PARTY TIME! LINK TURNS THE BIG 3-0 THE VA-VA-VOOM...

August 2010 | Volume 19 Issue 3

PARTY TIME! LINK TURNS THE BIG 3-0

BLOGGING ABOUT DISABILITY

TRIP-PLANNING FOR ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL

THE VA-VA-VOOM OF BURLESQUE

For more information:Call (08) 8422 6530 to enquire about specific programs, arrange a visit to our RTO or to have a consultation at your organisation on the SALC assisting with your training needs.King George AvenueBrighton SA 5048www.mindainc.com.au

The South Australian Learning Centre (SALC) has a well deserved reputation as one of the community services sector’s most sought after training destinations. A Registered Training Organisation, the SALC is based at Minda’s Brighton site, offering state of the art training and conference room facilities.

The SALC has training places available now in the following accredited courses: Certificate III in Disability Certificate III in Aged Care Certificate IV in Disability Certificate IV in Mental Health Diploma of Disability (partial credit for disability undergraduate degree guaranteed).

Interested in studying?Whether you’re developing your career, changing direction or studying your passion, the SALC offers learning pathways to help you to achieve your career goals with a range of high quality training programs.

You may also be eligible for Government incentives for accredited Certificate and Diploma courses.

Are you seeking training solutions for your workforce? Service Agencies:Enhance the skills of your workforce with training programs and qualifications offered onsite or delivered at your nominated venue. With a range of highly regarded accredited (see above) and non accredited packages, the SALC is already delivering training to major service providers across the community services sector. All programs can be customised to meet the needs of your organisation and ensure the learning outcomes are directly linked to your service delivery.

Available courses include: First Aid Manual Handling Personal Power Program – recognising and preventing abuse of vulnerable people

The SALC is an accredited provider for Productivity Places Programs (PPP). We have expertise in advising organisations on potential funding channels such as through PPP, Traineeships and User Choice.

Call anyone, anytıme

Internet relay calls are ideal if you are deaf or can’t hear well and have diffi culty using your voice.

To make a call, all you need is an internet connection – through a computer or mobile phone. You can even do it via instant messaging.

So now, you can easily communicate with anyone, 24 hours a day, even when you’re on the move.

To fi nd out how to make a call, go to www.relayservice.com.au

a phone solution for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment

Mobility Ad-2.indd 1 26/9/07 12:38:29 PM

EditorialEditor Carla [email protected]

Graphic designer Rachel Constable

Contact usP 08 8201 3223 F 08 8201 3238PO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001Contributions welcome

AdvertisingAdvertising manager Ian [email protected]

Subscriptions Subscriptions manager Mandy Vercoe (08) 8201 [email protected]

General and News DeadlinesLink is issued fi ve times a year: April, June, August, October and December. All material needs to be sent to Link a month before each issue is released.

Printing Hyde Park Press

ISSN 1447–2023

Copyright 2010. Please contact the editor for permission to reprint content from Link.

The opinions expressed in Link do not necessarily refl ect those of the editor, publishers or their agents.

inside

Link subscribers can now read Link online. Ring Mandy Vercoe on (08) 8201 3223 for details. www.linkonline.com.au

Principal Sponsor

Supporter

Bronze Sponsor

www.inprint.com.auLink Magazine is designed and published at Inprint Design (abn 40 005 498 775), a non-profi t organisation.

It is produced without the assistance of government funding, relying only on sponsorship, advertising and subscriptions to continue its development.

Cassettes/CD formats available

Link is distributed via subscription (pg 48)

Cover Story

12 Rachel High and Emma J. Hawkins have joined forces to devise burlesque acts for Adelaide’s Feast Festival, with help from No Strings Attached � eatre of Disability

Supporter

Cover: Burlesque performers Rachel High and Emma J. Hawkins from No Strings Attached � eatre of Disability. Photographer: James Elsby.

Some images throughout the issue are courtesy of stock.xchng.

12

August2010—Vol19/3 linkmagazine 3August2010—Vol19/3 linkmagazine 3

4 Ed’s letter and event snaps

5 Letters

6 Link news bites, from around the nation and states

9 Senior news bites

10 30 years of Link, with words from mag co-founder

Yvonne Baillie and Paralympian Heath Francis

15 Sports news and Q&As, from the World Cup

to murderball

18 Ken Baker on changes to the disability

support pension

20 A delicious chicken risotto recipe and foodie news

21 Widen your net: from Facebook to disability blogs

23 Plan your next ‘accessible travel’ trip

26 Kate Treloar ponders disability testing

during pregnancy

27 Help for a mother and child

28 An extract from Roger Rees’ book, Out of Calamity

30 An extract from Sally Th ibault’s book, David’s Gift

32 People with intellectual and multiple disabilities

are becoming an “invisible population”, says

Sheridan Forster

34 Entertainment interviews and reviews

38 A focus on a creative day program in the

Blue Mountains

41 Robbi Williams on contract culture

45 Breakthroughs

46 Rob Cook’s fi ghting spirit

47 What’s on

48 Subscribe to Link

12

10

2126

23

46

4 linkmagazine August2010—Vol19/3

August 1980. Lindy Chamberlain was the name on everyone’s lips after her baby, Azaria, disappeared at Uluru, reportedly taken by a dingo.

Th e nation grooved to US band Lipps Inc’s track, Funkytown, which nabbed the number one spot on the Aussie music charts that month. (Th e hit was later covered by Oz group Pseudo Echo.) Th e bold glitz of 80s fashion had just begun to trickle through.

And, Adelaide disability advocate Jeff Heath and his wife, Yvonne Baillie, began Link Magazine from their home, with a mission to “examine issues from a cross-disability perspective”. (Heath used a wheelchair after a tumour on his spine caused paralysis.) Link has since gone from strength to strength, becoming a successful national publication – and its beginnings are the very reason you hold it in your hands today!

Th irty years on, there’s still much to celebrate in the disability world – including artists with disabilities dabbling in burlesque, creative, people-centred day programs catering for those with intellectual disabilities, disability bloggers actively speaking out, and athletes with disabilities doing us proud on an international level – all of which are covered in this issue. Enjoy!

Event snaps

Link Disability Magazine is now on Facebook. Become a fan!From Link’s Facebook fan page...

Such a great mag, keep up the good work – Robert

Estelle (Shields’) letter (to the magazine) was just great and, as Robbi (Williams) says, every politician, bureaucrat, CEO and citizen needs to read it. - James

(Enjoyed) the latest Link edition. Out with the political stuff and in with the reality. Bring it on Link! - Jacy

Carla Caruso, Link editor

At the No Strings Attached Th eatre of Disability AGM: (Top) No Strings artistic director PJ Rose & performer Duncan Luke. (Centre) Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent & Victoria Marcelis. (Bottom) No Strings community ambassador Kym Mackenzie & patron/fi lmmaker Rolf de Heer.

Send you event snaps to [email protected]

from the editor

August2010—Vol19/3 linkmagazine 5

By contributing a letter you authorise Link to publish it in the magazine, or www.linkonline.com.au. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. All published contributions earn the author a free copy of the magazine, containing the letter (or current subscribers may specify that they would prefer their free magazine as an extension of their current subscription), provided a postal address is included with the original letter. Your name, suburb and state will be published with your letter unless you specify otherwise.

Send your letter to the editor:

GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001 or email it to [email protected] Please include your postal address (not for publication). Th e best letter wins $50

Link’s winning letter writer for June was Joan, of Torquay, Victoria. Th anks for sending in your views, Joan.And, keep an eye out for your prize on its way to you - Fiona Place’s book, Cardboard: A Woman Left For Dead, and $50 cash.

Voice for womenI’m currently working to raise the profi le of women with disabilities with the Premier’s Council for Women (PCW), along with another woman with disability in SA.

Th e PCW is hosting sessions as part of its role representing the Council on the Community Engagement Board, which oversees the process of updating South Australia’s Strategic Plan. Th ey are currently planning a state-wide consultation and have identifi ed indigenous women, young women and older women, but have once again left out women with disabilities as a targeted group.

We - women with a disability - have been working on this issue for years, and we’ve been ignored yet again, and it is exactly this lack of recognition as a marginalised, disempowered and impoverished group of women with a multiple disadvantage that we struggle with. Many of the targeted groups also include high numbers of women with disability, but without addressing and targeting them, it is unlikely they would attend either. I hope the PCW acts to encourage women with disability to attend all sessions.

Incidentally, a colleague I’ve been working with from Flinders University’s Gender Consortium - having seen your article on Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) - is now inviting a WWDA representative to present at a symposium here in Adelaide, as part of an overseas student program (including Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesians - some with disabilities)...that’s how good Link mag is!

I’ve said it many times, but I’ll say it again, LINK MAG IS FANTASTIC!

Jill Fowler, HC Harrison Consultants

Home sweet homeIn our world, where the negative aspects of life are constantly at the forefront, I want to add a positive.

I have sons with an intellectual disability for whom I needed to fi nd a home away from home, where they could be as independent as possible. A suitable situation arose at an opportune time, which has now been their home for 15 years. In a country town, which is small enough for most people to know each other, but large enough to provide leisure and work options, my sons are at home.

Th ey are supported by a caring, nurturing, dedicated group of people, whose attention to detail in dealing with the complexities of life for their disabled clients is above and beyond the wage they are paid. My sons are happy, comfortable, settled and surrounded by people, who “give a damn” about their welfare.

Th ank you (barely adequate, but heartfelt) to the wonderful staff at Orana Accommodation, Orana Enterprises, and Living Skills, Port Pirie.

Eliza, SA

Foot in mouthAs a part-time working mum, sometimes I feel like I have limited time to get everything done in a week. So, recently when I headed to Coles to grocery shop, I was on a mission. But, almost at the end of my shopping list, I came across two women blocking the aisle with their trolleys.

I sweetly called out “Excuse me” (meaning: “Woman with three-wheeler pram needs to get through”), but they ignored me. So with more determination, I called out again - less sweetly and a lot more loudly. To my horror, one of the women saw me, raised her hands to her face, and began apologising profusely… the pair were deaf. Oh, I wished a black hole could have swallowed me up!

Despite my embarrassment at my rudeness, the incident made me stop and think about how caught up in our own worlds we can get and unaware of what’s going on around us. I certainly learned my lesson that day!

Natalie Petrizza, SA

Send you event snaps to [email protected]

letters to link

Congratulations


NATIONAL

Brainwave unveils its junior ambassadorEleven-year-old Victorian Tiffany Wasnig has been named as the inaugural junior ambassador of Brainwave, Australia’s only charity supporting children with a brain illness, disease or acquired brain injury.Wasnig has been involved with Brainwave since she was a baby, when she was diagnosed with a posterior fossa arachnoid cyst, causing Hydrocephalus (or, water on the brain). She gushed: “I am very proud Brainwave has chosen me for this role and hope I can help others and make a difference.”In being named ambassador, Wasnig got the chance to meet Olympic swimmer Michael Klim, a Brainwave patron, whom she considers her idol and a huge inspiration to her as a competitive swimmer. Brainwave Australia was founded in 1994 by Jo Nicholls. For more, visit brainwave.org.au.

Some of the n

ews item

s are thanks to A

AP.

In a six-point manifesto, the party outlines its policies to give parents, who are the primary carers of a child aged under six, a Parent Living Allowance of $544 a week. The tax-free payment would be available to households with a gross income of less than $100,000 and would replace the Family Payment and the Baby Bonus. The living allowance would also be available to carers of the sick, aged or disabled, aged over 16. Recipients of both payments would receive super at a rate of nine per cent.

The party also wants six-week respite entitlements for carers, a $2000-a-year advocacy voucher for parents and carers to access support services, and a $2000 one-off payment for every child for learning technologies.

Youth with disabilities stuck in aged careYoung people with disabilities, currently housed in aged-care facilities, are struggling to find alternative accommodation, new figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show.

Federal, state and territory governments set up a program in 2006, aimed at helping people with disabilities, aged under 65, move out of nursing homes. At the end of July 2009, alternative accommodation had been found for just 17 per cent of the program’s participants- Susanna Dunkerley

Disability Support Pension changesFrom July 1, assessments for the Disability Support Pension (DSP) have changed.

There are streamlined assessments for DSP for people, who are clearly or manifestly eligible due to a severe congenital disability, catastrophic injury or cancer. (See ‘people with disability’ at fahcsia.gov.au.)

In complex cases, a new Centrelink Health Professional Advice Unit can also deal with additional medical advice to help in determining a person’s eligibility. (See the HPAU factsheet at centrelink.gov.au.)

Some people on the DSP have a partial capacity to work or can be re-skilled for different work. Centrelink will also write to those to provide information on the programs and services available to help them maintain or pursue employment.

For more, contact Centrelink’s Carer and Disability Services line on 13 27 17.

New party wants pay for parents and carersStay-at-home parents and carers would receive the minimum wage, plus superannuation, under a policy advanced by new political group, the Parents, Families and Carers Party.

news bites


Some of the n

ews item

s are thanks to A

AP.

STATE

Agencies to support workers with disabilitiesNSW The work prospects of people with disabilities in NSW is expected to improve as state government agencies make greater use of companies hiring workers with disabilities.

Under a so-called Premier’s Memorandum issued in June, government agencies are being encouraged to buy more goods and services from such companies under changes to cut administrative red tape.

“Under the changes, NSW government agencies can purchase goods and services directly from disability employment organisations without the need to purchase from State Contracts or to seek approval from the State Contracts Control Board,” Premier Kristina Keneally said in a statement.

The streamlined tendering scheme is modelled on similar programs, such as the Ability One program in the US, which has so far created 40,000 jobs for people with a disability.

Virtual playground launches for all abilitiesQLD Children with a range of different abilities can now all play in a virtual playground launched in the Gold Coast in June.

Located at allabilitiesplayground.net.au, the ePlayground is a free, online play environment, offering fun and games in new, innovative and accessible ways.

It can be played using a range of devices, including touch screens and assistive technologies, like single switch and Puff2Play, in addition to the more traditional gadgets, like keyboards, mouses and joysticks.

A Gold Coast City Council initiative, the ePlayground was created by non-government organisation Sonokids Australia, with support from the Department of Communities (Disability Services).

Dimity Dornan, Queenslander of the YearQLD A woman, who helps children with hearing impairments to communicate, has been named Queenslander of the Year.

