NEWSLETTER

JUNE 2017“To stand with vulnerable people with a disability through vigorous independent advocacy.”

Neville’s New WheelsBy Anne Hansen, IAT

Neville Kerswell, 51, has been in and out of hospitals and homes since the age of 39, after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 35. Neville’s trusted old wheelchair was no longer able to give him access to the community and was becoming a risk to himself and others due to poor control by Neville’s weakened arms. Replacing a wheelchair is costly, and could be likened to purchasing a new car. Neville could not afford those costs.Through Neville’s advocate, contact was made to Thuringowa/Alice River Lions Club member and Independent Advocacy committee member, Richard Cordukes (pictured to the right of Neville). As a wheelchair user himself, Richard knew the difficulties of not being able to access events due to mobility issues. Richard lobbied his Lions Club to assist with the shortfalls from Government Funding to purchase the new wheelchair for Neville.Community service groups are often not recognised for their valued work in communities.

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In This IssueNeville’s New Wheels............................1IAT - A Brief History...............................2Support IAT............................................2Funding..................................................2NDIS needs changes,...........................4Vocational Education for Students with Disability................................................5No Barriers for Noth Queensland Body Builder...................................................5The needless deaths of people with intellectual disability must be urgently addressed..............................................7Refugee Week 2017..............................9N D I S Update....................................10Reports................................................11Useful Resources................................11Management Committee.....................12Staff.....................................................12Nothing about us without us!...............13

Independent Advocacy Townsville 2/179-181 Ross River RoadMUNDINGBURRA QLD 4812PO Box 3067 HERMIT PARK QLD 4812Phone: 1800 887 688

07) 47 252 505Fax: 07) 47 256 106E-mail: admin@iat.org.auNewsletter Feedback and ContributionsDid you find this newsletter useful?Which section or sections were of most use?Is there anything you feel we should include in future newsletters?Do you have something to contribute?We would love to receive your feedback so please let us know.

Neville Kershell (front left) surrounded by Thuringowa/Alice River Lions Club members and his advocate Anne Hansen (right rear).

P a g e | 2December 2014

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As a community, we purchase raffle tickets and buy the odd hamburger, but never really know where those profits go. Recently at Ozcare Villa Vincent Nursing Home, Neville was able to show case and give a demonstration in his new crowd funded wheelchair, which is controlled by Neville’s head. Transitioning from a hand controlled electric chair to a head controlled chair takes a bit of practice and Neville is slowly making the transition. Neville’s goal is to attend Cowboys games, and the occasional beer at the local. Neville is grateful to Lions for the very generous donation to enable him access out of the aged care facility where he is currently a resident and to have a social life we all take for granted.We would like to congratulate Neville on his new wheels and Independent Advocacy staff Anne Hansen and Richard Cordukes and the other members of the Thuringowa/Alice River Lions Club for all their hard work.

IAT - A Brief History IAT has been incorporated for over two decades, providing advocacy support and high quality services to people with disabilities and are an Accredited Disability Advocacy Organisation under the National Standards for Disability Services.under the in the Townsville and surrounding districts. Covering rural and regional areas from the Cassowary Coast in the north, east to Palm Island, south to the Burdekin, and west to Hughenden.IAT is located opposite the Cathedral School, in Mundingburra. We have a number of Advocates and offer advocacy support to vulnerable individuals. We provide information to family, friends and other community members. We provide information sessions and presentations to answer any queries and welcome any questions relating to providing an information session about us and advocacy.As economic and political situations change we are maintaining a positive outlook and continue to support people with disabilities during the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and other changes within the sector.IAT stands with people with disability to promote, protect and defend their welfare, rights and justice We do this by: being on their side and no-one else’s and advocates speak, act and write with minimum conflict of interest.We continue to stand for people’s rights and freedoms.

Support IATYou can make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable people with disability by financially supporting IAT to make sure our advocacy efforts continue in the future. As a registered Charity, all donations over $2.00 are tax deductible. You can choose to make a one off donation or a recurrent donation. The giving of gifts are also welcome. For further details on supporting IAT, please contact us on (07) 4725 2505.

