) package which will provide an estimated 9,000 children diagnosed with an ASD up to $12,000 for early intervention support.

The six autism centres also form part of the government’s commitment to establish 260 child care centres across Australia.

Other autism child care centres will also be located in North West Tasmania, Perth, South Western Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs will be conducting an open selection process for service providers to deliver all six of these centres.

Service providers will be expected to have expertise in child care and early intervention for children with ASDs and affiliation or partnership with a relevant university or hospital specialising in pediatric, early childhood or ASD-related research or services.

For more information on the open selection process for service providers please go to www.fahcsia.gov.au or call on 1800 289 177 and TTY 1800 260 402.

Media Contact: Vincent Tulley 0409 244 865

Media Release

JENNY MACKLIN MP

Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

NICOLA ROXON MP

Minister for Health and Ageing

BRENDAN O’CONNOR MP

Acting Minister of Education

BILL SHORTEN MP

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services

25 June 2008

$190 million boost for children with autism and their families

All children aged six and under who are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and are not yet at school will have access to up to $12,000 in essential early intervention support, through a landmark $190 million package funded by the Australian Government.

The package is the first national initiative to help families deal with this challenging disorder and is a major breakthrough in support for children and their families.

Under the four year Helping Children with Autism package to be rolled out from next month, an estimated 9,000 children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder will be eligible to receive up to $6,000 per year for two years before they go to primary school.

Parents will now be able to choose the early intervention measures that best suit their child from a range of authorised service providers. And they will be supported by up to 40 new Autism advisors across Australia providing advice, information and practical help following diagnosis.

Because of the additional challenges they face, families in rural and remote areas will be eligible for an additional $2,000 to help their children benefit from early intervention services, as well as training, respite and other resources.

Helping Children with Autism will give greater access to a range of early intervention programs including one-on-one intensive activities, behavioural therapies and tailored group and individual programs.

The package also includes:

Medicare rebates for ASD diagnosis and 20 visits to allied health professionals such as occupational therapists and psychologists for children aged up to 12 years old;

• 150 playgroups specifically for families and children with ASDs;
• Professional development for 450 teachers and school staff to support students with ASDs; and
• Workshops and information for parents and carers of pre-school and school aged children with ASDs, including an ASD website.

In addition, the Government is establishing six new autism-specific child care centres as part of the broader Government commitment to provide up to 260 new child care centres nationally.

Today’s announcement builds on the $1.9 billion funding boost to disability support services in partnership with the States and Territories which will deliver more than 24,500 additional disability places, including:

• around 2,300 in-home support services;
• 2,300 supported accommodation places;
• 9,900 individual support packages; and
• 10,000 much needed respite places in a range of forms across Australia.

JENNY MACKLIN MP

Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs

Young people to benefit from $27M carer package

The Australian Government will provide $27 million to boost respite for Australia’s young carers and for carers of young people with a severe or profound disability.

The Government will provide around $20 million over three years in respite support for carers of young people with a severe or profound disability to continue to provide immediate and short-term respite to around 6,000 carers.

The Young Carers Program will receive more than $7 million over the next year to continue providing respite and information services to help young carers who are at risk of not completing secondary education because of their caring responsibilities.

Young carers will also have an opportunity to influence future government policy when they meet for a national forum on 26 and 27 November 2008 to give their views on future policy direction.

Up to forty young carers will participate in the Young Carers’ Forum 2008 with the Australian Government providing $190,000 in funding to Carers Australia for the event.

The summit is aimed at giving young carers a voice and is an opportunity for young carers to get together and share their experiences.

They will be joined by leading academics and government representatives to consider issues including education, respite and the role of government.

Around 5 per cent of Australians under the age of 25, 350,000 young people, provide care to another person. Of these, more than 20,000 are the primary care giver.

More than 170,000 young carers are under the age of 18 and among these the average age is twelve to thirteen.

Each day, young carers face constant challenges trying to juggle their study, work and caring responsibilities.

They make enormous personal sacrifices. At a time when most young people are enjoying life and a new independence, young carers have more on their mind.

The Respite Support for Carers of Young People with Severe or Profound Disability program allows carers to access much-needed respite, including in-home, centre-based and overnight care arrangements.

The Young Carers Program provides carers up to the age of 25 with access to respite care to attend education, training and recreational activities.

Through Carers Australia, the program also provides a range of information, referral and advice services including counselling, to support young carers in managing the challenges they may face as part of their caring role.

Respite programs are absolutely essential to giving carers a break from the huge demands of caring for a loved one.

We know that caring responsibilities can take their toll. Young carers have a lower participation rate in secondary and tertiary education which limits their career and employment opportunities.

