The Northern Regional Council on Intellectual Disability is holding it’s AGM at 2pm on Friday 10th February 2012 at 46 Commercial Rd, Salisbury.
If you wish to improve conditions for a family member or friend with an intellectual disability you are invited to attend.
Ph: 8258 7749
The late Peter Edwards AM was involved for many years in redefining and reshaping services for people with intellectual disability. Each year, his significant contribution is recognised through an Award established in his name, which is granted in two categories:
The Award comprises a monetary component to assist with further development, which could include (but is not restricted to) undertaking a project; assisting in the pursuit of activities that enhance the life of the person with intellectual disability; undertaking training or skills development programs; purchasing books or equipment; or attending a conference.
Community and Home Support SA is seeking nominations for the 2011 Award. Nominations can be made by any person or organisation. The Award is open to any individual who fits one of the two categories.
Nomination forms are available from Jill Searle, telephone 8372 1406 or email jill.searle@dfc.sa.gov.au.
The closing date for nominations is Wednesday 31 August 2011.
Completed forms should be sent to:
Ms Jill Searle
Disability Services
Community and Home Support SA
Level 9B, 103 Fisher Street
Fullarton SA 5063
The next DIRC Disability Forum is happening on Thursday July 7th and is titled Disability in Darkness?
The forum will be presented by Professor Richard Bruggerman and will address the injustices suffered by people with intellectual disabilities.
Full details on the forum can be found here.
A calendar of forum dates for 2011 can be found here.
On June 2nd Disability Speaks released the following:
“The Best of Both Worlds”
Is what intellectual disability service consumers are demanding
MEDIA RELEASE: June 2nd, 2011
The SA Government has released a detailed evaluation of the Strathmont Redevelopment and Community Living Project.
Strathmont as you will recall has received widespread negative publicity in recent times.
It is an excellent report and the Minister should be complimented for commissioning it and making it publicly available.
As expected the report confirms that there are perceived benefits from moving clients from a hopelessly outdated facility like Strathmont to new purpose built community accommodation.
For those with a vision restricted by fear and paranoia of congregate living they will focus on the positive comments with glee.
What is disturbing is that the report also confirms again that increased isolation can be generated by such accommodation models specifically for people with high levels of intellectual disability.
This negative outcome potential is already widely known but often ignored by those who push community living as the only accommodation option
Observation of the residents reveal “ they engage in very few social interactions and have relatively little to do during their waking hours”
Comments from volunteers who assisted the clients included “another believed that some residents seemed isolated and had more activities when they were at Strathmont” are impossible to ignore.
For those like the Intellectual Disability Association of SA (IDASA) who want to modernise and lift the debate on developing and creating more vibrant and client centred accommodation models this report confirms once again what so many parents carers clients and families have been complaining of for years “ they want the best of both worlds”.
They want modern living in environments where clients with intellectual disability (noting in many instances their needs are very different from people with other forms of disability) are the beneficiaries of accommodation models that do not yet seem to exist.
The report can be accessed at www.dfc.sa.gov.au/research/.
Your comments and feedback as always would be appreciated.
David Holst
Chair – Disability Speaks Steering Committee & Intellectual Disability Association of S.A
0418 555 683
Wednesday 27 July 2011
9.30am to 4.30pm
Ether Conference Centre Lower Level
265 Little Bourke St
Melbourne
This is a one day workshop that will encourage practitioners to participate and share their experiences. The day will focus on how we can support those who experience intellectual disability, and or autism who exhibit challenging behaviour. The workshop will be introduced by Sharon Paley with a ‘humorous’ take on why people may choose to communicate how they feel by using a range of behaviours.
‘To beg or to choose: you decide’
9th – 11th November, 2011
Stamford Grand Hotel
Glenelg, SA
More info: www.assid.org.au
The 46th Annual Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability (ASID) conference will be held at the Stamford Grand Hotel, Glenelg, South Australia 9-11 November 2011.
Click here for more information and to register your interest.
The 2011 ASID Conference welcomes abstract submissions from its members and interested parties on the following topics:
Submission deadline is midnight 29 April 2011.
Click here for more information on submitting an abstract.
The following 3 research proposal seminars, in order of date and time, are happening at Flinders University.
These are not only for academics and interest is welcomed from professionals working in the disability field.
RSVP to Peggy.Kincaid@flinders.edu.au
Time: Midday – 1pm, Friday 29/4/2011
Venue: Room S254, Sturt South Wing, enter via Room S250
Presenter: Felicity Brown, Honours Candidate, Bachelor of Disability & Community Rehabilitation.