FundingFunded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Go to www.dss.gov.au for more information.Funded by Queensland Health. Go to www.health.qld.gov.au for more information.

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Funded by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services. Go to www.communities.qld.gov.au for more information

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CEO’s ReportFirstly apologies to our members for the lack of newsletters since September last year. The past 12 months since the introduction of the NDIS has seen us variably swamped with referrals for services in addition to increased service delivery requirements from our national funding body.My second apology is that this is going to be a bit of a lengthy report but please bear with me.As with the rushed introduction of the NDIS in Queensland we were therefore put under enormous pressure to deliver extended services through education workshops to service providers throughout our service region and our NDIS Expo for Townsville. These extra services included preparing promotional material for the NDIS Appeals (formerly known as the External Merits Review) which we also have been funded to provide.The demand for our service has greatly stretched our resources and unfortunately funding levels have not increased significantly to allow us to adequately support those with disability in our region as they not only deal with everyday matters that they require advocacy for but for trying to navigate the extremely rushed and ill-planned roll out of the NDIS here in Queensland.This roll out has been plagued with major issues since day one and continues to be without there seeming to be much in the way of consultation with the people, service providers, advocates and the community as a whole.As I alluded to before much work has been done by us to educate service providers on issues as they arise and come to our attention so they can assist their “customers”. The lack of Local Area Coordinators for our region until quite recently also meant that we covered services that they would have delivered (and we continue to do so). Did I also mention that we have also been given additional areas of Queensland to provide NDIS Appeals to? This is in addition to our current service area.And if all this wasn’t enough, because of the extra workload we needed to employ one additional full time and one part time advocate and increase the size of our Townsville office ( for which we received a one off funding grant). It was a credit to all our staff that managed to soldier on amid the chaos of renovations as we were unable to afford to rent out any other location during this time. This is still not enough to keep up with the growing demand on our services and we have seen a record number of clients assisted but also a record number of people who are waitlisted. Without a substantial increase to our funding amount, we are unable to see a light at the end of the tunnel. We will however receive a small increase in funding for the next financial year but we are also expected to increase our coverage area significantly as funding bodies change from using Local Government Areas (LGAs) for funding areas to Service Areas (SAs) and this is where the increased areas come from. Further on in the newsletter is a breakdown of our service area as from 1 July 2017. You will also be able to view this on our website.We would urge you to lobby your State and Federal Members to ensure that advocacy funding is not “lost” during the changes that are occurring between what is State funded to what will ultimately be covered by the Federal Government. Advocacy organisations everywhere cannot afford to lose the funding they receive. We need more and we need everyone to let our politicians know this. If you would like a copy of a template letter for this purpose please contact us. Shortly there will be a link to this on our website for you to download along with details of who to send the letter to.Thank you all for your continued support as we all endeavor to navigate the NDIS!Warmest Regards

Deborah WilsonChief Executive Officer

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NDIS needs changes,

NDIA failed to meet standards and expectations, CEO says.By Social Affairs Correspondent Norman Hermant: ABC News 6 June 2017

The agency that runs the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) says it has failed in meeting standards and expectations and that the scheme needs to improve and adapt as quickly as possible.National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) CEO David Bowen said the preparation for the transition to full rollout "warranted significant improvement".Mr Bowen also said the agency needed to learn from early experiences."What we've heard over the last six to nine months is that we haven't been delivering at a rate that's acceptable to us, and quite frankly not acceptable to all of participants and providers," Mr Bowen told the ABC."There is room for improvement."The NDIS has been dogged by media reports of problems with the scheme.Some participants have criticised the planning process, and there have been numerous complaints that disability support plans fall far short of what participants need to live independently.Other criticisms include long-standing problems using the NDIS web portal, and there have also been reports the NDIA has instituted a policy to reduce financial support to reduce costs."There's no direction to lower plans," Mr Bowen said."People's needs change over time, and so we expect the plans to change over time."Disability peak body Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) welcomed the statement."There's been a sense that the NDIA has been a bit defensive, perhaps, about the scheme," CEO Mary Mallett said."It's responsible and appropriate that the agency does say, 'Yes, we've had some problems. Yes, we understand why people aren't happy with us'."