Speech pathologist Dimity Dornan said her work at the Hear and Say centres was a joy. “It is my passion to be able to see children hear for the very first time with a cochlear implant, so I have lots and lots of lovely highs in my life and this will give me the chance to show other people just what can be achieved,” she said I love to see parents’ faces when their children are able to say mum or dad for the first time,” she said.

Dornan founded the centre in 1992, and now, six are operating throughout Queensland. The centres work to overcome traditional and entrenched beliefs that deaf children cannot learn to hear, listen and speak well enough to be clearly understood. About 94 per cent of graduates are educated in the mainstream education system.

Online playground


Som

e of

the

new

s it

ems

are

than

ks to

AA

P.New DVD focuses on the quest to find “a place to call home”

NSW A new DVD recounts the journeys of some of the residents, families and staff of the former Greystanes Children’s Home in Leura, a large residential facility that has since devolved into a range of community-based services, known as

Disability Enterprises.

The DVD, A Place to Call Home: Talking about Devolution, is aimed at helping families, community groups, service providers and students to discuss devolution and its critical role in enabling a person with a disability to live a full life in their community. It was filmed by Change Focus Media.

Disability Enterprises general manager John Le Breton said: “Devolution is a pressing issue. Thousands of people with intellectual disability still live in large residential institutions throughout Australia... Time is fast running out for many of these people to have their chance of a decent life, living in the community. And, in October this year, it will be 12 years since the Government’s announcement of its 12-year plan to close all of these facilities and provide appropriate support for these people in the community.”

Call for action on disability services unmet needs listSA Political party Dignity for Disability has called for the South Australian Government to clear the Disability Services Unmet Needs category one waiting list.

It says South Australia spends less per person with a disability than any other state, and as of June 2009, had 510 people on the Disability Services Unmet Needs category one list. There were also 238 people waiting for supported accommodation, 177 waiting for critical personal care, and another 191 desperate for respite, case management, behavioural intervention and other critical services.

The category one list is defined as people, who are at critical risk of homelessness or immediate and high risk of harm to self or others.

Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent said: “I met with (Social Inclusion Board chair) Monsignor Cappo regarding the … Board’s review of disability services in South Australia and it pains me to be unable to support his much-needed review at this time. While carers are breaking, falling apart, even killing their children, and while people with disabilities wait for their most basic of human rights and needs to be

met, we cannot stand by and wait for a review, which will take five to seven years to implement.”

Complex issues deserve higher payVIC Joy Stevens has worked with troubled families for more than 25 years, boasts four degrees, but earns less than $50,000 a year. She knows she’s worth more than that.

“The families that we work with now have highly complex problems,” Stevens said at a rally, calling for better pay for community workers in Melbourne in June. “We have to provide quite sophisticated interventions. I do very similar work to some of my government colleagues, and yet, I’m paid possibly $15,000 to $20,000 less. We don’t want to put up with it anymore. I want to be paid fairly and equitably.”

Stevens says she has seen other workers leave the industry after about two years for better pay in government positions. Historically, the roles of disability carers, youth and family support workers had been filled by women, she said.

INTERNATIONAL

UK bans doc who linked autism to vaccineUK Britain’s top medical group has ruled that a doctor, who claimed autism was linked to a childhood vaccine, no longer has the right to practise in the UK.

The General Medical Council also found Dr Andrew Wakefield guilty of “serious professional misconduct” as it struck him from the country’s medical register.

In 1998, Wakefield and colleagues published a study alleging a link between the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella and autism. Most of the study authors renounced its conclusions and it was retracted by the journal in February.

No other studies have ever found a connection between autism and vaccines. The

ruling does not affect Wakefield’s right to practise medicine in other countries.

news bites


Appeal to support ageing carers Community Accommodation and Respite Agency (Cara) has launched a Family Appeal to support the growing numbers of ageing parents caring for offspring with a disability at home in South Australia.

Many families caring for their son or daughter - 24 hours a day - are struggling under a constant battle for support, resources, services, recognition, and basic necessities.

Couple Helen, 70, and Ian Thomas, 80, are among the growing numbers of ageing carers in SA. Daughter Karyn, 33, uses Cara’s respite services. However, like many parents, the couple are both extremely worried about who will care for their daughter and where will she live in the future. “We don’t know how much longer we are going to be able to do this. Our physical health is declining,” Helen says.

According to Cara chief executive Greg Box, “Support from the community is so important to ensure we can deliver more accommodation services, in particular for those ageing carers.” To support the Cara Family Appeal, visit cara.asn.au or phone (08) 8347 4588.

A snapshot of carers in Oz• There are 474,600 primary carers in Australia

• 77 per cent are women

• 60 per cent of carers care for a person with a disability for more than 100 hours per week

• The largest group of carers are aged 45-54 years

Source: ABS publication Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia, 2004

Billions needed to fight dementia: BryceAn extra $1 billion of funding is needed to combat the rise of dementia over the next five years, Governor-General Quentin Bryce says.

Bryce, a patron of Alzheimer’s Australia, thanked the peak body for helping establish dementia as “a national health priority”, but said more needed to be done. “We were the first country in the world to have achieved that, and with

Som

e of

the

new

s it

ems

are

than

ks to

AA

P.

bipartisan support. Today, you continue to maintain the drive on an unfinished project which needs, I believe, another $1 billion over the next five years for research that targets prevention and quality of care that can span five, 10, 15, 20 years.” - Ehssan Veiszadeh

Eldery an easy target for abuseChild abuse receives more attention than elder abuse as kids are cuter and people can “get away” with abusing seniors, a world expert told The Advertiser newspaper in Adelaide.

Professor Laura Mosqueda, the University of California’s director of geriatrics, spoke at an Aged Rights Advocacy Service conference in Adelaide in June. She said: “Children are cute. You get compelling imagery related to children. There’s a lot of ageism involved and I don’t think we value our elderly as we should. The other thing is, you can get away with it. The people who are most likely to be abused cannot speak for themselves and, as children get older, they can speak for themselves.” Mosqueda said all healthcare professionals had a responsibility to spot abuse through observation.

Smart Home launch for smart stateA demonstration facility, showcasing the latest assistive technology, was officially opened by Queensland Health Minister Paul Lucas in May, as part of the Queensland Smart Home Initiative.

Located at assistive technology provider LifeTec’s premises in Newmarket, the facility provides the chance to touch and feel the technology. When installed in the home, these devices assist older people and people with special and ongoing needs to carry out everyday activities and maintain their safety and independence in the home.

Above: Ian and Helen Thomas with their daughter, Karyn, whom they care for.

senior news bites

Yvonne BaillieLink co-founder

Yvonne was the wife of disability advocate Jeff Heath. Together they owned and ran Link from 1994 until Heath passed away, aged 49, after a battle with cancer.

Driven by a united passion for the rights of people with a disability and a determination

to have these issues heard, Baillie and Heath successfully ran Link for a decade. Although the pair had little publishing experience when they took over the reins, they quickly learnt everything about creating, publishing and funding the entire magazine. Th ey worked tirelessly to ensure Link maintained its role as the voice of disability issues. Without Baillie and Heath, Link would have quietly disappeared as a teenager, instead of raucously singing happy birthday for the 30th time!

“Everything I’ve always done has been through passion. I’ve never done anything I wasn’t passionate about,” Baillie says. “I really believe in the disability rights movement and I like the fact that through Link I was able to do something to assist people. When the opportunity came to run Link, we didn’t have to think about whether we would do it or not – we just took it on.”

Baillie says: “I found it an exciting journey. I loved the excitement of meeting deadlines and fi nding good stories. I also loved doing the graphic design. And, I got so much from it too - met so many interesting people. I am so glad I did it. I’m delighted Lee-anne Sparkes (manager of Inprint, which now publishes Link), took the project on and loves it. She has continued to make it grow and I’m glad it is still in the hands of people with a disability. And, to still be going after 30 years – it’s wonderful!”

Kate TreloarLink editor, 2004-2007, and journalist, 2001-2004

Happy birthday Link! Th irty years is a long time in any business. To still be going strong in publishing after all this time is an incredible achievement. I loved working with the Link teams I was a part

of. Jeff and Yvonne were an incredible duo, who taught me so much about standing up for what’s right, never giving up and always fi nding a way to do what needs to be done. Inprint is a fantastic organisation - almost like a second family - which is doing wonders in guiding Link in its fourth decade. And, of course, there are all the Link contributors and readers too - what a wonderful collective. Together, I think we can all feel proud of making a diff erence in the disability community. I look forward to watching Link grow over the next 30 years!

Bill ShortenParliamentary Secretary for Disabilities

For the last 30 years, we have had Link Magazine, in its various incarnations, recording the successes and the setbacks, highlighting the issues facing people with disability and providing

a voice and a forum for the community. During that time, the magazine has become a fi xture in the disability world and has a reputation for providing useful and accurate information for its readers.

Link Magazine’s staff have spent three decades producing a quality magazine that is not just of benefi t to people with disability, but to their families, friends and carers, and to anyone who wants to educate themselves about what it is like to live with a disability. In a country where disability issues are still largely ignored through the mainstream media, this is a valuable thing.


In August 1980, Link Disability Magazine was born. Here, we toast the glossy’s entrance into its fourth decade, with birthday comments from a few familiar faces and others’ thoughts on personally turning the big 3-0.

LINK TURNS 30!

feature | partytime

Ken BakerNational Disability Services chief executive

Resilience, energy and determination are qualities I associate with Link magazine, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Link’s continuing record of professionalism, readability and commitment to the rights of people

with disability is a great tribute to its founders, its publishers and editors and the people, who have been associated with it over many years.

Personal thoughts on turning the big 3-0

Heath FrancisParalympic triple-gold medallist runner, aged 28

“(Th e prospect of) turning 30 is quite exciting. I’m really happy with where I am in my life (right now). I’ve got a great job, an amazing girlfriend, wonderful family and friends, and an amazing opportunity to represent my

country at the Commonwealth Games this year. It’s strange to think that I’m near the end of my career, as it was just the other day that I was the youngest male team member of the World Championship team in Birmingham. Way back in 1998! Whilst 30 is just a number, it’s the experiences that I’ve been able to have up to that point that makes 30 a great age (to reach).

I’ve now had a disability for 21 years and, in that time I’ve seen the prosthetics that I use improve, the opportunities available in sport improve, and a greater involvement of people with disabilities in everyday life. I’m really optimistic about the next 30 years!”

Eric MelliesA member of NOVA Employment’s Katoomba job seeker group, aged 30

Like Link, Eric Mellies is the big 3-0 – and it’s a milestone he thinks is worth celebrating.

From NSW’s Blue Mountains, Mellies has a physical disability as a result of a car

accident seven years ago. Th e 30-year-old was in a head-on collision, caused by another driver, which left him with

several broken limbs, including his right leg, left foot and right arm, plus a fractured jaw. Mellies recalls the night of the accident: “I just saw the headlights of this car cross over to my side. I tried to veer off as much as I could on the shoulder, but I didn’t have enough time to brake. (Th e driver) ran straight into me. I blacked out a few times and, when I woke up, the windscreen had just disappeared and the car was a total write-off . I had to be cut out by the fi re brigade – the Jaws of Life.”

Aged 23 at the time, Mellies spent much time in hospital and rehabilitation, including learning to walk again. But, his young dream of becoming a gyprocker or plasterer was shattered. His physical disability has meant he can’t stand for long periods. “I was pretty angry and all of that, at fi rst, but now I think I’ve just got to look at the positives and thank God that I’m still here and able to walk around. I know that I’m lucky. It could have been worse. I just try to look at what I can do - and not worry about what I can’t.”

Th rough disability service NOVA Employment, Mellies has obtained a forklift license and a bus driver authority and the organisation is actively job-seeking on his behalf. Mellies is looking for work as a forklift, taxi or courtesy bus driver.

Th e friendly character had a big bash to celebrate his 30th birthday with families and friends. On turning the big 3-0, he says: “It’s been good. I just feel a bit more mature - and wiser!”

And, his words of advice for other people with disabilities? “Anything can be possible if you put your mind to it.”


Also in August 1980...• Baby Azaria Chamberlain disappeared

from an Uluru campsite, reportedly taken by a dingo.

• Hurricane Allen pounded the south-east of Texas in the US.

• American President Jimmy Carter defeated Edward Kennedy to win renomination in New York.

• A terrorist bombing at a railway station in Bologna, Italy, killed 85 people.

• Genghis Khan’s song, Moskau, was top of the Aussie music charts – the same year the Moscow Olympics was held.

Source: Wikipedia


cover story | theva-va-voomofburlesque

beauty of Burlesque

Dita Von Teese could perhaps be credited with thrusting burlesque into the mainstream in the modern day.

The American star is the epitome of the provocative performance art - featuring striptease and satire - with her dark curls, vampy red lips, milky complexion and racy curves.

But, the glitz and glamour of the burlesque world can, of course, also be sampled closer to home. And, most recently, it’s dipped its red-painted toes in the disability arena.

Three local women have been brought together in the name of burlesque by Adelaide’s No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability, a contemporary theatre company, which provides creative opportunities and training programs for artists with disabilities.

No Strings artistic associate Maude Davey, as a mentor, is helping performers Rachel High and Emma J. Hawkins devise burlesque pieces for the Feast Festival – Adelaide’s lesbian and gay culture fest - in November. Some will recognise Hawkins, who performed as a stilt-walking ballerina of short stature in Circus Oz at the Adelaide Fringe. High, who has Down syndrome, has performed in major productions for Restless Dance Theatre, as well as No Strings.

On the collaboration, Davey says: “No Strings is about making connections with artists with disabilities and the broader artistic community and also just about making great work. These pieces will feature as part of (the intimate stage show) Salon de Dance... It’s kind of this massive, beautiful, mad variety show that happens in this kind of demented space. It’s sexy and

it’s outrageous and it’s experimental and it’s weird - and it’s just really delightful!”

For High, all she knew about burlesque before trying her hand at it was that the performers did tricks and there was “something called pasties” involved (as in, nipple covers). “I was a little bit nervous, but since working with Maude, I’ve been more open to it. I feel really good and have fun with the moves!”

Hawkins, a freelance artist, says while she’s been “around the traps” performance-wise, attempting burlesque was also daunting for her at first. “I thought, ‘Oh my god. Am I going to be able to do it? Will I have to get my clothes off?’ (But) meeting

Maude, I’ve found it’s not all about taking your clothes off. It’s really quite an interesting art-form. I’m quite excited about (our performance) - it’s going to be completely out there for burlesque!”