Title: Evaluation of Real Lives Real Places Demonstration Project Case Study: The Impact of Person Centred Thinking Approaches on the lives of people living with intellectual disability
Summary: In recent years Australia has seen the introduction of person centred thinking approaches across the disability sector. Minda, a large not for profit organisation that provides accommodation and support services to people with intellectual disabilities, has recently begun a journey of change to move the organisation from a traditional support approach known as a “hotel model”, to a more contemporary approach of person centred thinking and active support within a human rights framework. This change is happening through the Real Lives, Real Places Program currently underway at Minda. In order to implement the person centred thinking approaches across the organisation it is critical that Minda trials them through a Demonstration Project to evaluate the impact of introducing them on the lives of the people living with an intellectual disability supported in the homes. Felicity Brown a student of the Bachelor of Disability and Community Rehabilitation will be involved in this evaluation as her honours project. The outcomes of the research evaluating the demonstration project will influence the overall implementation of person centred thinking approaches across the rest of the organisation.
Time: 1pm – 2pm, Friday 29/4/2011
Venue: Room W406C, Sturt West Wing
Presenter: Fiona Redgrove, MSc Candidate
Title: Between Love and Duty: An exploration of discourses of adulthood and autonomy as they apply to young people with intellectual disabilities
Within many Western legal and cultural frameworks parents are assumed to hold jurisdiction over their children until a nominated age, such as age eighteen or twenty-one, at which time children may assume the mantle of adulthood, with its legal entitlement to exercise autonomy. However, when children have intellectual disabilities, and are perceived to have limited capacity, and equally limited potential to exercise such autonomy safely, the perception of the transition from child to independent adult may be less clearly discernible. The research around the experiences of families of people with intellectual disabilities as they transition out of school and into adult services is replete with references to the stress that is experienced during this time. This dilemma of when, or even if young people with intellectual disabilities can ethically, morally and legally assume the mantle of autonomous adulthood is the subject of this research proposal.
Time: Midday – 1pm, Monday May 2nd, 2011
Venue: Room N318, Sturt North Wing
Title: Gone to the Dogs: An investigation into the world of the guide dog handler. The impact that guide dog ownership has on the lives of people who are Blind or Vision Impaired
Presenter: Geraldine Lane, MSc Candidate, Disability & Community Inclusion, Flinders Clinical Effectiveness, School of Medicine
Summary: Few studies have explored the ‘real benefits’ of guide dog ownership, including the potential health, psychological and psychosocial benefits that having a faithful guide can bring for the person who is blind or vision impaired. This study will therefore examine the world of the guide dog owner; it will investigate as to whether people who are blind or vision impaired who own a service dog, will receive more frequent social interaction with other people when their dog is present. It will explore the behaviours reported by those people as to whether these encounters are more positive than when the handler does not have their dog present. It will look at the boost to confidence that a guide dog can bring to their handler as a result of, freer mobility, more positive reactions from the people they meet, (for example, friendly glances, smiles, and conversations). The research will further investigate the perceived health benefits encountered as a result of guide dog ownership, including a lessening of social isolation, reduction in blood pressure and increase in general fitness and health, to name but a few.
The Looking After Me Resource Kit is one of the outcomes of the Looking After Me Project (LAM). LAM was an innovative three and a half year project that began in January 2004. funded by Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme. The project was auspiced by the Penrith Women’s Health Centre and focussed on the Penrith Local Gevernment Area.
The Kit provides visual aids that can be used when discussing domestic violence issues with women with intellectual disabilities.
The full resource kit can be downloaded here: http://www.cnet.ngo.net.au/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,288/task,cat_view/gid,273.
The Board of Minda Incorporated invites you to attend their Open Mind Seminar.
Jim Mansell is Director of the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent, England. The Centre, which he founded, has a large programme of research, consultancy and teaching in intellectual disability and community care.
Chair of Disability Studies and Director of the Centre for Disability Studies at the Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney.
Self Advocacy is a fundamental aspect of a human rights framework. Minda has committed to developing a self advocacy program that will infiltrate all activities across Minda.
Bank SA Marquee on the Lawns,
Minda Inc, King George Ave, Brighton
Tuesday 13 April at 9.30am
Smart casual or business attire
The South Australian Learning Centre by 6 April
Ph: 08 8422 6530 or email rsvpsalc@minda.asn.au
Opening Hours
Monday - Friday
9am - 5pm
The Disability Information and Resource Centre
195 Gilles Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
Phone (08) 8236 0555 Fax (08) 8236 0566 SA only 1300 305 558
www.dircsa.org.au | Log in