Admission of problems 'a good sign'The statement said the NDIS had been working with scheme participants and peak bodies since April, to identify improvements. Those included:More face-to-face planning sessions, rather than sessions over the phoneBetter access to the problem-plagued NDIS web portalA more-responsive call centre experienceImproved interactions with disability organisationsMr Bowen said the NDIA was working to implement a new and improved approach, but that "full implementation may take somewhat longer because of the need to retrain staff".After months of poor media coverage, Ms Mallett said the NDIA statement was a step in the right direction."It's a good sign that the agency understands that they need to be explaining to people what they're doing and why they're doing it," she said."This scheme is just vital to people with disability in Australia."They need it to work and they need it to work properly."

David Bowen said there has been no direction to lower plans. (Supplied: ndis.gov)

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Vocational Education for Students with DisabilityMedia Release: Queensland Advocacy Incorporated 12 May 2017

The Federal budget attempts to secure funding for the NDIS, but it does little for people with disability who are looking for work. While it is encouraging to see Premiers Andrews, McGowan, Palaszczuk and Weatherill calling on Malcolm Turnbull to increase funding for a new National Partnership on Skilling Australians, the Prime Minister and Premiers their message has not included the imperative that vocational education holds for people with disability. “Participation rates for people with disability have not increased in line with the participation of people without disability which has increased dramatically over the past two decades from 77% to 83%.’ The statistics reveal that only 55% of people with disability are engaged in the workforce and this is likely in decline.” said QAI’s Michelle O’Flynn. “Some people with disability will require some support to perform certain types of work but this should not exclude people from pursuing paid employment that has purpose.” “There’s a misconception that hiring people with a disability is costly; with some employers reluctant to consider candidates for work they are either qualified for, or could be trained to do. There is a myth abounding regarding suspected costs associated with the need to make physical adjustments to the workplace; or a perceived loss of productivity; or higher costs of insurance, workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety.” “However, research and reports indicate that people with disability have a range of skills, are loyal and dependable employees, take less sick leave, and foster healthy workplace morale.” A natural pathway to apprenticeships, traineeships, and employment for people with disability is through Vocational Training. Today Queensland Minister for Training and Skills Yvette D’Ath said the funding in the Federal Budget was not adequate. “The funding in the Federal Budget relies on foreign workers to come in to fund it. This is a flawed funding model and will not replace all of the funding and programs that have been slashed over the past four years by the Federal Government,” Mrs D’Ath said. The Australian Government has made a commitment. The National Disability Strategy and the National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy put employment front and centre. “The difficulties faced by people with disability trying to get a job are a national scandal, and by not investing in Vocational Education and training, the government will consign far too many people with disability to entrenched welfare dependency.” Michelle O’Flynn 0481 318528

No Barriers for Noth Queensland Body BuilderBy Roanne Boldery: Townsville Bulletin, 10 May 2017

The 18-year-old Cairns local made his bodybuilding debut in Townsville last week, as the first Australian entrant with down syndrome to ever enter the national competition — taking out the teenage disabled division of the ICN Townsville Tropics Classic.The extroverted Edge Hill resident stole the show as a “natural poser” performing a 45 second routine in front of 400 people to Queen’s hit We Will Rock You that included biceps kisses and landing the splits — his performance going viral on social media with 30,000 views.“My mum was crying and I was crying when I won, because I wanted to win a competition my whole life. I did it, I was a star and I showed off my big muscles,” he said.

Cairns’ Rhys Payne, 18, is home after winning a bodybuilding title at a Townsville Competition. Picture: Stewart McLean.

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Rhys now carries his winning medal with him everywhere, even sleeping with it.The avid Home and Away fan hopes his new muscular physique will win him a role as one of the show’s ripped River Boys.ARC Disability Services carer Dave McNally has promised to help Rhys film a video audition to send to the series’ producers — he believes nothing can stop the teen who started training six months ago at 80kg and lost an incredible 12kg after seeing posters for the North Queensland event at his local gym. “I’m not a personal trainer but he spent two to three hours doing weights each day, plus alternate between boxing sessions and hill walks for cardio,” Mr McNally said.“He cut all chocolate, soft drinks and sauces. All he ate was kangaroo meat, green veggies and fried eggs, showing incredible willpower. He became absolutely ripped.”Mr McNally said the strict regimen also transformed some of the teen’s challenging behaviours because the competition gave him discipline and focus to channel his energy.ICN Townsville Tropics Classic director Scott Piper, who organised Rhys a personal performance, custom check-in, backstage passes, free spray tanning and posing practice, said the teen was an inspiration as the first ever entrant with the genetic disorder that causes physical and intellectual disability.

“He had personality plus. Everyone wanted a photo with him. He couldn’t stop showing off, all flexing his muscles, and when he took to the stage he was on fire,” he said.“He’s proof there are no barriers, there are no excuses.“He had a dream and a goal to get in shape and on stage which he smashed and he’s in incredible shape, proving anyone can do it.”

Ryhs Payne with his medal. Picture: Stewart McLean.

Employment Opportunity: Trainee Network ControllerJob No: 73546Work type: Temporary - Full TimeLocation: TownsvilleCategories: Train Operations, Traineeship, Transport & LogisticsQueensland Rail has exciting 12 month fixed term opportunities available for Trainee Network Controllers for our Townsville Control Centre. Trainee Network Controllers upon successful completion of training will learn to manage rail traffic on the Network to ensure safe and efficient services. These challenging roles will require applicants to demonstrate skills in decision making, strong analytical and problem solving skills; being vigilant and focused; being resilient and constructive in dealing with challenging situations; high level communication skills ; ability to work in a fast paced and safety critical environment and applying knowledge diligently in a strong safety and business oriented context. This is a challenging and rewarding role, but one also suited to people with a disability,  as there is a significant amount of time where the successful candidate needs to sit at a control work station.If you have the skills to be a Trainee Network Controller, and want to work in an interesting and fast paced environment, use this link http://careers.pageuppeople.com/544/caw/en/job/669482/trainee-network-controller to apply now.

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The needless deaths of people with intellectual disability must be urgently addressed

Analysis by Prof John McMillan and Steve Minmond: ABC News 9 February 32017

Professor John McMillan is the acting NSW Ombudsman. Steve Kinmond is the Deputy Ombudsman.In Australia, people with intellectual disability die at least 25 years earlier than the general population.They often have substantial and chronic health issues, but rarely get access to the preventive and community-based health programs that other people with their conditions access.They need support in hospital and other health services, but tend to experience significant adverse outcomes because steps aren't taken to identify what help they need and how to provide it.

Study finds people with an intellectual disabilities are twice as likely to suffer a preventable death.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-08/study-finds-intellectually-disabled-two-times-preventable-death/8248772

This is the situation that the NSW Ombudsman's office has identified in its reviews of the deaths of people with disability in residential care, and has publicly reported for the last 15 years.It has now been highlighted in a landmark study by UNSW, which has found potentially avoidable deaths among adults with intellectual disability at over twice the rate of the general population. This is unacceptable in Australia.The disparity and disadvantage is stark. Some of the most vulnerable people in our society, with substantial health challenges and risks, do not receive the health services and treatment they require.To present it in a different way, here are some examples of what we have seen in relation to people with intellectual disability — not in isolated cases, but in multiple cases over many years: people experiencing choking incidents and aspirating after being given, or accessing, food and

drink in hospital that did not match their mealtime requirements people pulling out cannulas, removing oxygen masks, physically resisting examinations and

treatment, and experiencing falls without appropriate support in hospital people discharged from hospital without guidance for their carers on the support they needed

to manage risky health issues, such as asthma management and treatment of pressure sores, and

people recorded as 'not for resuscitation' on admission to hospital despite being young and admitted for a treatable condition.