Davey has worked in theatre, film and TV as an actor, director and writer (including starring in the movie, My Year Without Sex) and dabbled in burlesque in the early 90s. After a brief hiatus, she now regularly performs as a guest artist in stage show The Burlesque Hour, led by Jackie Smith and Moira Finucane. (Davey recently travelled to Slovenia with the show.)

Teaching others the art of burlesque has been something new for her. But, it’s a challenge she’s relishing. When Link spoke to her during High and Hawkins’ first week in creative development, the pair appeared to have come out of their shells quite easily. “This afternoon, we’re going to look at ‘pasties’. It’s been pretty uninhibited,” Davey says, laughing.

Sequins, bling and feather boas will be de rigueur at a new performance by artists with disabilities in Adelaide, Carla Caruso finds.

“In burlesque, your body is your instrument.”

D


Top: Rachel High (left) and Emma J. Hawkins share a giggle in between practice sessions. Bottom L-R: Emma J. Hawkins preens before practise, while Rachel High tries her hand at feather boa work. Photography by James Elsby.

Still, she quickly adds: “I don’t do the ‘bumps and grinds’. I’m not interested in that. The ‘bump and grind’ is great as a reference point, but what can you do beyond that? How can you use the conventions of burlesque to say something, explore something that is interesting, or that is a grander metaphor? That’s what I’m interested in. Although, we’ve had some fun with feather boas and we’ve done a bit of strutting and preening and pouting, I’m not the sort of person that goes, ‘Let’s learn the shimmy.’”

For Davey, burlesque acts always have to have a “political undercurrent and be about something”. “There’s always an idea at the base of it. (A lot of) burlesque these days is about getting your gear off, down to your pasties and twirl. But, to me, getting your gear off is the least important part of the act. It’s what happens then that’s the most important thing.”

Throwing disability into the mix, Davey says, is about challenging audience perceptions. “The very best theatre that is made with artists, who have a disability or who are differently abled, reveals the world in a different way. You look at it and you think, ‘I’ve never thought that before; I’ve never seen that before, but I understand it differently (now).’”

Such work celebrates the performers and allows them to be unique and extraordinary, she says. “If I just watch something and I go, ‘Geez, they can talk well or move well’, that, for me, has failed. What I want is to be engaged with the performer to such an extent that I empathise with them in the same way as I would with anyone else; that I recognise myself in them. That’s what I want. In some ways, (disability) is completely beside the point, but in other ways - because it’s a physical thing and we’re looking at people, who look different - then it’s absolutely the point, because in burlesque your body is your instrument. That’s what you’ve got. That’s the expressive tool.”

(Another company to challenge audience perceptions in a similar way recently was Adelaide’s Restless Dance Theatre, which features young, disabled and non-disabled artists. It created a new dance work about female beauty, aptly entitled Beauty, in July.)

Taking burlesque to the masses, Davey also led a workshop in Adelaide in June, especially for women with disabilities, co-sponsored by No Strings and the Disability and Arts Transition Team. Getting participants in the “sexy zone” wasn’t too hard. Davey explains: “If you say to a performer, ‘OK now, I want you to be sexy’, it’s awkward. You get really self-conscious. What you need to do is unlock ways of being or moving in the space… (and you can) unlock stuff that you would never, ever find if you said, ‘Be sexy’.” Indeed. Let the preening begin!

“We’ve done a bit of strutting and preening and pouting.”


Burlesque fast facts• In Europe in the early 18th century, burlesque was

known as a form of musical and theatrical parody, in which a piece of opera or classical theatre was adapted in a broad, often risqué style. In late 19th century - in the UK particularly – such colourful productions became hugely popular.

• It was in America during the 20th century that burlesque became associated with a variety show, in which striptease was at the helm.

• Burlesque moves include the shimmy, the quiver, and the bump-and-grind.

• Despite her dark, sultry looks today, US burlesque star Dita Von Teese, in her school days, had long, blonde hair and sunny girl-next-door looks.

cover story | theva-va-voomofburlesque


Cup fever Bring on the vuvuzelas! Special Olympics Australia soccer player Ben Haack competed alongside sporting legends and celebrities in the inaugural match of the Special Olympics’ Unity Cup in South Africa.

The match took place at Cape Town Stadium on July 3, before a quarter-final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Cup is all about getting people to reject the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding people with an intellectual disability and replacing them with an attitude of inclusion, acceptance and diversity.

The team of 16 athletes, all of whom have an intellectual disability, were selected from hundreds of applicants from around the world. Haack, a Queenslander, got to play alongside stars including Kevin Keegan, a former soccer player and manager of several English clubs, Alan Shearer, a former Newcastle United and all-time Premier League goal scorer, and Clarence Seedorf, of AC Milan.

Haack’s selection follows his triumph at the recent Special Olympics National Games in Adelaide, where he helped coach the Queensland state football team to gold. The 27-year-old, who has Asperger’s syndrome, reckons joining Special Olympics has transformed his life: “When I play football, I feel free. I just focus on playing the best (I can) and I enjoy the game.” For more, head to specialolympics.com.au.

Athlete q&asHeath FrancisThe champion runner heads to India to compete in the Commonwealth Games in October. Francis was just seven years old when he lost his right arm in an accident on his family’s farm. Link asked...

Ever been to India before? I haven’t been to India. It’s a place I’ve read a lot about and I’m fascinated by the many cultures, languages and religions that developed on the subcontinent. A lot of my friends are from India and one of my best friends is from the south of India and I love hearing her stories from her childhood, and when she goes back. So, I’m really excited about going there and hopefully - despite the security - I’ll be able to experience some of the India I’ve heard so much about.

From a competition perspective, I think it’s going to be amazing. The Commonwealth Games is an amazing competition and I think Delhi’s going to really put on an amazing spectacle.

Will your partner, Rujeko, be watching from the sidelines? Unfortunately, Rujeko has university commitments and won’t be able to make it over to Delhi. She’ll be

Left: The Coca-Cola Company CEO and chairman and SpeciaI Olympics International board member Muhtar Kent with Unity Cup participants Ben Haack, a Special Olympics Australia athlete, and Clarence Seedorf, an AC Milan player. Photo: Diego Azubel. Right: Heath Francis at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.

sports


supporting me, however, from back home, cheering at the television and hoping I run the best race possible.

Rujeko’s support means the world to me. It enables me to put myself through the gruelling routine that I have to each day to prepare for Delhi as I know I have her 100 per cent support. Even though we’re living in separate cities, we talk everyday. If I’m tired and frustrated at a day that hasn’t gone the way I’d planned it to, she’s there to encourage me and help me refocus. She’s amazing!

Most important ingredient in sporting success? Hard work! There is no substitute for this. Yes, you have to have some talent and a bit of luck. But I’m a big believer of making your own luck and, I think, the harder you work, the luckier you become!

As a role model for people with disabilities, what do you hope to shine a spotlight on? I think all too often people from the general public look at a disabled person and think what they can’t do. I think the Paralympics is a wonderful showcase of what people with disabilities can do. I hope that through my involvement of the Paralympics that people will change this mindset and I think that this is slowly happening.

Fave pastimes? I love hiking. When I finish running, I want to spend a lot more time in the great outdoors! There are also so many places I want to see and cultures I want to experience. Whilst I’m still involved in sport, my favourite pastime is

chilling out with friends and watching reruns of my favourite BBC series.

How has being a country boy - and the youngest sibling - shaped you? I think growing up in the country makes you more independent and centred. You also learn to be very comfortable in your own skin as you spend a lot of time on your own or with only a few people. Being the youngest sibling probably saw me spoiled by both my mum and my elder brother. Being the youngest also made me very competitive, as I was always trying to do things better than my elder brother!

Ryley Batt NSW’s Batt will compete in the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships (also known as “murderball”) in Canada in September. Batt was born without legs. As a youngster, he refused to use a wheelchair, preferring to ride his skateboard - until age 12 when he was introduced to murderball. Link asked...

Your training schedule in the lead-up to the world championships? Six to seven sessions a week, involving weights, chair skills and power.

Left: Heath Francis at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. Right: Ryley Batt (left) at the Wheelchair Rugby Four Nations Tournament in Sydney, from April to May. Australia won the tournament without conceding a single game.

sports


Troops go for Paralympic gold under new recruitment programTroops injured on the job will soon be encouraged to become elite athletes. The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) has teamed up with Defence to provide new opportunities for wounded diggers.

APC president Greg Hartung and head of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston launched the ADF Paralympic Sports Program in Canberra in May.

Hartung said: “Both Australian Paralympians and members of the Australian Defence Force strive to do the best job possible and be the best they can be under the Australian flag. We hope that ... this partnership is able to produce some world-class athletes, as well as help ADF members, who have acquired a disability, to rehabilitate and move on with their lives.”

Athletes with disabilities weren’t forgotten in the 2010/11 Federal Budget, with $16 million dedicated to the APC’s high-performance programs and to support the broadcast of their 2012 Paralympic Games. - Bonny Symons-Brown, AAP

The goal? To win the world champs and play the best I can!

Incur many injuries via the sport? We train to prevent injuries, so the chairs take the most injuries – it’s mainly just joint pains for me!

Your team? The team is the closest it has ever been. We are all mates and there are a lot of jokers in the team.

Biggest rivals? Well, the US is current number one in the world, so they would be the most fiercest rivals.

Feel like you live in an airport sometimes? Yeah, airports are not my favourite places, but it is a thing you have to do for your love of the sport of wheelchair rugby.

Fave spectator sport? I’m a big fan of motocross, so anything with motorbikes.

Kicking back in my home town of Port Macquarie, I like to... Hang out with my mates, motorbike ride, jet-ski and play water sports.

Still into skateboarding? I haven’t jumped on a skateboard for five or so years – I lost my love for that sport!

www.fahcsia.gov.au

Improved Support for CarersIt is now easier to claim financial assistance if you are caring for a

child under 16 with a severe disability or medical condition• Single assessment for Carer Payment and Carer Allowance for carers of children under 16

• Assessments recognise the level of care required by the child and provided by the carer

• Easier transition from the child Carer Payment and Carer Allowance to the adult payments

• Individually customised forms provided to carers when their child is 15 years and 9 months

• Child payments available for up to 3 months after the child’s 16th birthday to give carers time to complete the adult claim

Carer Payment provides income support to carers who, because of the demands of their caring role, are unable to support themselves through substantial paid employment.

Carer Allowance is an income supplement available to carers who provide daily care and attention in a private home to a person with disability or a medical condition.

For more information:• visit the payment page on Centrelink’s website,

www.centrelink.gov.au• telephone Centrelink on 13 2717 or for TTY service 1800 810 586• telephone the Indigenous Call Centre on 13 6380• telephone assistance in languages other than English on 13 1202• visit your nearest Centrelink office

adcorp28446


opinion | kenbaker

Time for change

Ken Baker, the chief executive of National

Disability Services, ponders changes to the

Disability Support Pension and job opportunities for

people with disabilities.

Four years after the Howard Government tightened eligibility for the Disability Support Pension (DSP), the Federal Labor Government is making further changes to the DSP.

A review of the Impairment Tables, one of two key tests for the DSP, has just commenced. The other test is ‘continuing inability to work’. The 2010 Budget announced that a yet-to-be-determined number of DSP applicants will be placed on Newstart Allowance, with training and support, to determine if they have a continuing inability to work. Newstart Allowance pays less than the DSP and requires job search activities. The Government expects to save $383 million over four years from this measure.

The rules governing eligibility for the DSP are complex and news of changes – however, minor - usually generates controversy and uncertainty. Yet, it is unlikely that the push to reform the DSP will disappear, whichever party is in political office.

The main reason is the cost. Around 770,000 Australians of working age receive the DSP at a cost of around $13 billion a year. These figures have risen markedly over the past decade.

Federal Labor deserves credit for boosting the pension in its 2009 Budget. The DSP now stands at $322 a week for a single person. Although, this is markedly less than the Federal minimum wage (which has just risen to $570), it is $90 more than Newstart Allowance.

The Coalition’s Welfare to Work reforms, implemented in July 2006, tightened the work capacity test for the DSP from 30 hours to 15 hours. This means that if a person is assessed as able to work 15 hours or more a week at the minimum wage, without needing ongoing support services, then he


or she could be eligible for the DSP. Existing DSP recipients were exempted from the new rules.

Around 770,000 Australians receive the disability support pension at a cost of

around $13 billion a year.

The 2006 legislation was complex, controversial and - for many people who thought they were affected - confusing. Although the reforms were part of a bigger package, which included boosting disability employment services, public attention focussed on the tightening of the pension rules. The Employment Minister at the time, Kevin Andrews, had the unenviable task of guiding a large, complex and controversial Bill through parliament just weeks before introducing another large, complex and controversial Bill - Work Choices. We know the fate of Work Choices. Did Welfare to Work have a more lasting effect? Was it worth all the effort and angst?

The short answer in relation to the DSP is ‘no’. Welfare to Work joins a line of unsuccessful measures in this area. According to ‘Australia’s Future Tax System’ (the Henry Review): “Previous efforts to address deficiencies in the test for continuing inability to work have failed. Changes in 1995-96 to require decision-makers to think more broadly about ‘any work’ and on-the-job training had no impact on DSP inflows. Similarly, the expected reduction to the DSP inflow under ‘Welfare to Work’ was not realised.”

Welfare to Work did substantially reduce the growth rate of the Parenting Payment Single (PPS) population, but its impact on the DSP population was short-lived. In 2004, the DSP population grew by 3.5 per cent. Following the legislative changes it dipped, but has since risen to 3.3 per cent in 2009.

Should government, therefore, give up fiddling with the DSP? There is nothing at all wrong with reviewing the DSP periodically to ensure its integrity. But, measures to reduce the DSP growth won’t succeed unless they interact positively with two factors that have a major effect on the DSP: the availability of other forms of income support and access to employment opportunities.

Part of the explanation for the growth of the DSP population is the closure of other avenues of income support. Much of the growth in the DSP population over the past decade has been propelled by women. It’s no coincidence that over the same period the Age Pension age for women has increased and wife and widow pensions have been closed off.

Australia lags badly in its employment rate of people with disability.

Another part of the explanation is inadequate access to employment opportunities for people with disability. Australia lags badly in its employment rate of people with disability. Two-thirds of OECD countries do better and several – including Finland, Denmark and Switzerland – have employment rates above 50 per cent (compared to Australia’s 39.8 per cent in 2003). Worse, the employment rate here is slipping. It fell by 2.1 per cent in the decade to the mid-2000s. Fewer than two per cent of DSP recipients in Australia leave the pension to take up paid employment.

National Disability Services, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry have recently commenced a pilot project in Victoria to raise awareness among employers and strengthen the connection between employers and disability employment services. People with disability, who require support to gain and sustain employment, deserve to get it.

And stair lifts to suit just about every type of stairway.

AreStairs

a Problem?

Master Lifts has a range of vertical lifts that can be custom made to suit your home

STANDING OR SEATEDINTERNAL OR EXTERNAL

WHEELCHAIR

Master Lifts also supplies

DumbwaitersPool and Spa Lifts

available through 26 contact centres around Australia

Phone Mark & Sandy

8326 0972

[email protected]

20 linkmagazine August2010—Vol19/320 linkmagazine August2010—Vol19/3

link | food

Ingredients1 small onion1 tablespoon of butter½ teaspoon of turmeric½ teaspoon of ground cloves1 teaspoon of ground cumin4 skinless chicken thighs ½ red capsicum

½ cup of frozen peas1 ½ cups of chicken stock¾ cup of Arborio rice¼ cup of sultanas

Chicken Risotto

Equipment1 chopping board1 knife1 tablespoon1 teaspoon½ teaspoon1 large casserole dish (with lid)

Oven gloves1 cup, ½ cup and ¼ cup1 wooden spoon


Independent Living Skills Inc has released its Easy Cook Book 5, including 28

brand new recipes (like the yummy chicken risotto dish, below.)Th e Easy Cook Book series was originally designed for people with disabilities or low literacy skills,

but they have proven a valuable aid for any kitchen. Th e large format, spiral-bound books include

step-by-step recipes, colour photos and wipe-clean, laminated pages. To buy a copy, head to

easycookbook.org.

FOOD BITELicence to cook

A new South Australian guide, giving carers practical advice on preparing food for people with a disability, is now available – and receiving interest from across the country.

State Disability Minister Jennifer Rankine said the guide, Licence to Cook, provided a range of tips from nutrition – including ideas for people on modifi ed diets – to making good choices at the supermarket. “It equips staff and carers with the right information to best help those they care for to stay safe and well by preventing a range of very serious issues, such as choking and illnesses, including respiratory disease.”

Independently reviewed by speech pathologists and dieticians, Licence to Cook was trialled by staff at supported accommodation venue Strathmont Centre and in some community houses. Th e package is now in the hands of all Disability SA residential and community services and has been used to help train disability support offi cers in the Australian Capital Territory.

Th e Licence to Cook package is available to buy via the Service SA website, service.sa.gov.au.

Ingredients1 small onion

Equipment

Oven gloves1 cup, ½ cup and ¼ cup1 wooden spoon

step-by-step recipes, colour photos and wipe-clean, laminated pages. To buy a copy, head to

Enjoy!

Method• Peel the onion and chop fi nely.• Place the onion, rice, butter and spices in the microwave oven dish.• Cover and cook on High for two minutes.• Wash capsicum and deseed. Cut the capsicum and chicken into cubes.• Add the chicken, capsicum, stock and sultanas.

Stir well.• Cover and cook on High for 10 minutes. • Remove lid with care. Add peas. Stir well.• Cover and cook on High for six minutes.


Can-do-ability<candoability.com.au>

Written by Jo-Blogs, a young, female wheelchair user, this site is sponsored by her employer, NOVA Employment. It focuses on general news items on disability, especially

events happening in NSW. If you want outrageous views from a stroppy crip, this is not the place, but if you want to keep up-to-date with local disability issues, you’ll fi nd it interesting.

Disablog<disablog.com>

For a more independent voice, try Disablog. With its motto, “It isn’t inspirational…it’s real”, this blog demonstrates the importance of universal accessibility with YouTube clips of elderly people falling down escalators. Posts like “Up Yours, Walking Losers” feature alongside clips from Glee and reviews of the latest adaptive technology.

feature | bloggingaboutdisability

Illustration: Daniella Caruso, daniella-caruso.blogspot.com

WIDEN your net

Daniela’s journey to independence<danielasjourney.blogspot.com>

Daniela is an American student, with a disability, who is in her fi nal year at high school. Her blog describes her adventures through school as she prepares to go to college. She discusses looking for work and learning the skills, like cooking, that she’ll need to become an independent adult, as well as more pressing teenage concerns like prom and graduation. Th is is a great blog for teenagers with disabilities and their parents. You can even join Daniela’s Facebook group if you want to get in touch with her other fans.

Ouch!<bbc.co.uk/blogs/ouch/>

Ouch! is the BBC’s long-running radio show on all things disabled. Th eir blog is a light-hearted look at news, gossip and trivia in the disability world. Written by staff at the BBC, it has a decidedly English focus and is, arguably, the best-known disability blog around.

Th ere are countless blogs and internet groups out there aimed at people with disabilities, ranging from offi cial news bulletins from support organisations to funny and often outrageous viewpoints from individuals with something to say, as Anthea Skinner reports.


Do you want to know more? You can fi nd lists of disability-related blogs at the following sites:

• Networked Blogs: networkedblogs.com/topic/disability

• E-Ability: e-bility.com/links/blogs.php

• Hopeful Parents: hopefulparents.org/blog-directory/

• Th e Ragged Edge: raggededgemagazine.com/blogindex.html

Anthea Skinner was diagnosed with CFS/ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) and Meniere’s disease as a teen. She is a postgraduate student at Monash University’s Conservatorium of Music and gives regular talks on disability issues.

Special Olympics Australia on Facebook<facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsAustralia>

If you’re a fan of the Special Olympics, or a Special Olympian yourself, then this is the place for you. It has updates on events and try-outs, news stories about participants, volunteer opportunities, lots of photos, and a chance to have your say.

Grit Media on Facebook<facebook.com/pages/GRIT-MEDIA/126495861313>

Grit Media is the production company behind the TV show, No Limits, and radio program Th e Boldness. Grit Media’s motto is “shamelessly disabled” and this group takes that philosophy online. By joining their Facebook group, youcan contact other fans, fi nd out what’s on the shows, and even make suggestions or become a volunteer yourself.

feature | bloggingaboutdisability

Also check out the Purple Orange blog at juliafarrrobbi.blogspot.com, penned by Robbi Williams, the CEO of the Julia Farr Association, an Adelaide organisation, which researches ideas and policies helpful to people with disability.


Accessible travel consultant and writer Bruce Mumford helps you plan your next holiday.

Hi. My name’s Bruce Mumford and I’ve had Multiple

Sclerosis since 1990. I kept teaching Drama and History until things got too diffi cult physically and I had to retire

from full-time work in 1997. Since that time, I’ve done quite a bit of travelling with the family.

We’ve been to Japan, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and even (had lunch in) Luxembourg. We’ve also travelled around much of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Makes me exhausted just thinking about it! And, how did we aff ord it when being disabled can make even simple things so much more expensive? Th ere were a few little tricks I used, but more of that later.

My wife, Louise, is an art teacher, who very handily specialises in photography, and we have two boys, now aged 15 and 19. I thought it was important to go travelling with them while I still could; and while they still wanted to. Amazingly – and despite all the diffi culties - they still do!

I’ve been doing a bit of work on accessible travel and tourism for overseas tourist organisations, as well as here in Australia and for our local Access Committee and tourism offi ce in the NSW Southern Highlands.

I’m going to present a few articles on travelling with a disability, starting with this one on what to do before you go.

Trip ready

feature | trip-planningforaccessibletravel


It’s important for anyone to get organised for a trip here or overseas, but when you’ve got a disability it’s essential! Here are some tips.

• Make sure you take plenty of any medication you may need. Never try to buy it overseas. It will be enormously expensive or may not be available. Get a covering letter from your doctor (and make copies) and make sure the airline is aware. Needles are OK in the hold, but if you need to take them as cabin luggage, you’ll need to make special arrangements.

• You also need to choose a good airline and inform them of your special needs. We’ve tried some cut-price airlines and, a few wobbly luggage hoists and flights of stairs later, I can tell you it ain’t worth it! Contact the airline well ahead to arrange seating. We found the best place was up the very back, right near the toilets.

• Almost all airlines will take your wheelchair free (that includes electric ones - and yes, just about all their batteries are safe to fly). You’ll need to arrive at check-in a bit earlier to book it in and to get a wheelchair for use at the airport. Ask for a staff member to help you through to the plane. This has the added advantage of giving you quick checking through customs. You’ll be put in an “aisle chair”, which is a wheelchair narrow enough to get you down to your seat on the plane, and you’ll get taken to your seat first. Unfortunately, this also means that you’ll be last to get off, but don’t worry. With the VIP service through customs, you’ll be first at the luggage carousel! And ask for staff help

all the way through as it will make things much easier and quicker.

• When travelling, if you are disabled, it’s very important to book ahead. Unfortunately, your days of just dropping into a town and grabbing somewhere to stay on the spur of the moment are over. We started booking accommodation almost a year prior for overseas trips and the internet is a wonderful (and cheap) tool for this. It’s great for local holidays too. I’ve been using takeabreak.com.au for planning our next trip and it has a very effective system for finding accessible accommodation, with excellent feedback from the owners. It’s often a good idea to get outside pictures, as well as an inside plan of the place you’ll be staying. I found myself spending a lot of time there, while the rest of the family went off exploring, so a nice view was important! Too many places think it’s fine to put the accessible cabin down some pit at the back of the park, where no one else wants to be. You feel like shouting: “I’m not dead yet!”

• An easy way of gauging how suitable accommodation will be is by how promptly and helpfully managers reply to your queries (a template for these is provided at the end of this article). The local tourist office is often a good place to start for recommendations on

feature | trip-planningforaccessibletravel

Top: A disabled toilet sign in China, which Bruce Mumford found rather amusing. Bottom: The author with his son Rohan, in Bowral, NSW.

Templates Below are some proformas for emails I have sent to help me prepare for a holiday.

Accommodation

Hi,

My name is and I and my family of [specify how many and ages, if necessary] would like to book suitable accommodation for [specify intended arrival date and departure].

I have [your condition] and need [‘to use a wheelchair’ or other relevant details].

Do you have a suitable accessible room, without entrance steps? Could you please detail the width of doorways, height of tables and benches, location of telephone, provision of grab rails in bathroom, accessibility of shower and toilet, amount of circulation space? [Modify this to suit your particular needs.]

What would the cost of this room be for the requested nights?

Many thanks,[NameAddressPhone number (including area code)Email address]

Attractions

Hi,

My name is and I will be visiting your area on [date(s)]. I have [your condition] and use a [wheelchair/walking frame/crutches/lot of bad language].

Would your attraction be accessible for me?

Do we need to make a specific booking?

What would the cost be for myself and my family?

Are there any discounts I should be aware of for myself or my family? [be aware that many venues now accept the Companion Card, if you have one]

If you are accessible, do you mind me passing on your details to ? [name your relevant disability organisation. This may help you get a discount!]

Many thanks,[NameAddressPhone number (including area code)Email address]


Some useful web addressesLocal

takeabreak.com.au

wheelieeasy.com.au (Queensland)

e-bility.com.au

nican.com.au (Australia-wide disability services)

southaustralia.com/AccessibleTravel.aspx (South Australia)

Overseas

tournet.ning.com (global information by Scott Rains in the US)

xable.com (the US)

accomobility.co.nz (New Zealand)

accesstourismnz.org.nz (New Zealand)

rollontravel.com (Walter Volker, Thailand accessible tours etc.)

And, there’s me at: [email protected].

accessible accommodation and attractions, as well as places to hire wheelchairs/scooters/equipment. In general, I found it’s better to exaggerate rather than downplay your level of disability. That way you’re less likely to end up somewhere unsuitable.

I’ve been to quite a few “fairly accessible” places that were pretty well impossible for someone with moderate disability.

• You’ll want travel insurance; if only to cover any medical emergencies overseas. We had to pay a little more to cover my “pre-existing condition”, but it wasn’t at all hard to get. Most insurance companies will be happy to cover for everything apart from your illness!

• If you suffer from incontinence, for men, I’d strongly recommend wearing a leg bag when travelling as it takes away a lot of the pressure of trying to find a toilet in time. Continence underpants can be good too, but they’re quite bulky to transport.

• If you’ve got someone happy to push, I’ve found a manual wheelchair, rather than an electric one, much less hassle to take on a trip.

• Don’t forget your disabled parking pass if you’ve got one. I’ve tried to organise passes for other countries, but they never eventuated. So, we just used our Australian sticker and had no problems at all. Taking some spare disability symbols can be handy too. You can get them from most disability organisations.

• And, don’t be afraid to say you could do with help. It’s taken me a while to work this out, but most places are set up to cater for disabled people and are only too happy to help if given notice. You might be pleasantly surprised and even find yourself at the front of the queue for once!


opinion | katetreloar

These days, it’s standard procedure for pregnant mothers to be offered disability testing for their unborn child. But, as Kate Treloar discovered, the potentially life-changing implications of such testing aren’t always acknowledged.

To see

or not to see...

Early in my first pregnancy, I stumbled across an article about foetal disability testing that hit me like a thunderbolt. It claimed that, for too many people who received “negative” results, the testing did more harm than good.

This was primarily because few parents-to-be are counselled adequately - if at all - about the implications of “non-perfect” results. Of course, few people go into pregnancy or disability testing expecting problems. So, when an issue (such as Down syndrome or spina bifida) is detected, it is usually a shock.

The article I read also claimed that too often a problem in pregnancy was accompanied by an assumption of termination from medical staff. An assumption parents in shock could be too open to taking on board… These concepts made a serious impact on me.

I decided to do my own counselling. I not only read and read, but did some genuine soul-searching. Fortunately, my partner was receptive to discussions about what we’d do if our child had a disability and we talked through it at length.

So, when the day came and we were told at one of my regular hospital appointments, “OK, you’re at 12 weeks, it’s time to book you in for such-and-such a test,” I was prepared.

Firstly, I noticed that there was – as this article had warned – zero counselling. This was the time when it was needed.

Nobody was preparing me for a test that could deliver bad news. It was just treated as the next box to be ticked. Even if they provided counselling at the testing clinic – isn’t that a bit late, as you’re sitting there about to have the test? No time for reflection there.

My partner and I, through our long talks, had concluded we would never abort a baby somebody had told us wasn’t medically “perfect”. So, we decided against all disability testing.

I know this decision put us in the minority amongst my peers, who virtually all took the testing as a matter of course. But I didn’t want to spend the pregnancy –

something meant to be an amazing time – worried or upset about something we couldn’t change or, even worse, feeling pressured that I shouldn’t be continuing.

I have since heard the view that even if you have no intention of terminating, whatever the result, knowing if there was “something” allowed you to better prepare both emotionally and practically.

I like this idea. Childbirth is already overwhelming, so avoiding surprises is desirable! If I have any more children, I feel I’ve now gone full circle and am mature enough to deal with the complex implications of testing. Though, from what I’ve seen, the average parent-to-be isn’t given enough preparation to deal with this potentially life-changing set of tests.

“Firstly, I noticed that there was zero counselling.

Nobody was preparing me for a test that could deliver

bad news.”

To see

or not to see...

spotlight | judimccabe

The Maternal and Child Health Service in Victoria provides a universal service to all families, with children from birth to school-age, state-wide.

Th e service is jointly funded by state and local governments and provides families 10 free key ‘ages and stages’ visits for their children. Th e focus of the service is to provide support to families in the areas of parenting and the health and development of their children.

Th is includes early detection of physical, developmental, emotional and social factors, which aff ect children and their families. Th e service provides referrals to services and links to community agencies, relevant to the needs of the families. Th e 10 key visits include an initial home visit, followed by a two-week, four-week, eight-week, four-month, eight-month, 12-month, 18-month, two-year, and three-and-a-half-year visits.

At each of these visits, parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns they may have relating to their parenting and their child, and are given advice and information on how to optimise their child’s health, nutrition and development.

In 2009, a revised key ages and stages statewide framework was introduced to the Maternal and Child Health Service. Th e revised framework provides a new, evidenced-based approach, with additional emphasis on health promotion


in order to address the health and wellbeing of children and their families.

Included is the introduction of the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS). Th e PEDS is an evidenced-based screening tool, which allows for early detection of developmental and behavioural problems in young children.

Parents are given the opportunity to complete a 10-item questionnaire, which covers all areas of their child’s development. Research has shown parents are good observers of their child’s behaviour and development. Th e PEDS has been designed to ask parents the right questions, in the right way, in order to identify any concerns relating to their child’s development and behaviour.

Where a concern has been identifi ed, particularly in an area which may have longer-term implications for the child’s development, such as speech and language development, a secondary screening test is recommended. In Victoria, the Brigance is the secondary screening tool, off ered by the Maternal and Child Health Service. Th e Brigance is more extensive and gives a clearer indication of any developmental concerns.

Th e PEDS questionnaire is off ered at all of the key ages and stages visits from four months of age onwards. Th is gives parents the opportunity to identify any areas of concerns they may have in relation to their child’s behaviour and development. On completion of the secondary Brigance screening, any identifi ed areas of developmental concerns will be discussed further.

Options are discussed with parents, relating to appropriate referral pathways, including relevant agencies and early intervention services. Parents are provided with a letter of referral, outlining the concerns as identifi ed in the PEDS and the Brigance screening process. So, they can gain timely access to the services their child requires.

References: Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, education.vic.gov.au. Th e Royal Children’s Hospital - Centre for Community Child Health, rch.org.au.

Help for mother & childRecent changes to the Victorian Maternal and Child Health Service have been made, reports Judi McCabe, a maternal and child nurse from the City of Whitehorse.

Research has shown parents are good observers of their child’s behaviour and development.


Roger Reeshasworkedwithpeopleexperiencingbraininjury

andneurologicalimpairmentfor20years.Out of Calamity isabooktobepublishedonportraitsofpeople,whoare

disabledfollowingtrauma.Alloftheportraitsaretruestories,

thoughnameshavebeenalteredtopreserveanonymity.A Chance to Live Againisonesuchportrait.Itfocusesonakeen

sailor,whoparticipatesfortnightlyattheGoolwaRegattaYachtClubaspartofSailability-an

internationalorganisation,whichenrichesthelivesofpeoplewithdisabilitiesthroughsailing.

She told me, without a hint of perceiving herself as a victim, that she’d been a ‘battered wife’. She’d had six miscarriages and no children. Despite the violence, she

wanted children. ‘You bet you,’ she said. ‘I would have loved that. Four would have been lovely.’

Then, the marriage ended. After five years, it was over. She left with nothing and took refuge with an old friend. This is her story of becoming a carer and finding a chance to live again...

I’d known him since our school days. He was an adventurer, a merchant seaman and yachtsman. He was a single bloke - a big, tough, cheeky man, who loved motorbikes and the sea. He was a genuine friend; gentle and very protective.

I’d not known anything like that. He took me in when I had nowhere to go. He said I could use his place whenever. He said it was a refuge for me until I found somewhere else. That was the way he thought. He supported me when I was bruised and an emotional wreck. At the time, about two months after I arrived, he was due to leave on another voyage. And then, it happened.

There was no blood and, to begin with, no evidence that he was badly injured. He took off just before tea for a five-minute ride, he said, around the block on a new 500cc Kawasaki. Just try it out, he said. Go to the local shops and then past them to the country highway.

He didn’t return. He’d skidded on a bend and was hurled into a tree. First I knew of it was the distant sound of ambulance and police sirens. I couldn’t move or say anything. I knew it was him. My protector had a broken skull and was on life support.

After six weeks, he came home totally dependent. So I fed, toileted, bathed and dressed him. It took four years before he could ‘toilet’ himself and learn to walk and talk again. He never cried though he grunted as he tried to stand and talk. We laugh now about his grunts.

a chance to live again

books | rogerrees

Roger’s poem, One and All, was written following a recent sail down Adelaide’s Port River and into the Gulf St Vincent on a sailing excursion for people with disabilities from Sailability on the tall ship One and All.

One and AllWe looked, we admired and then instantly

Their disabilities became inspiring for you and me.

Their climbing, steering this rigger on this ocean

Made respect and love for their endeavours

A challenge for every comfortable onlooker.

No cerebral palsy, stroke, head injury or Parkinsonian syndrome for us.

But now they illuminate life providing true rank and order,

Symbolised by the excitement, courage and skill

Of the girl deckhand, the disabled’s ambassador,

Swinging from the yards across a yawning gap to land on a jetty,

Secure mooring lines and forever change our perception, close any gap

Concerning the doom of disability.

He tells my friends he would not have made it without me. We used to scramble around when I taught him to walk. I pushed one of his feet in front of the other while he held onto his walking frame. Quite a sight we were. Now he can walk with his trolley - a rolling gait like a drunken sailor, but he doesn’t go too far before he looks around for me.

You’re a beautiful lady, he tells me in his slurring way. You’re beautiful, I say mimicking him. Most time, there’s plenty of laughter, but we’ve been to the brink - especially when I came home from shopping one day and found him out cold and drunk. It seemed the alcohol was bubbling out of him. He could have died.

That doesn’t happen now, though we both enjoy a drink and our local pub know him well. But we never let it get the better of us. Of course, he’s still the genuine man he always was and never complains about his disabilities. But, he’s dependent on me and we accept that.

It’s been 25 years since the accident and I’ve been his carer all this time. Never his lover. He’s just not capable. But he’s a great human being. I love this man. His spirit touches me, so I’m not suffering. Not at all. But, from time to time, I could do with some respite. When I’m still at night as he sleeps, I think about how he gave me a new chance at life, a chance to live again. So, now it’s my turn.

Roger Rees is the emeritus professor of disability and rehabilitation research in the School of Medicine at Adelaide’s Flinders University. He’s also the author of Interrupted Lives: Rehabilitation and Learning Following Brain Injury.


a chance to live again


From the time David was about two years old, we knew he was diff erent from other children. He had an extremely limited vocabulary for his age.

He found interaction with other people diffi cult and any opportunity to play or interact with his peers, usually ended in an altercation or tears – usually the other child coming off second best! He bit other children for seemingly little reason, retaliated over the slightest thing with violence and, although a generally loving child at home, playing with other children was extremely challenging for him.

His sleep patterns were very erratic. We kept him busy during the day with various physical activities to try and absorb some of his energy and although he was often tired, he found it diffi cult to get to sleep at night. We had a calming ritual every evening, which commenced with a bath, then dinner with candles and soft music playing, quiet time and then bed by 7:30pm with either (husband) Gerry or I reading to him. However, when it was my turn to read, after an hour or so, Gerry would often fi nd me asleep on David’s bed, book still in hand, while David was up wandering the house!

After the diagnosis, we tried to fi nd a “cure”.

By the time he started school, the diff erences were more pronounced. He overreacted to certain stimuli, found it diffi cult to interact with his peers and had little or no communication skills. From early on, we tried numerous medical and natural therapies, food allergy treatments, disciplines, educational programs, pills and potions trying to fi nd the “something” that held the answer to the diff erences he faced, with most strategies having very little long-term success.

We actually came to believe at one stage, it could be, as many people often alluded to, our inability to discipline a strong-willed child –and a good, swift smack on the behind was exactly what he needed!

A mother’s journey

After searching for answers for many years, in 1997, when David was twelve years old, he was fi nally diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Although, today there are many medical professionals who understand this diff erence, in the 1990s it was a diff erent story.

Asperger’s syndrome, sometimes called Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), was fi rst described in the 1940s by a Viennese paediatrician Hans Asperger and recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for the fi rst time in its fourth edition, published in 1994.

Asperger’s syndrome is the term applied to the mildest and highest functioning end of what is known as the Autistic Spectrum. Th ose diagnosed fi nd it diffi cult to understand social skills, often misunderstand the use of language in communication and are usually considered “obsessive”, focusing on one particular area of interest.

books | sallythibault

Sally Th ibault has written a warts-and-all account of living with her son’s Asperger’s syndrome (a form of autism) for the past 24 years. Following is an edited extract from her book, David’s Gift.

The TIO may be able to help.

Problem with your telephone, mobile phone or internet service?

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is a free and independent dispute resolution service for people with complaints about telecommunications or internet services.

If you have tried to resolve a complaint with your phone or internet service

provider, but are not making any progress then contact the TIO.

Website www.tio.com.au

Freecall 1800 062 058

Freefax 1800 630 614

TTY 1800 675 692

Interpreter service 131 450

TIO_YellowA5hor_col.indd 1 20/12/06 9:28:29 AM

It wasn’t until we all reached breaking point that Gerry and I finally made a decision: to take back the responsibility for our lives and for our child; to work on ourselves, understand who we were and, in doing so, explore the depth of our own emotions and beliefs.

We became trapped on a treadmill of blaming others.

David’s Gift originally began as a book about Asperger’s syndrome and the strategies we developed over the years, which could help other families who are dealing with this diagnosis.

However, during the process of writing, I came to realise how Asperger’s syndrome actually challenged and inspired us to understand who we really were and what it was we truly wanted out of life

When Asperger’s syndrome first came into our lives it presented to us a challenge which, at the time, seemed sad, unfair and overwhelming. It is only now I can see it was, in fact, an incredible gift. Because, you see, the things we most needed to teach David were the things we most needed to learn ourselves.

After the diagnosis, we tried to find a “cure”. Being very determined parents, who believe “you create your own reality”, we searched and tried numerous different treatments - medication, natural therapies and physical therapies, you name it, we tried it. We were constantly trying new things and, when one no longer worked, we would try another brand new and improved strategy, pill or therapy showing amazing results somewhere in the world.

During these times, emotions overran our lives - anger, blame, frustration, sadness and fear. I felt as if we were caught on a treadmill, constantly seeking solutions to find something that would make this word, Asperger’s, go away.

I was angry. Very angry. This was not how our lives were supposed to be and I wanted it to be somebody’s fault. I wanted somebody else to fix it and I wanted the world to know about it. In the process, our lives began to spin out of control. We became trapped on a treadmill of blaming others, being angry with the world, trying to make the “system” - whatever that was - wrong.

It became a self-destructive cycle that manifested in our lives with poor business decisions, leading to severe financial problems that affected our relationship and our health and made our home a stressful place to be.

To order a copy of David’s Gift, head to davidsgift.com.au


unnamed in silencePeople with intellectual and multiple disabilities

are becoming an “invisible population”. By Sheridan Forster.

opinion | sheridanforster


People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) sit unnamed and in silence. In Australia, they are not identified as a discrete group,

as are other groups, such as those with autism, vision or hearing impairment. Consequently, their needs are poorly understood and remain largely unaddressed by policy makers and service providers. In the UK, in an effort to address these issues, a report was commissioned by the English Department of Health, Raising Our Sights: Services for Adults with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities.

Raising our Sights author Professor Jim Mansell recently visited Australia and shared the insights from this report on growing number of initiatives to improve the lives of people with PIMD (or the UK equivalent, profound learning and multiple disabilities - PMLD) in the UK. Professor Mansell believes that given this group in England, estimated by Professor Eric Emerson to number 16,000 (and growing), represents a relatively small number of people in the population, the improvement of services and supports should be easier than for other larger groups.

Internationally, the term, PIMD, has been used to refer to people who, in addition to profound intellectual disability, have severe physical disabilies, which may result in an inability to walk. People with PIMD may also have vision and/or hearing impairments and health conditions, such as epilepsy and gastrointestinal problems (eg. reflux and constipation). People with PIMD may be able to use a very small number of words or gestures, but many rely solely on facial expressions and body language to communicate. They have a limited understanding of the speech of other people. Nevertheless, most people are able to react, showing likes and dislikes. Importantly, despite their limitations, people with PIMD are able to engage in relationships with other people and can be valued members of their family and the communities in which they live.

In Australia, the understandable fear of misdiagnosis and of the political imperative not to differentiate people with disability has contributed to an avoidance of using the label, PMID, subsequently creating a lack of recognition of this group’s distinctive characteristics and needs. This has resulted in people with PIMD - arguably with the highest level of needs among all people with disability - being relatively invisible. Furthermore, this lack of recognition of this group’s distinctive characteristics has contributed to generic disability policies and practices that are relatively incomprehensible when applied uncritically to this group.

unnamed in silenceFor example, personalised supports that are predicated on a person clearly expressing what they want, their hopes, and aspirations for the future (commonly based on practices referred to as Person Centred Planning) are unworkable when the person is only able to show their reactions to current experiences. This is not to say that personalisation is not possible; it is necessary, but ascertaining what the persons needs and would like has to be based on things other than an explicit statement from the person and must take into consideration perspectives of families and support workers.

Identification of this group of people is necessary in Australia if we are to move forward. Demographic studies are needed to find out how many people have PIMD. Review of the specific applicability of policy, practice guides, and standards, is needed, in light of the complex cognitive, physical, sensory, and health needs experienced. These needs cannot be left off the public record, and remain unrepresented in policy and practice.

It may be implied that the issues of identification and recognition of people with PMID has been addressed in Australia with the use of terms in research and public policy, such as complex or high support needs. However, in concordance with the UK PMLD Network’s statement,

these terms are overly inclusive. Complex needs and high support are often inclusive of people with challenging behaviours, complex health needs and, at times, forensic populations, who don’t necessarily have a profound intellectual disability. The term, PIMD, identifies that a profound intellectual disability is the primary issues. That is, a profound impairment in attention, problem-solving and memory, affecting choice-making and ability to interact with people around them.

In addition, using the term, PIMD, allows for the special needs of families, carers, and support services involved with these individuals to be highlighted.

We can raise our sights regarding how people with PIMD are living in Australia, but we cannot lobby for an invisible population. People with PIMD deserve the dignity of being named, counted and recognised for who they are, what they need, and how they might be unique part of our community.

Sheridan Forster is currently completing a PhD at Monash University, looking at interactions between adults with PIMD and their disability support workers. She authored HOP: Hanging Out Program, a booklet advocating the need to regularly spend 10 minutes of time with people, giving the person 100 per cent attention, to develop interactions and reduce isolation.

People with PIMD deserve the dignity of being named, counted and recognised for who they are,

what they need, and how they might be unique part of

our community.


Wired for soundHome-grown, electronic music group Tra La La Blip is making waves across the world - including in the Big Apple.

Ordinary activities are anything but to NSW’s Tra La La Blip – they’re musical feasts.

Th e Lismore-based electronic music collective for people with intellectual and physical disabilities has been inspired in its music-making by everything from an ice cream truck to a tradie walking on the roof to the clatter of plates at a corporate lunch. Such sounds have made their way onto their music tracks.

Th e collective’s electronic instruments are anything but ordinary either. Th ink colourful, glowing AudioCubes and Tenori-on, a glittering, palm-sized, Japanese creation. Founder and facilitator Randolf Reimann, 42, says: “A lot of the stuff we use is very tactile and unusual-looking. Apart from using vocals, this is a contemporary electronic music collective - we also call it ‘sound art’.” Indeed.

Reimann, a support worker at Multitask Human Resource Foundation, founded the collective two years ago, believing electronic music creation workshops could benefi t his clients. (A music lover, he’s previously been in bands including Massappeal and Kolliope.) Th e collective has since gone from strength to strength, with now about 30 people attending his workshops every Tuesday and their music-making gaining international recognition.

Tra La La Blip released a debut album, SoundBeam Sessions Volume 1, in 2008 and two of the tracks have since had airplay on Triple J – Icecream Truck nabbing the number two spot on its Unearthed dance chart and Rockers Soul coming in at number fi ve.

Icecream Truck also appears on the UK compilation CD, Wild Th ings Vol 2, and the collective has collaborated

with a UK visual artist to produce a music video for it. Tra La La Blip’s songs have also been played on the UK’s BBC Radio, as well as online stations globally. Plus, they were hired professionally to do

a remix for UK punk band Heavy Load, whose members are musicians with and without learning disabilities.

Apart from using vocals, this is a contemporary electronic music

collective - we also call it ‘sound art.’

Reimann also spread the word about Tra La La Blip during a trip to New York. After contacting six radio stations from the phone book at random, he was invited to do a live interview about it on major public radio station WNYC. Th e feedback was phenomenal (including in CD sales). While there, Reimann also facilitated similar workshops for people with disabilities in the Big Apple. (He’s also since done workshops in other parts of NSW.) On the collective, Reimann says: “I do love it - it’s a very fulfi lling project. It seems to have got a momentum of itself.”

Reimann is also in the process of developing computer software that other organisations can use to do what the collective does. As well, Tra La La Blip is working on material for its Volume 2 CD. It will include – as bonus material - remixes of songs from the debut album by people from around the world.

In the meantime though, download Volume 1 from iTunes or check out the music-loving collective at myspace.com/tralalablip.

entertainment


Books

FictionTime’s Long Ruin by Stephen Orr (Wakefi eld Press)

Henry Page is a club-footed, pensive nine-year-old. He spends his summer hols reading, roaming the suburbs, and playing with his best friend, Janice. One day, Janice asks Henry to spend a day at the beach with her and her younger siblings. He declines the invitation – a decision that will haunt him forever. Th e novel is loosely based on the

disappearance of the Beaumont children from Glenelg Beach on Australia Day in 1966. It’s about those who are left behind and how they carry on.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffi n (Orion)

Chick-lit fan? Th en read on. Tessa is married to a paediatric plastic surgeon, who battles death daily, so she can’t help but contemplate how fragile life can be. She knows she’s lucky to be madly in love with her hubby after seven years, with two beautiful children to boot, but the cracks are beginning to show… Single mum Valerie takes nothing for granted

but, one phone call, turns her world upside down. Her young son is left permanently scarred in an accident. When the lives of these two women intersect, they’re forced to question everything they hold dear. (US author Emily Giffi n also penned Something Borrowed, soon to be a Hollywood fi lm, starring Kate Hudson and Colin Firth.)

Non-fi ction

Seventeen Voices: Life and Wisdom from Inside ‘Mental Illness’ by Marianne Broug (Wakefi eld Press)

SA’s Marianne Broug was a musician, until her career was interrupted by severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Now a writer, she uses this tome to bring mental illness to life “from the inside” in a series of candid interviews. Seventeen Voices is essential reading for those who suff er from mental illness, their family and friends, and health professionals.

FilmMother and Child (Hopscotch Films)

Adoption is the key theme of this fl ick – and the way it impacts on the lives of three very diff erent women. Th ere’s

Elizabeth (Australia’s own Naomi Watts), a successful lawyer, who uses her body to her advantage. She was given up at birth by her young mother, who she’s

never met. (In a small role, Brittany Robertson, plays a teen, who is blind and helps to “humanise” Elizabeth somewhat.) We also get to meet Elizabeth’s birth mother, Karen (Annette Bening), a bitter health care professional, who has never gotten over giving up her child. Finally, there’s Lucy (Kerry Washington), who in failing to conceive with her hubby, tries adoption. Th is is a poignant tale of the strong bond between mother and child. It was in cinemas in June, so see it next on DVD.

Chick-lit fan? Th en read on. Tessa is married to a paediatric plastic surgeon, who battles death daily, so she can’t help but contemplate how fragile life can be. She knows she’s lucky to be madly in love with her hubby after seven years, with two beautiful children to boot, but the cracks are beginning to show… Single mum Valerie takes nothing for granted

SA’s Marianne Broug was a musician, until her career was interrupted by severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Now a writer, she uses this tome to bring mental illness to life “from the inside” in a series of candid interviews. reading for those who suff er from mental illness, their family and friends, and health professionals.

Henry Page is a club-footed, pensive nine-year-old. He spends his summer hols reading, roaming the suburbs, and playing with his best friend, Janice. One day, Janice asks Henry to spend a day at the beach with her and her younger siblings. He declines the invitation – a decision that will haunt him forever. Th e novel is loosely based on the

disappearance of the Beaumont children from Glenelg

Goss• World Cup fever took over Oz in June and July. And,

for the fi rst time, the offi cial FIFA website broadcast all 64 soccer matches in international sign language. Videos could be downloaded from fi fa.com shortly after each game. Nice work!

• Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities Bill Shorten has called on more Aussie organisations to join the National Companion Card scheme to help make entertainment, sport and recreational activities more accessible. Th e scheme provides people with a severe disability two tickets for the price of one, so they’re able to bring a carer along for free. Big-ticket organisations like the AFL, V8 Supercars and the Australian Ballet are already involved. Check out companioncard.gov.au.

• Th e people behind the Australian Mad as Hell campaign put on a concert and rally, dubbed Disability Rocks, in Sydney on August 1. Entertainment included Jim Conway’s Big Wheel and the James Valentine Quartet. Visit australiansmadashell.com.au.

• Adelaide’s Restless Dance Th eatre, which involves young performers with and without disabilities, won a gong at the Australian Dance Awards for its 2009 work Bedroom Dancing. Th e award was for Outstanding Achievement in Youth or Community Dance.

• Th e Bionic Ear Institute, in collaboration with Melbourne composer/sound artist Robin Fox, will develop a series of musical works to enable people with cochlear implants to access tunes as the general public does, thanks to new funding.

Copyright© 2010 Nuance Communications. All rights reserved. Nuance, Dragon and NaturallySpeaking are trademarks or registered trademarks of� Nuance Communications, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks ref�erenced herein are the properties of� their respective owners.

Contact your Preferred Software Reseller for pricing, availability and other special launch offers exclusively for Government and Educational institutions or call 1300 550 716 for a Reseller nearest you.

Purchase Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium with Bluetooth headset before 30 September and pay only $299.

New Faster, Better, Smarter Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium voice recognition software enables people with physical and learning disabilities to easily use a PC.

Quickly create documents, access data, navigate your desktop, even compose and send emails with just a simple voice command. Work virtually hands-free on any Windows application including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook Express and Internet Explorer. At a speed 3x faster than typing!

Dragon NaturallySpeaking provides:

• Accessibility for the Physically Impaired: Dragon speech recognition software enables PC accessibility for people with paralysis, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, apraxia, visual impairments and repetitive stress injuries.

• Accommodations for Language and Speech Impairments: Even people with articulation and pronunciation problems can use the Faster, Better, Smarter DNS 11 Premium software to complete their daily PC tasks.

• Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired: Dragon offers speech output capabilities so that users can have text previously dictated, read back to them.

• Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities: Dragon generates new excitement for writing and learning for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, working memory issues and other cognitive challenges.

Bluetooth® Headset Included

Hands-

free PC

usage

Get more from your PCwith

Speech-to-Text Software

SPeCIAL OffeR SAVe 25%

Bedford – proud sponsor of Link Disability Magazine

advetorial | bedford

More � an One Reason to Celebrate at Bedford

Not only has the iconic organisation just merged with Heritage Industries in Mt Gambier to become the most diverse provider of disability services in the State, it’s celebrating its 65th anniversary while refl ecting on a signifi cant period of growth and innovation which has enabled it to support more people than ever before in its history.

Over the past decade, Bedford’s scope has reached unparalleled levels in the disability services sector. It now boasts 24 employment sites across the South Australia - and an impressive seven mergers in recent times has widened its geographic spread, opening doors in a range of new areas.

From these sites Bedford takes a holistic approach to meeting the evolving needs of people with a disability - providing employment, accredited tertiary training, life skills education and housing to almost 3,100 South Australians with a disability or disadvantage.

Just a decade ago, Bedford supported 512 people with a disability and employed 163 support staff . It now supports six times that number of South Australians and employs 290 staff .

In only 10 years Bedford has increased the proportion of people it supports in community, versus centre based, programmes from just 5% to 68%, whilst more than doubling its centre based activities. It has also undergone signifi cant expansion in regional SA, where Bedford now off ers employment, recreation and residential services.

Best of all, Bedford has continued to see people with disability or disadvantage have the opportunity to gain independence and realise their potential.

Bedford off ers South Australians with disability or disadvantage access to recreational day options, supported employment, various community based employment activities and accommodation - all of which is underpinned by support from Bedford Training, the group’s Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Partnering with the State Government with the ‘Abilities for All’ accredited training programme has helped unlock the capability of almost 800 participating individuals.

“Peoples’ needs are constantly changing and Bedford endeavors to adapt accordingly,” Bedford Chief Executive, Max Dyason said.

“Bedford is non-prescriptive – believing that individuals make their own decisions and is therefore committed to providing a range of services that facilitate choice.

Whilst seven mergers in four years is impressive, it is the growth achieved with the activities of the merge partners which is the standout; the most notable being within the employment services division, CareerSystems, which has moved into new areas, to serve more people, with support from the Australian Government.

Th rough CareerSystems, Bedford is now off ering an extensive selection of employment pathways for people with disability or disadvantage – supporting over 2,000 people in community based activities.

Mr Dyason said the greatest pleasure that he derives from working at Bedford is helping people with disability or disadvantage achieve their goals and celebrate their achievements along the way.

“We love providing options and pathways for people with disability or disadvantage to fulfi l their aspirations and we’re constantly learning from the people we serve,” he said.

“We aim to stay attuned to the needs of the people we support and for our services to remain relevant and innovative – that way we can continue to grow and adapt well into the future.”

Bedford has more than one reason to celebrate this month.

Copyright© 2010 Nuance Communications. All rights reserved. Nuance, Dragon and NaturallySpeaking are trademarks or registered trademarks of� Nuance Communications, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks ref�erenced herein are the properties of� their respective owners.

Contact your Preferred Software Reseller for pricing, availability and other special launch offers exclusively for Government and Educational institutions or call 1300 550 716 for a Reseller nearest you.

Purchase Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium with Bluetooth headset before 30 September and pay only $299.

New Faster, Better, Smarter Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium voice recognition software enables people with physical and learning disabilities to easily use a PC.

Quickly create documents, access data, navigate your desktop, even compose and send emails with just a simple voice command. Work virtually hands-free on any Windows application including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook Express and Internet Explorer. At a speed 3x faster than typing!

Dragon NaturallySpeaking provides:

• Accessibility for the Physically Impaired: Dragon speech recognition software enables PC accessibility for people with paralysis, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, apraxia, visual impairments and repetitive stress injuries.

• Accommodations for Language and Speech Impairments: Even people with articulation and pronunciation problems can use the Faster, Better, Smarter DNS 11 Premium software to complete their daily PC tasks.

• Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired: Dragon offers speech output capabilities so that users can have text previously dictated, read back to them.

• Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities: Dragon generates new excitement for writing and learning for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, working memory issues and other cognitive challenges.

Bluetooth® Headset Included

Hands-

free PC

usage

Get more from your PCwith

Speech-to-Text Software

SPeCIAL OffeR SAVe 25%


spotlight | dayprograms

Life planning is something we all do. Whether we’re marking the calendar to remind us when a bill is due, counting down the days until a holiday or setting up a five-year plan.

