QDN e-News 8 September 2023

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Watch QDN Member Donna Best’s TEDx Talk

At TEDxUQ 2023 QDN Member Donna Best and long time colleague and QDN Supporter Dr Kathy Ellem presented a TEDx Talk. Their TEDX talk discussed advocacy and the challenges for people with intellectual disability over the past 40 years. They also talked about the importance of people with intellectual disability having a strong voice and working together to influence change.

Donna and Kathy did an amazing talk that engaged everyone present and will be sure to start many conversations into the future about advocacy. A huge thank you to everyone who attended, engaged, and made their talk a success. Your energy and enthusiasm are what make TEDxUQ truly special event.

Watch and listen to the recording here:  https://www.youtube.com/live/zoDDq0AH7XY?si=CgXVgnl4fekR5jmL

Apply now for the Matt McCracken Bursary

QDN is pleased to announce the Matt McCracken Bursary. Matt was a leader with disability in the Caboolture community with a strong commitment to inclusion of people with disability.

The Matt McCracken Bursary is a three-year bursary program which will be awarded each year to a QDN member in the Moreton Bay region who wants to grow their skills, knowledge and experience or undertake community-based activities with a focus on community inclusion, disability leadership and advocacy.

Applications close 23 September 2023, visit the webpage below for details on how to apply.

For more information: https://qdn.org.au/qdn-matt-mccracken-bursary/

QDN co-design fact sheets

QDN and the Queensland Government Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships have released a new series of factsheets about co-design, highlighting the importance of co-design and how to implement co-design principles.

Download the fact sheets here: link to QDN website if we can upload

OR Search for ‘co-design factsheet’ on the Queensland Government website here: https://www.dsdsatsip.qld.gov.au/

Invitation to Participate in Autonomous Accessible Vehicle Research Survey

The Accessible Autonomous Vehicle project is working to develop design principles for an accessible autonomous vehicle focused on people with disability. As part of design development, researchers are looking to further refine the seat design and would like to hear from people with disability, including but not limited to people using wheelchairs and electric mobility scooters, people with assistance dogs, and elderly users (with mobility and physical limitations).

All comments and responses are anonymous, and QUT provides free psychology, family therapy or counselling services for research participants who may experience discomfort or distress as a result of their participation in the research. For more information contact QUT researcher Cooper Benz on cooper.benz@connect.qut.edu.au or 0438 025 745.

Complete the survey here: https://forms.office.com/r/NrB9MpdGBB

ABC News: Australia sends first ever women's blind cricket team to Britain for world games

Until now, the only chance for blind and vision-impaired women to compete at an elite level of cricket had been to compete with men. This is the first time Australia has sent a women's team to an international competition.

Read the full story here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-23/australian-women-blind-cricket-team-world-games/102742548

Read the latest blogs from our QBloggers

Did you know QDN has its own blogging community? Being a QBlogger is a chance to grow and learn from one another's experiences and expertise and help generate ideas for future policy and advocacy work.

You can create a blog by filming a video, recording a podcast, or writing a post, with the QDN communications team available to support you if you need.

Read the latest posts here: https://qdn.org.au/membership/qbloggers/

Policy update 

Policy Update, there is a image of a tick in a box with an arrow coming out the side of the box and circling around back to point at the box.

Final Disability Royal Commission public hearing releases case study findings

The Disability Royal Commission has released a Commissioners’ report on Public hearing 33, which makes three findings and five recommendations in relation to the case study of two young men with disability. The report found that the State of Queensland could have, and should have, done more to prevent Kaleb and Jonathon (not their real names) from experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and the deprivation of their human rights. Recommendations in the report include:

  • Better training for relevant frontline staff to understand unconscious and conscious bias and how discrimination occurs.
  • Giving people with disability, particularly children and young people, a greater say in the development and review of child protection practices and policies.
  • Expanding the Child Advocate scheme.
  • The State of Queensland should acknowledge and apologise for the suffering experienced by Kaleb and Jonathon.

Read the report here: https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/report-public-hearing-33-violence-abuse-neglect-and-deprivation-human-rights-kaleb-and-jonathon-case-study

Disability Royal Commission Final Report

The Disability Royal Commission will hand down its final report to the Australian Government by September 2023. The report makes recommendations on how to improve laws, policies, structures and practices for people with disability.

NDIS Review Final Report

The NDIS Independent Review Panel will make a final report to the Disability Reform Ministers’ Meeting by October 2023. QDN have submitted all submissions relating to the NDIS Review on topics such as:

  • Home and Living.
  • Access to the NDIS.
  • The Participant Journey (for example, NDIS planning and review processes).
  • Disaster Inclusive Risk Reduction.
  • Platform Providers.
  • A response to the “What we Have Heard Report” addressing solutions for Queensland and Australia at large.

More information is available here.