Human rights not consistently upheldOur work has also shown very little access of people with intellectual disability to certain important community-based health programs.

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Michelle discharged after 'temper tantrum', hours later she was dead

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Similarly, while many people with disability in residential care have multiple health risks related to lifestyle factors, including obesity, poor diet and insufficient physical activity, very few of those whose deaths we have reviewed had access to preventive health programs.Every two years, our office reports to Parliament on the deaths of people with disability in residential care in NSW.Our work has consistently found substantial gaps between what is required — by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the National Disability Strategy, and policy directives — and what is experienced by people with intellectual disability.As it stands, the rights of people with disability — including the right to be provided with the same range, quality and standard of health care and programs as other people; to be provided with care of the same quality as other people; and to be free of discriminatory health care practice — are not consistently upheld.

Concerns over NDIS rolloutAs identified in our most recent report, it is critical that action is taken as a matter of priority to address this situation, and to close the gap and improve health outcomes for people with disability in NSW ahead of the full transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).Our work has underscored the considerable risks that exist for people with intellectual disability if mainstream services are not ready at the point of transition to the NDIS and withdrawal of NSW Government-funded specialist disability supports.Our most recent report includes a range of recommendations that are targeted at addressing this situation and improving health outcomes for people with disability, including: implementing mechanisms to coordinate access and care for people with disability in health

services creating a dataset to identify people with intellectual disability and measure the performance of

health services, and clarifying the future arrangements for the provision of a range of health related services that are

currently funded by the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS).To date, the progress of agencies in implementing the recommendations has been very slow.We will continue to monitor progress, and will report again to the NSW Parliament on this work in 2017.However, we recognise that the experience of people with intellectual disability in NSW is not unique.We are keen to see a national effort to close the gap in the disparity in health outcomes between people with intellectual disability and the general population.The National Disability Strategy — and strong governance arrangements for the implementation of the strategy in states and territories — provides a useful mechanism.It is simply unacceptable that people with intellectual disability in our community are dying from preventable causes at over twice the rate as other Australians. We must close this gap.The Ombudsman's biennial reports on the deaths of people with disability in residential care are available on the NSW Ombudsman's website. http://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/

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Refugee Week 2017

Sunday 18 June to Saturday 24 June 2017Refugee Week is Australia’s peak annual activity to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees and celebrate the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. Originally celebrated in 1986, Refugee Week coincides with World Refugee Day (20 June). In 2017, Refugee Week will be held from Sunday 18 June to Saturday 24 June.The theme for Refugee Week for 2015 to 2017 will be “With courage let us all combine”. Taken from the second verse of the national anthem, the theme celebrates the courage of refugees and of people who speak out against persecution and injustice. It serves as a call for unity and for positive action, encouraging Australians to improve our nation’s welcome for refugees and to acknowledge the skills and energy refugees bring to their new home.

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N D I S UpdatePhone: 1800 800 110NDIS eNewsletter Signup: https://ndis.gov.au/news/subscribe.html

Invite from NDIS

Translated Fact Sheets on Disability in Australia and NDISAmparo Advocacy who are based in Brisbane have produced two translated Fact Sheets which provide information about disability and the NDIS. The fact sheets are available in 34 languages (including English) and AUSLAN. Fact Sheet 1 - Understanding Disability in Australia Fact Sheet 2 – What is the National Disability Insurance scheme (NDIS)?You can download a version or listen to them from their website by clicking this link: http://www.amparo.org.au/factsheets/

IAT’s NDIS Lift Out v2The latest edition of our NDIS Lift Out with heaps of new information is now available. In this update you will find additional information for contacting Local Area Coordinators (LACs) and Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) in Queensland.For those who receive a hard copy of the newsletter, a copy of the Lift Out has been included for your convenience. Extra copies can be obtained from our website or if you are unable to print your own, please contact the office.

School Leaver Employment The NDIA works with Education to support students with disability to make a smooth transition into SLES or other employment supports. The NDIS will be responsible for funding supports that assistpeople with disability prepare for, and take part in work where the person has work capacity but needs some more support before receiving ongoing employment support through existing systems.

