International Day of People with Disability is celebrated on December 3 each year. This day aims to increase awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disability.
Check our our run-down of some of the events happening around Australia and online!
Many within the disability advocacy sector would be aware that a majority of state and federal governments recently voted to include minimum housing accessibility standards in the National Construction Code (the NCC). Victoria, Qld, ACT and TAS will be accepting the new accessibility provisions and will be importing them into their own jurisdictions.
But NSW is planning to actively ignore the new sections, and won’t even provide clear reasons why. Together, we can make sure people with accessibility needs in NSW aren’t left behind.
Inclusion Australia has partnered with the Department of Health to run a webinar for people with an intellectual disability and families. This free session will be run as a chat between Tara Elliffe, a self-advocate from New South Wales, and Professor Nick Lennox, a doctor who works with people with an intellectual disability and the Department of Health. They will talk about Tara’s recent experience getting her Covid jab.
To truly reap the benefits of the substantial public investment in this historic Royal Commission, granting the requested 17 month extension is essential. This extension must include extended funding of DRC support services including individual and systemic advocacy and counselling (through DSS) and legal support (through the Attorney-General’s Department) for people who have experienced disability violence, abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.
We urge the Commonwealth Government to ensure that Australians with disability have the opportunity to have their voices heard.
The Disability Royal Commission has been running for almost two years (of a three-year Royal Commission) without proper protections in place for survivors and witnesses to tell their stories. As it stands, people who provide information in a private session can have their privacy protected, but anyone providing written submissions to the Disability Royal Commission is only guaranteed confidentiality until the Royal Commission concludes in April next year. For many survivors and witnesses, this a barrier to telling their story.