These plans are an important part of how disability services operate and there are several formats that try to communicate the needs and aspirations of the client to the service. Person Centred Planning (PCP) has become a buzz word among anyone working on a life plan. It will be replacing the old Individual Service Program (ISP), which has been used to set up life plans for many years.

Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation (NADO) is one disability service that is currently rolling PCP across all of its day programs in New South Wales. Nadja Lawrence is one of the many people working to usher the new model in. She sees it as an opportunity to bring in change and improve communication.

“It is based on a completely different way of seeing and working with people in disabilities, which is fundamentally about sharing power and community inclusion,” Lawrence says.

The ISP process has served its time as a tool that uses a checklist approach to planning. However, it has tended to focus more on what the service can provide rather than on what the client wants to achieve.

PCP is attempting to bring in a stronger client focus that is driven by the goals of the client and how the service can work with the client to reach their potential.

“It has created a much more positive approach by really listening to what they want to achieve in their lives. It focuses on the individuality and strengths of the person. It focuses on them and not the service,” enthuses Lawrence.

A new initiative is bringing change to the way some

disability services operate, writes

Andrew Blanchard.

New future for day programs

Volunteer John kicks off the drumming group with a brief pep-talk.


NADO and many other disability services are following Helen Sanderson Associates’ approach to PCP, which originated in the UK and has been alive and well there for years. It was introduced to NADO almost 18 months ago as part of an initiative by Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC). After some hard work, the new model is starting to make its way into several day programs.

It focuses on these points:

• Who are you and who are we in our lives

• What can we do together to achieve a better life for you, now and in the future

• What is important to and for the client and to create a balance, and

• The gifts of the client - the positives - and working on building these.

Developing a life plan using PCP is more of a conversation, where instead of a formal meeting in an office, which can intimidate and make clients more introverted, the client chooses the venue, such as a favourite café or the client’s home.

They are also encouraged to invite the people, who are important to them, which can include family, friends, carers and even their dancing instructor or art tutor.

“It will help people to plan for their lives and future in a way that is structured and facilitated in a creative way. It’s very much about helping people get better lives and not just better plans,” Lawrence says.

One of the NADO day programs is located in Katoomba, a town in NSW’s picturesque Blue Mountains. It is run out of a charming, old building. The

clients have access to the gorgeous surrounding valleys and bushland, trendy cafés and tourist hotspots, like The Three Sisters (a famous rock formation).

The Katoomba day program runs several sessions over the day and, like many disability services, it prides itself on creativity, community involvement and the collaborative work between staff and clients.

A popular program is the drumming group run by John, a volunteer, who comes in on a Wednesday morning. The tables are removed from the art room and it is crammed full of homemade drums and a circle of clients, with their instruments at hand. Everyone starts off with slow bit of percussion, but soon the walls start shaking as everyone hits their drums. After a while, John starts stomping and jumping to the beat encouraging people one at a time to join him.

It hosts other music programs over the week. One is a choir that combines singing and sign language. Community

The Sign Language Choir at one of their performances.

The walls start shaking as everyone hits their drums.


Raynton HouseJon Moore is a carer at Raynton House and he is one of the many people who have been introduced to PCP this year. Everyone at the house has been working on the new plans. He has so far found the new model to be a more open way of empowering the clients he works with.

“They’re taking on a more active role… It gives the client a chance to look at their life and see what they want to get more out of,” Moore says.

Raynton is a newly-established house in the Blue Mountains and it’s hoped that the residents will make it their new home and have a chance to focus on their long-term goals.

Moore has found the “open book” nature of PCP provides a more in-depth look at the aspirations of the client. “It allows more input from the resident, their family and friends as well,” enthuses Moore.

He insists that good communication and trust are integral in developing a good plan for the client. Teamwork has also been a big help in realising these goals and developing new ideas.

A recent project at Raynton House is a café, which has been set up on the front terrace and looks onto the modest garden. The residents have had barista courses and planned to have Café Raynton in full-swing in time for the annual winter solstice festival in the area, Winter Magic.

access is also an integral part, where clients visit the many areas around the Blue Mountains, as well as being involved

in a show at the community radio station, BluFM.

Carers at the centre are beginning work on the new PCP plans for more than 30 clients that attend. So far, one of the challenges encountered is the strong commitment and trust required from everyone involved. It is

something that staff have been very positive about and are eager to bring the new model in.

“We hope for better outcomes for the people we support in all areas of their lives,” Lawrence says. “Where people with disabilities will become empowered and have greater control over their lives in the future.”

Andrew Blanchard has worked in the disability field for about three years. He regularly writes about film, disability, and the community.

(Top) A few of the NADO clients relax near the beautiful bushland in the Blue Mountains

(Bottom) Sandra and Donna enjoy using their artistic skills

We hope for better outcomes for the people we support in all

areas of their lives.

spotlight | dayprograms


opinion | robbiwilliams

Thirty years on:

Contract culture

It’s not every magazine that makes it to its 30th anniversary, so well done Link. While I have not reached the same milestone in my involvement in disability issues, I am well on the way. Along with many people reading this article, I have seen a lot of changes in that time. Some of the changes have been good and some haven’t. Some things haven’t changed at all, while other things have changed many times and seem to be back where they started. Some things evolve, some things revolve. So many things to write about, and I have to pick just one.

So, I choose to write about the emergence of service contracting over the past 20-something years. Unfortunately, just using the word, ‘contracting’, might cause you to switch off - but wait! Don’t turn the page. This topic is not as dry as it sounds. In fact, it is something that has had a critical and, at times, adverse impact on the supports available to people living with disability. So, hear me out.

Once upon a time, a main way that governments bought services from community agencies was through grant-giving. Basically, this involved the awarding of grants to community agencies to do ‘good works’. Grants typically covered either core operational costs, in recognition of the contribution that community agencies made through their

Julia Farr Group chief executive officer Robbi Williams looks at the emergence of service contracting over time.

general presence and activities, or covered new initiatives as identified by those community agencies.

One of my first jobs was on such a new initiative. The community agency I worked for had a particular idea about how to create opportunities for people living with disability to take up active roles in their local communities. They took this idea to the government, who agreed the idea had promise and awarded a three-year grant. This was quite a good process because it recognised that community agencies are usually much closer to the source of need (i.e. people and communities seeking assistance) than government is, because community agencies are out there every day.

In this way, public funding was directed in ways that linked well to issues and aspirations as told by the intended beneficiaries. This process also established local ownership for success and, at least some of the time, felt like a genuine investment in people and their communities.

Then things began to change – typically, in the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Governments developed an interest in having tighter accountability arrangements and in being more prescriptive about what they wanted to buy. These arrangements were typically written up as a contract for


named services. This shift has been evident in every country I’ve worked in (including Australia, New Zealand and the UK) and has been called the ‘contract culture’. Unfortunately, the bureaucratic imperatives for control and accountability have had an adverse impact on the disability community. Two main issues come to mind.

First, there is the issue of where the innovation and creativity comes from. In the previous grant-giving arrangements, there was room for community agencies to come forward with a good idea and to snag some public funding to make that idea a reality. However, with the advent of the contract culture there is far less opportunity for this, because it is the public funders who are initiating and running the discussions about possible services. Typically, the way this happens is that government officers decide what needs to be bought (as guided by government policy) and then invite agencies to bid for the work (this is called tendering).

Such a process may make sense to bureaucrats in terms of control and accountability, but in practice it also means that the onus for innovation has shifted from community to government. The service agencies that get ahead are those that, among other things, can best demonstrate a suite of contract accountability mechanisms.

This brings me to the second main issue. Not only has the contract culture placed a higher value on accountability over innovation, a shift which I do not regard as an evolution, it is has also put certain activities on the endangered species list, because they are no longer routinely being bought in service contracts. I’m particularly thinking about activities, where the results are not as easy to quantify in a contract as ‘program places’ or ‘bed days’, and yet, are valuable building blocks for people to move into rich lives.

For example, consider the role that I refer to as the classic ‘fieldworker’. This is a role that you would often find in a wide range of community agencies, where the worker (sometimes through their own personal experience) has a really good knowledge of the relevant topic (eg. multiple sclerosis, autism or spinal injury), carries a bounty of useful information, knows which bits of the service system can

provide the most help, can link people together, and is well-informed (and well-connected) in terms of places of welcome in the local community. Many, many community agencies will have had this role

at their core, often being one of the first roles crated within the fledgling agency.

This role, when performed well, has been an important source of capacity-building, and affirmation, for the beneficiaries. It has often been key to helping people link into community networks and opportunities. In short, the role has been useful, even if its benefits have not been easy

to measure.

But over the past 20 years or so, I have encountered again and again community agencies, who have seen this resource

diminish. Why? Well, one distinct possibility is that the public funder has been less likely to fund it within service contracts. Maybe this is because it is less tangible, less easy to measure. But in the noisy marketplace of day program slots, respite hours, supported accommodation places and so on, we seem to have lost sight of those activities that build capacity and inclusion, instead focusing on arrangements that train people to become recipients and agencies to become contract managers.

If this is so, then we must urgently think about how public funding is arranged in the future, so that it supports a more natural flow of innovation, anchored in community connectedness and driven by the story-telling by people living with disability.

Unfortunately, in disability funding, it appears that the tail is wagging the dog, which I imagine Charles Darwin would have found remarkable.

In disability funding, it appears that the tail

is wagging the dog.

The onus for innovation has shifted from community

to government

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: ® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited, ABN 33 051 775 556. TCON0902.

** Christopher Newell, “From Other to Us: Transforming Disability in Australia”, Public Lecture given at the Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne, 8 November 2005.

AUSTRALIA’S L ARGEST AND FASTEST NATIONAL MOBILE NETWORK

TELSTRA PRIZE HIGHLIGHTS THE BENEFITS OF MODERN COMMUNICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

Christopher Newell taught the telecommunications industry an enormous amount about disability and accessibility. He wanted everyone – industry, government, and society – to listen to people with disability and to give them the same opportunities to participate in all areas of life as everyone else.

Christopher formed strong relationships with people in Telstra and in the telecommunications industry over a period of some 18 years that resulted

in him mixing with, and influencing, the CEOs of many of the largest companies.

As a tribute to his extraordinary efforts, the Telstra-Telecommunications Journal of Australia (TJA) Christopher Newell Prize for Telecommunications and Disability was established. The inaugural 2010 award winner was Dr Denise Wood for her paper “Communicating in Virtual Worlds through an Accessible Web 2.0 Solution.”

A researcher and senior lecturer in the School of Communication, International Studies and Languages at the University of South Australia, Dr Wood’s research (an Australian Learning and Teaching Council project to improve access to 3D virtual learning environments) has identified the benefits of Virtual Worlds such as Second Life for people with disabilities. She noted that there are a large number of groups in Second Life that provide opportunities for people who identify as disabled, or who havean interest in disability, to socialise, share information or receive support services.

Dr Wood will use the proceeds of the award to extend research into accessibility solutions for people with disability in collaboration with colleagues from universities and community groups across Australia, the US and the UK.

Telstra will again sponsor the Prize with the TJA in 2011. Details for entry can be obtained by visiting www.acs.org.au/acstsa. The 2010 winning paper and other accepted papers can be accessed in the May 2010 edition of the Telecommunications Journal of Australia by visiting http://publications.epress.monash.edu/loi/tja.

(L-R) Robert Morsillo (Telstra), Dr Peter Gerrand (TJA), Dr Denise Wood (UniSA), The Hon. Bill Shorten MPat the award night.

“In order to transform disability in Australia we need to tackle our deep-seated fears, moral convictions and relationships … It requires the fostering of purposeful and mundane relationships that are based upon, and help us to explore, the inherent worth and contribution of people with disability to Australian society. Out of these relationships flow policy initiatives vital to social change.”**

Rev Canon Dr Christopher Newell

opinion | robbiwilliams

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: ® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited, ABN 33 051 775 556. TCON0902.

** Christopher Newell, “From Other to Us: Transforming Disability in Australia”, Public Lecture given at the Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne, 8 November 2005.

AUSTRALIA’S L ARGEST AND FASTEST NATIONAL MOBILE NETWORK

TELSTRA PRIZE HIGHLIGHTS THE BENEFITS OF MODERN COMMUNICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

Christopher Newell taught the telecommunications industry an enormous amount about disability and accessibility. He wanted everyone – industry, government, and society – to listen to people with disability and to give them the same opportunities to participate in all areas of life as everyone else.

Christopher formed strong relationships with people in Telstra and in the telecommunications industry over a period of some 18 years that resulted

in him mixing with, and influencing, the CEOs of many of the largest companies.

As a tribute to his extraordinary efforts, the Telstra-Telecommunications Journal of Australia (TJA) Christopher Newell Prize for Telecommunications and Disability was established. The inaugural 2010 award winner was Dr Denise Wood for her paper “Communicating in Virtual Worlds through an Accessible Web 2.0 Solution.”

A researcher and senior lecturer in the School of Communication, International Studies and Languages at the University of South Australia, Dr Wood’s research (an Australian Learning and Teaching Council project to improve access to 3D virtual learning environments) has identified the benefits of Virtual Worlds such as Second Life for people with disabilities. She noted that there are a large number of groups in Second Life that provide opportunities for people who identify as disabled, or who havean interest in disability, to socialise, share information or receive support services.

Dr Wood will use the proceeds of the award to extend research into accessibility solutions for people with disability in collaboration with colleagues from universities and community groups across Australia, the US and the UK.

Telstra will again sponsor the Prize with the TJA in 2011. Details for entry can be obtained by visiting www.acs.org.au/acstsa. The 2010 winning paper and other accepted papers can be accessed in the May 2010 edition of the Telecommunications Journal of Australia by visiting http://publications.epress.monash.edu/loi/tja.

(L-R) Robert Morsillo (Telstra), Dr Peter Gerrand (TJA), Dr Denise Wood (UniSA), The Hon. Bill Shorten MPat the award night.