To celebrate the first birthday of the NDIS in Townsville, you’re invited to join local NDIS participants, family, friends and carers in the Townsville community for a free NDIS family dat and community BBQ celebration!

The NDIS is the new way of supporting people with disabilities in Queensland. Whether you have joined the NDIS or not, bring the family and enjoy a free BBQ, Entertainment and the chance to win 1 of 5 family passes to the Townsville Show.

Rain or shine this will be an all-weather event.

Date and Time : Sat. 1 July 2017, 11:00am – 1:00pm AEST

Location: Raintree Grove, Riverway, Thuringowa Central.

N D I SFamily Day & Community BBQ - FREE

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Employment services and programs, including both disability-targeted and open employment services, will continue to be responsible for providing advice and support to: People with disability to prepare for, find and maintain jobs; Encourage employers to hire and be inclusive of people with disability in the workplace (e.g.

support, training and resources, funding assistance to help employers make reasonable adjustments, and incentives for hiring people with disability, such as wage subsidies).

You can find out more from the NDIS website at https://ndis.gov.au/people-disability/sles.html.

ReportsJoint Position Statement in opposition to the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Transition Mobility Allowance to the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Bill 2016https://independentadvocacy.org.au/upload/files/MobilityAllowanceJointStatementOpposingCuts.pdf

NDS’ Australia’s Disability Services Sector 2016 Reporthttps://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiAt_r5m63UAhUGyLwKHbNJDJsQFggwMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nds.org.au%2Fpdf-file%2Fd135357e-f173-e611-875b-0050568e218a&usg=AFQjCNGjjTqz8_mOYbj4FQyb5l5v-iaDSg

2016 Disability Employment Australia Annual Reporthttp://disabilityemployment.org.au/file/694bef3c999fcdf029464b59cace067b756aa29e/annual-report-2016-web.pdf

NDIS COAG Disability Reform Council Quarterly Report (QTR3 for Year 4)https://www.ndis.gov.au/medias/root/heb/he8/8801054359582/COAG-DRC-Report-2016-17-Q3.pdf

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Costs – Commissioned StudyThe study will examine issues including: the sustainability of scheme costs; jurisdictional capacity (including the complementary disability services provided by the States and Territories); cost pressures (including wage pressures); changes in the agreed escalation parameters; whether efficiencies have been achieved within the scheme; whether there has been any impact on mainstream services; and examine the most appropriate levers to manage any potential cost overruns.Issue Paper – now closed: http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/ndis-costs/issues/ndis-costs-issues.pdf The Position Paper is due for release June 2017.

Useful ResourcesThe National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline (The Hotline) – a telephone service for reporting cases of neglect and abuse of disabled members of the community.Hotline: 1800 880 052 TIS: 13 14 50 TTY: 1800 301 130 NRS: 1800 555 677

Disability Lawyers. We have listed here a number of different legal options for you if you require the services of a lawyer who specializes in Disability Law. Disability Law Queensland: http://www.dlq.org.au/ Queensland Advocacy Incorporated: www.qai.org.au

Government Contacts - Disability Queensland GovernmentPhone: 13 QGOV (13 74 68)Email: disabilityinfo@disability.qld.gov.au Web: http://www.qld.gov.au/disability or http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/disability

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Management CommitteePresident and Public Officer:.....................................................................Michael CollinsVice-President.........................................................................................Tania HornbergSecretary: ..................................................................................................Beverly SmithTreasurer: .................................................................................................Aime NganareOrdinary Members:.............................................................................Richard Cordukes

Staff Chief Executive Officer:............................................................................Deborah WilsonAdvocate/NDIS Appeals Officers: .................................................................Tania Brown

Helen De-CampoAnne Hansen

Trainee Advocate:........................................................................................Jessie TaylorOffice Administrator:....................................................................................Beverly Smith

Social Media

http://www.iat.org.au

@IndAdvocacyTsv

Ind Advocacy Townsville

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Nothing about us without us!