Report examines alternatives to the use of restrictive practices

Research by the University of New South Wales is exploring ways of reducing restrictive practices, highlighting the need to have change at many levels. The report outlines the need for training of staff, data to inform practice, effective leadership, crisis management, improvement of infrastructure, services and culture more broadly as well as outlining the need for changes at a policy and legislative level.

Access report is available here.

More inclusion in early childhood education and care

Resources are being developed by the Department of Social Services, the NDIS and the Department of Education in consultation with representatives from the early childhood education centre (ECEC). The resources are focused on supporting children in mainstream ECEC settings, which contributes to the overall Early Childhood Targeted Action Pan.

More information is available here.

Read the Targeted Action Plan here.

New NDIS Corporate Plan 2023-2027

The NDIS has released a new Corporate Plan from 2023-2027, setting out strategic direction, how they will measure performance as illustrating the commitment the NDIS have to improving the scheme based on the outcomes of external reviews.

Access the Plan here.

SDA Demand Projections Report released

The NDIS has released the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Pricing Review 2022-23 Demand Projections Report. This report outlines long-term estimations for SDA, SDA demand based on the data and information currently available and projects that SDA demand will increase from about 22,900 participants in June 2022 to around 36, 700 in June 2042 at an average growth rate of 2.4% per annum.

More information is available here.

Access the report here.

Challenging NDIS Decisions Resource

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), in partnership with the Housing Hub, has released ‘How To’ guides around the NDIS appeals process. The resources address each step of the appeals process.

More information is available here.

Consultations open on National Autism Strategy

The Australian Government has opened public consultations on the development of a National Autism Strategy. A discussion paper and a guided questionnaire have been made available online.

More information is available here.

Submission information is available here.

Grant opportunities for the participation of people with disability

There are new grant opportunities, including up to $90 million through the Individual Capacity Building (ICB) stream to support any programs that have a focus on building knowledge, skill, capability and confidence of people with disability in conjunction with improving their access to community and mainstream services. The grant will be one-off, time-limited activities for up to three years from July 2024-June 2027.

More information is available here.

 

What's on

Peer Support Groups

  • Tuesday 12th September, 12:30pm – 2:30pm - Gladstone Peer Support Group @ Gladstone Regional Art Gallery
  • Friday 15th September, 11am – 1pm - Unique Parenting Peer Support Group @ QDN Office and online via Zoom
  • Saturday 16th September, 10am – 12pm - Ipswich Peer Support Group @ Ipswich Services Club
  • Friday 8th September, 10:30am – 12:30pm – Gold Coast Peer Support Group @ Nerang Library and online via Zoom
  • Friday 8th September, 10am – 12pm – Townsville Peer Support Group @ Independent Advocacy Townsville
  • Tuesday 12th September, 12:30pm – 1:30pm – Gladstone Peer Support Group @ 1 Pengelly St
  • Friday 15th September, 10:30am – 12:30pm, Tableland Peer Support Group @ Mareeba Library
  • Saturday 16th September, 10am – 12pm, Ipswich Peer Support Group @ Club Services Ipswich (CSI), Table 31
  • Monday 18th September, 5:30pm - 7:00pm, QDN Statewide meeting @ QDN office and online via Zoom
  • Wednesday 20th September, 10:30am – 12:30pm, Brisbane Peer Support Group @ QDN office and online via Zoom
  • Wednesday 20th September, 10:30am - 12:30pm, Deception Bay Peer Support Group @ Deception Bay Darts Club
  • Wednesday 27th September, 10:30am - 12:30pm - Sunshine Coast Peer Support Group @ Compass Connections Café
  • Wednesday 27th September, 1.30pm - 3.30pm - Toowoomba Peer Support Group @ Toowoomba City Library
  • Wednesday 27th September, 4:00pm - 5:30pm - Self Management Peer Support Group @ Online via Zoom
  • Thursday 28th September, 3.30pm - 5.30pm - Cairns Peer Support Group @ Rights in Action Cairns
  • Friday 28th September, 9am - 12pm - Hot Topics Brisbane, QDN Office or Zoom
  • Friday 29th September, 4:30pm - 6:30pm - LGBTQIA+ Peer Support Group @ Online via Zoom
  • Saturday 30th September, 11am - 1pm - Caboolture Peer Support Group @ 19-27 Station Rd, Morayfield

Final sitting of the Disability Royal Commission

Registrations are open for the final sitting of the Disability Royal Commission in September. The ceremonial sitting won’t hear evidence but is a way to thank the many groups and individuals who contributed to the work. The Chair of the Royal Commission and all Commissioners will take part.

Where: The Shangri-La in Sydney or online via livestream
When: Friday 15 September, 10am

For those who can’t make it in person, the sitting will be streamed with Auslan interpreters and live captioning. Find more information or register here: https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/public-hearings/ceremonial-closing-sitting

QDN Membership

If you or someone you know would like to be a QDN member apply here:  https://qdn.org.au/membership/qdn-member-application/

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