“In order to transform disability in Australia we need to tackle our deep-seated fears, moral convictions and relationships … It requires the fostering of purposeful and mundane relationships that are based upon, and help us to explore, the inherent worth and contribution of people with disability to Australian society. Out of these relationships flow policy initiatives vital to social change.”**

Rev Canon Dr Christopher Newell


MAKING IT EASIER TO

STAY CLOSE

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE THE DETAILS, WE’VE GOT THEM HERE: ® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited, ABN 33 051 775 556.TCON0828_D_L

TELSTRA’S DISABILITY EQUIPMENT PROGRAMTelstra want to make communication as easy as possible for all of our

customers. That’s why if you are elderly or have a disability, we offer a

range of solutions to help, at no extra cost to a standard rental phone.

So contact us to receive a brochure, or you can access it online at:

www.telstra.com.au/disability/catalogue, Call 1800 068 424 (Voice),

1800 808 981 (TTY) or email [email protected]

VISIT TELSTRA.COM.AU/DISABILITY/CATALOGUE, CALL 1800 068 424 (VOICE),1800 808 981 (TTY) OR EMAIL [email protected]

TCON0828_Disability_285x210_D_L.indd 1 10/05/10 12:52 PM

STCOMCB

0276

Telstra is proud to sponsor Link Breakthroughs.

STCOMCB0276_Strip_Concept_3.indd 1 14/9/07 9:53:27 AM

Som

e of

the

brea

kthr

ough

item

s ar

e th

anks

to A

AP.


MAKING IT EASIER TO

STAY CLOSE

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE THE DETAILS, WE’VE GOT THEM HERE: ® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited, ABN 33 051 775 556.TCON0828_D_L

TELSTRA’S DISABILITY EQUIPMENT PROGRAMTelstra want to make communication as easy as possible for all of our

customers. That’s why if you are elderly or have a disability, we offer a

range of solutions to help, at no extra cost to a standard rental phone.

So contact us to receive a brochure, or you can access it online at:

www.telstra.com.au/disability/catalogue, Call 1800 068 424 (Voice),

1800 808 981 (TTY) or email [email protected]

VISIT TELSTRA.COM.AU/DISABILITY/CATALOGUE, CALL 1800 068 424 (VOICE),1800 808 981 (TTY) OR EMAIL [email protected]

TCON0828_Disability_285x210_D_L.indd 1 10/05/10 12:52 PM

STCOMCB

0276

Telstra is proud to sponsor Link Breakthroughs.

STCOMCB0276_Strip_Concept_3.indd 1 14/9/07 9:53:27 AM

AUS: Epilepsy implant world-firstA Tasmanian epilepsy sufferer has become the first person in the world to be implanted with a device that gives patients early warnings of a seizure.

In June, Jason Dent, 26, from Hobart, had an implant, similar to a pacemaker, fitted into his chest and wired to his brain by doctors at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, who are trialling the device.

The implant will monitor electrical activity 24 hours a day from the brain’s surface and send the information back to a wireless pager-type device Dent now carries with him.

If the risk of seizure is high, a red light will show on the pager, while a white light indicates a moderate risk and a blue light signals only a low risk. The pager can also be set to vibrate or sound a warning to alert a patient if that risk level changes.

Dent, who has put up with severe regular seizures since the age of four, hopes the implant will give him more freedom at work and while playing sport.

Dent is one of 10 patients in three Victorian hospitals who will participate in the two-year trial and, if successful, the device may be widely available in three to five years. - Edwina Scott

US: Stem cells can reverse some blindnessDozens of people, who were blinded or otherwise suffered severe eye damage when they were splashed with caustic chemicals, have had their sight restored with transplants of their own stem cells.

It’s a stunning success for the burgeoning cell-therapy field, Italian researchers reported in June.

The treatment worked in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far. One man, whose eyes were severely damaged more than 60 years ago, has near-normal vision.

The study, published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 106 patients, treated between 1998 and 2007. Adult stem cells have been used for decades to cure blood cancers, such as leukemia, but fixing a problem like damaged eyes is a relatively new use. - Alicia Chang

UK: MS “cannabis” drug launchedThe first licensed medical drug, containing whole cannabis plant extracts, was launched to treat symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the UK in June. Sativex will be made widely available there after it was approved by the medicine’s regulator. Taken as a mouth spray, it is used to help alleviate symptoms of spasticity - involuntary muscle stiffness and spasms - associated with MS and is said to be the first symptom relief drug, specifically for those with the condition.

It is the first cannabinoid medicine, derived from whole plant extracts of the cannabis sativa plant, and is only the second cannabinoid drug to be licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Cannabis is a Class B drug and using it for medicinal purposes remains illegal in the UK. But doctors can prescribe Sativex to MS patients experiencing the spasms and cramping associated with spasticity.

Doctors have been able to prescribe the drug, developed by UK company GW Pharmaceuticals, to named individuals at their own risk since 2006. About 2000 people in the UK are already prescribed it on this basis, but any MS patient will now be able to request a prescription for the drug from their doctor, meaning many more will be able to obtain it.

About 100,000 people in the UK have MS, a condition of the central nervous system. It is most often diagnosed in those aged between 20 and 40, with women nearly twice as likely to develop it as men. It can cause a wide range of symptoms besides spasticity, including fatigue, visual problems, cognitive problems and mood changes. - Rosa Silverman, Press Association

Som

e of

the

brea

kthr

ough

item

s ar

e th

anks

to A

AP.

breakthroughs


human interest | robcook

Cattleman Rob Cook hasn’t let a spinal injury sideline him, instead grabbing life by the horns. Carla Caruso reports.

A former professional bull-rider has found a way to keep his passion for the sport alive, despite suffering severe spinal injuries in a helicopter crash.

Rob Cook, 29, became a C4 tetraplegic after an ill-fated muster on his family’s remote cattle station in the Northern Territory in September 2008. (The chopper accident, caused by engine failure, means Cook now uses a wheelchair, only able to move his head and having a small amount of movement in his right arm).

Cook - named Rookie Australian Bull Riding Champion in 2004 - spent nearly two years in hospital and recovery in Adelaide. Now residing on a rural block near Alice Springs, with wife Sarah and sons Braxton and Lawson, his disability hasn’t stopped him being involved in the bull-riding world. “I’ve started announcing rodeos locally,” Cook enthuses. Over the Easter long weekend, he also helped lure international bull-riding personalities Troy Dunn and Shane “Mad Dog” Simpson to NT’s Aileron, with Dunn running a bull-riding school, and Simpson, a bull-fighting school. Cook explains: “I used to travel with them. So, I asked: ‘Could I get them over to bring some cowboys back into the sport?’ The (events) committee was ecstatic – we got a really good reaction to it.”

“I just believe being strong and positive is a plus all-round.”

Cook’s former bull-riding experience – including suffering broken limbs and fractures – put him in good stead during his long recovery from the accident. Though, it hasn’t all been easy, including time spent in intensive care and on full life support. Now out of hospital, Cook says, as well: “It’s been hard trying to work out what sort of father I will be. The things I saw myself teaching my sons, like football and rodeo, I’m having to sit back and let others teach them. It’s hard, but we’re just trying to keep it real for them. We have to find a happy medium.”

Cook continues: “I left school at 15 and my whole life has been about physical labour – I love it and I miss it. Holidays to me have always been about tinkering in the shed, not lying on a beach. But, patience would be the biggest thing I’ve learned since. (In the past) if I wanted to do something, I did it now. (Learning patience) has been the biggest thing for me.”

Fighting spirit

New-found hobbies include artistic painting, using a brush held in his mouth, and computer use through voice activation, including using Skype and Facebook. He has also been an inspirational guest speaker at events, such as the NT Cattlemen’s Association’s annual conference in Darwin. Cook’s motto is, if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. “A lot of the people I’ve met along the way have found it easier to quit - cut off family and friends. I just believe being strong and positive is a plus all-round”.

The cattleman remains determined to one day move back to the family-run Suplejack, Australia’s most isolated cattle station (it takes eight hours to drive into town), but logistically that’s not possible right now. “It’s still in the planning process. We have to make Suplejack best suit us - make it happen the right way,” Cook explains.

Still, he can always visit. Cook has a Magic Mobility Extreme 4x4 motorised wheelchair. “It’s an extreme chair, with six-inch fat tyres on it and it can do 10km an hour. I just couldn’t survive in any other chair. It gives me freedom. This chair has basically given me my legs back – it can climb walls!” It seems, if there’s a way around something, Cook’s the man to find it.

Rob Cook with his wife, Sarah, and their sons, Braxton and Lawson. Photo: Erwin Chlanda.


DisAbility and Ageing Expo13 August 2010Adelaide Showgrounds, South Australiawww.dircsa.org.au/expos/

Adele Fragnito: Cooking up a Fundraiser at the Rezz22 August 2010Rezz Bistro, SARana on (08) 8337 2888 or [email protected]

Sencity Sydney – Sensory Music Event27 August 2010Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour, NSWEwa Serafin [email protected]

City to Surf Perth, Western Australia29 August 2010www.citytosurf.activ.asn.au

Walk With MeNovita fundraisersWill be held in Townsville, Sydney, Launceston, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide12 September 2010www.thankq.net.au/tq_community_abifa/

Acting Accelerated for people with intellectual disabilitiesSpring holiday programs for 15-21 year-olds9-10 October 2010NIDA (02) 9697 7626www.nida.edu.au

Cerebral Palsy Charity Golf Day22 October 2010Lake Karrinyup Country Club WAKathy or Sam, (08) 9443 [email protected]

YMCA Weekend EscapesCamps for adults with disabilities29-31 October – Mt Evelyn, [email protected]

2nd Annual International Arts and Health Conference16-19 November 2010University of Melbourne, VICwww.artsandhealth.org

Australasian Mobility Conference 201024-26 November 2010University of Sydney, NSWwww.guidedogs.com.au/amc2010

Connect! 7th Annual Disability Arts Party1 December 201011am-2pmDunstone Grove, Stepney SAwww.nostringsattached.org.au

International Day of People with Disabilities3 December of each yearwww.idpwd.com.au

Inclusive BasketballFor people with physical or intellectual disabilityYMCA Kensington Community Leisure Centre, SA7pm Wednesday [email protected]

Sunshine Paper StudioHandmade paper artworks, cards etcPrograms running throughout 2010Pymble, NSWLyndsey Rellis (02) 9496 8752 [email protected]

Rural and Remote Australia11th National Rural Health ConferencePerth, WA 13-16 March 2011www.ruralhealth.org.au

5th International SRV Conference21-23 September 2011Canberra, [email protected]

what’s on

• Airconditioned• DualFuel

• CDplayer• Centrallocking

Seats 6 including Wheelchair passenger (rear entry)

CallJanet0411435057Vehicle located in South Australia


Subscribe to Link and keep up to the minute on disability issues!

Given Name Family Name

Address

StateSuburb Post Code

E-mailTelephone

Organisation Position

Please note: ABN: 40 005 498 775 All Australian prices GST inclusivethis document will become a tax invoice upon payment. Retain a copy for your records

copies/issue $ $Individual

Concession

Organisation

Multi-pack*

Audio cassette

International (aud)

$78

$38

$110$146

$34

$105

1 year 2 years Five editions per year

Subscribe for two years and save

* Choose multi-pack and receive three copies of each edition

Enclosed is a cheque/money order for $ made out to SA Group Enterprises Inc.

Please debit my credit card Visa Mastercard

Cardholder’s name Signature

card number Expiry date

Direct Debit Account Name SA Group Enterprises Bank ANZ Branch Castle Plaza BSB 015 225 Account 404 858 089

Send form and payment to:Link Magazine, Reply Paid 909, Adelaide SA 5001p: 08 8201 3223 f: 08 8201 [email protected]

Bulk rate: $3.50per copy for orders of 30 copies or more per issue. 1 year 2 years

Individual $43 Concession $23 Organisation $63 Total: $

Where did you hear about Link? past subscriber word of mouth Link website

other website expo/conference other please specify

Are you a (you may tick more than one box): person with a disability carer/family member health worker

disability organisation government organisation other please specify

Subscribe to Link and keep up to the minute on disability issues!

Link Online You can receive Link Magazine electronically via www.linkonline.com.au.

Link Magazine Subscriptions

$45

$25$65

$24

$66

$104

For more information:Call (08) 8422 6530 to enquire about specific programs, arrange a visit to our RTO or to have a consultation at your organisation on the SALC assisting with your training needs.King George AvenueBrighton SA 5048www.mindainc.com.au

The South Australian Learning Centre (SALC) has a well deserved reputation as one of the community services sector’s most sought after training destinations. A Registered Training Organisation, the SALC is based at Minda’s Brighton site, offering state of the art training and conference room facilities.

The SALC has training places available now in the following accredited courses: Certificate III in Disability Certificate III in Aged Care Certificate IV in Disability Certificate IV in Mental Health Diploma of Disability (partial credit for disability undergraduate degree guaranteed).

Interested in studying?Whether you’re developing your career, changing direction or studying your passion, the SALC offers learning pathways to help you to achieve your career goals with a range of high quality training programs.

You may also be eligible for Government incentives for accredited Certificate and Diploma courses.

Are you seeking training solutions for your workforce? Service Agencies:Enhance the skills of your workforce with training programs and qualifications offered onsite or delivered at your nominated venue. With a range of highly regarded accredited (see above) and non accredited packages, the SALC is already delivering training to major service providers across the community services sector. All programs can be customised to meet the needs of your organisation and ensure the learning outcomes are directly linked to your service delivery.

Available courses include: First Aid Manual Handling Personal Power Program – recognising and preventing abuse of vulnerable people

The SALC is an accredited provider for Productivity Places Programs (PPP). We have expertise in advising organisations on potential funding channels such as through PPP, Traineeships and User Choice.

BRILLIANTS IMPLY

® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited, ABN 33 051 775 556. TCON0828_L

$20MEMBER PLAN

24 MONTH TERMWITH MOBILE REPAYMENTSOF $17.04 PER MONTHFOR 24 MONTHS

MIN COST $899 PLUS USAGEBIG BUTTON & NUMBER DISPLAY

LOUD SPEAKER FOR CLEAR SOUND

TELSTRA EASYTOUCH® DISCOVERY 2

VISIT A TELSTRA STORE

AUSTRALIA’S L ARGEST & FASTEST NATIONAL MOBILE NETWORK

TCON0828_Easy_Touch_285x210_June_L.indd 1 27/05/10 3:14 PM

PARTY TIME! LINK TURNS THE BIG 3-0 THE VA-VA-VOOM...

Documents

Transcript of PARTY TIME! LINK TURNS THE BIG 3-0 THE VA-VA-VOOM...