Organisations like IAT can only survive with the involvement of community. We know there are many people with skills and experience that would be an asset to our organisation. Membership is open to anybody who supports the values, mission, and work of this agency. It is from the membership that we draw our management committee, which is the governing body of our organisation. Therefore, we are especially interested in people who want to become involved, who could contribute by supporting the work we do and the values we hold. In return, IAT offers the opportunity to be involved expand on and develop skills and experience relating to the governance of an organisation, and to be involved with like-minded people in a supportive environment.

Independent Advocacy in the Tropics IncNDAP SERVICE AREA

km2

SA 4 Townsville 80,268.9SA3 - Townsville SA 2 - Charters Towers SA2 - Ayr Region SA2 - Ingham Region (inc Palm Island)

SA 2 Combined Areas: 114,677.1BabindaInnisfailJohnstoneNorthern HighlandsTullyWooroonooran

TOTAL AREA 194,946.0

NDIS APPEALS AREAkm2

NDAP Service Area above 194,946.0

LGA Combined Areas: 80,268.9Isaac RegionMackay Region Whitsunday Region

TOTAL AREA 275,214.9

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Mission Statement“To stand with vulnerable people with a disability through vigorous independent advocacy.”

What We BelieveIAT believes all people have the right to: Be treated with respect and dignity Be valued as individuals Participate in the decisions and choices that effect their lives Be involved in and contribute to their community Safety and protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation Live the life they choose

MembershipThe membership of the Association has no limits on size and consists of Ordinary and Organisation Members. The membership year runs from 1 July – 31 June.Ordinary - Ordinary membership shall be open to all interested persons in the community who support the mission and objects of the Association who apply for, and accepted for membership of the Association.Organisation - Organisation membership is open to organisations who are allies of the Association and do not have voting privileges.

What Membership Does Not Include: Automatic or preferential approval for advocacy support – all members, should they require

advocacy, would be subject to the same entry criteria and referral process as any other person requesting advocacy support

Automatic approval for membership of the management committee – any person nominating for membership of the management committee must nominate and address a set of selection criteria. This is to ensure that members are able to support the values of the organisation, and assists us to determine how we can assist the management committee members to increase their skills and knowledge in relation to the management of this agency

If you would like to become a member of IAT, please complete one of the membership application forms at the back of this newsletter and return to the office for processing. If you would like to discuss membership or joining the management committee please call us on (07) 4725 2505 or toll free on 1800 887 688.

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ORGANISATION MEMBERSHIP

APPLICATION FORMI would like to apply for an Organisation Membership of Independent Advocacy in the Tropics Inc. Organisation membership is open to organisations who are allies of the Association and do not have voting privileges.

Organisation:

Representative:

Address:

Email:

Office Phone: Mobile:

Signed: Date:

On completion, please return to the Secretary.2/179-181 Ross River RoadMUNDINGBURRA QLD 4812PO Box 3067HERMIT PARK QLD 4812

Phone: 1800 887 68807) 4725 2505

Fax: 07) 4725 6106E-mail: admin@iat.org.au

OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Proposed by: .............................................. Signed: ..............................................

Seconded by: .............................................. Signed: ..............................................

Accepted by Meeting of the Management Committee.

Date of Meeting: .............................................

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ORDINARY MEMBERSHIP

APPLICATION FORMI would like to apply for Ordinary Membership of Independent Advocacy in the Tropics Inc. Ordinary membership shall be open to all interested persons in the community who support the mission and objects of the Association who apply for, and accepted for membership of the Association.

Name:

Address:

Email:

Phone: Date of Birth:

Do you identify as a person with disability? ☐ Yes ☐ No

Signed: Date:

On completion, please return to the Secretary.2/179-181 Ross River RoadMUNDINGBURRA QLD 4812PO Box 3067HERMIT PARK QLD 4812

Phone: 1800 887 68807) 4725 2505

Fax: 07) 4725 6106E-mail: admin@iat.org.au

OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Proposed by: .............................................. Signed: ..............................................

Seconded by: .............................................. Signed: ..............................................

Accepted by Meeting of the Management Committee.

Date of Meeting: .............................................