The respite services are delivered through the 55 Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres across the country.

Date: 11 June 2008

Contact: Jessica Walker 0430166633

The State Government is funding 13 artists with disabilities - and nine organisations – to help them pursue their creative endeavours, through the 2008 Richard Llewellyn Arts and Disability Trust.

Disability Minister Jay Weatherill announced the recipients of the grants today. Mr Weatherill said the trust was named in honour of the late Richard Llewellyn, who was a diligent supporter of the arts and advocated for universal access for people with disabilities across South Australia.

“The Trust combines Mr Llewellyn’s two passions – the arts and disability advocacy. It aims to encourage people with a disability and disability organisations to further their artistic interests and foster their creative talent,” Mr Weatherill said.

“People with a disability have a lot to contribute to every part of our community - including the arts – and these grants are an important part of supporting them.”

The Trust was established by the State Government two years ago, and this year $200,000 is being distributed between 22 individuals and organisations. This year, the 13 individuals to receive funding for projects ranging from theatre and visual arts to literature and music are:-

 Michael Doman, Port Pirie, $10,000 for a music project called the Dragon Tree project. 

Tony Doyle, Adelaide, $7,800 for a theatre project – The Professor and the Wizard of Wind.
Daniel Levy, Kensington, $7,000 for a music project and to create a professional demonstration CD.
Maxwell Magain, South Plympton, $9,527 for a jewellery workshop.
Ben Martin, Somerton Park, $5,572 to produce music CDs for release.
Gillian Mears, Mount Barker, $10,000 to complete a novel called ‘Foal’s Bread’.
Matthew Nolan, Frewville, $3,927 to run workshops about making music with a computer.
Colleen Sweeney, Northfield, $5,000 to assist with a poetry manuscript.
Jeanette Tierney, Magill, $4,211 to exhibit work at South Australian Living Artists 2008.
Bryan Tingey, Exeter, $7,000 to create work for exhibition at the 2009 Fringe Festival.
Mary Anne White, Golden Grove, $6,880 to record a CD – The Mary Anne White Album.
John Willanski, St Peters, $3,500 to develop an exhibition – Ink Rain Overflow.
Ben Adam Wimshurst, Torrensville, $7,000 for a musical performance group to record a CD.

A total of nine organisations received more than $110,000 of funding for projects covering theatre, literature, visual arts and dance and are as follows:-

Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association, $3,800 for a resident artist to capture user insights from the ARATA Biennial National Conference 2008.
- FEAST – Adelaide Lesbian and Gay Cultural Festival, $4,781 to support UK performer, Julie McNamara, as speaker, performer and co developer of a work in progress.
- The Lampshade Shop, $17,020 to develop a new script by Robert Moore, Costume Change.
- Take Up Thy Bed and Walk Project, $20,000 for a two-week creative dance and theatre project.
- No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability Inc, $10,550 for two theatre projects.
- Restless Dance Company, $16,400 to assist with Debut, a program of short dance performances.
- SA Writers Centre, $17,200 to employ a part time Writer-in-Residence to help writers with a disability.
- Tutti Ensemble Inc, $16,000 to assist with a new music theatre piece.
- Queer and Differently Abled, $5,000 to help with skill workshops.

Thursday, 5 June 2008

ACTION NOW FOR A FUTURE

FOR DISABILITY FUNDING

Measures in today’s State Budget taken together with matching Commonwealth funding will provide tens of millions of dollars for disability spending and deliver better and new services for thousands of South Australians.

Details of the State’s share of the $1.9 billion in Federal-State disability funding package have now been announced, with South Australia securing $72.9 million in Commonwealth Government funding over the next four years for new services.

The Commonwealth money matches a new State Government commitment of $26m and $46.9m of additional money committed in last year’s Budget, which the then Howard Government failed to match.

The 2008-09 Budget also provides $8 million for disability compliance in our public transport network.

The Budget spending boost comes on top of $5 million to clear equipment waiting lists and $2 million for the redevelopment of the hydro-therapy pool complex at Novita’s Regency Park Centre.

Mr Foley says these measures provide a much-needed funding boost and recognise the growing demand for disability-specific services.

“The Rann Government has a strong commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities,” Mr Foley says.

The Commonwealth has also provided a one-off grant of $8 million to build new, group homes for people with a disability.

“This will mean we can get to work on building eleven new homes, which will provide places for 55 people with a disability who are most urgently in need of assistance,” Mr Foley says

“This extra spending is specifically benefiting older carers by providing more group home places, more respite and more help for people who want to keep living at home.”

The extra recurrent Commonwealth and State funding will over the next four years provide new services in the following areas: