Disabilitea on wheels in NT

With close to a thousand Disabiliteas across Australia there are some wildly different variations.

The Northern Territory is taking out the earlybird prize for their version of Disabilitea on wheels.

Patriots Australia NT Chapter Motorcycle Club is inviting all motorcyclists to join them in supporting the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) campaign with a DisabiliTEA ride on Sunday 21 October 2012, leading the pack as one of the first of the 2012 DisabiliTEA events to be held across Australia.

The Patriots are a motorcycle club for regular, reserve and ex-serving members of the defence force (Army, Navy and Air Force.

The Patriots NT Chapter will meet at Caltex Berrimah at 10.00am for a 10.30am departure, riding through Darwin city centre and joining NDS NT at 11am for a sausage sizzle, complete with cups of tea, on the Nightcliff foreshore.       For more details contact Bec on 0439858770

If you have a point of difference about your Disabilitea let the coordinators know so we can promote it – geraldine.mellet@ndis.org.au; fiona.anderson@ndis.org.au; james.obrien@ndis.org.au ; katherine.mclellan@ndis.org.au

Every Australian Counts at the City to Bay

The Every Australian Counts campaign will be on the run on Sun Sep 16 in Adelaide.

1000 wheelers, walkers and runners will don their red Every Australian Counts tshirts as they unite under the NDIS banner and go the distance in the annual fun run which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Thanks to Bedford for taking the lead and also to Autism SA; Leveda; SCOSA; Dignity for Disability; SASRAPID; CARA and MINDA.

Adelaide NDIS forum – 17 July with Senator Jan McLucas and Kate Ellis MP

Senator Jan McLucas is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Disabilities and Carers.

She has also played a critical role in shaping the NDIS as a major public policy reform and will be integral to advancing the NDIS in the coming months.

Senator McLucas along with Gillard Government Minister and Federal MP for Adelaide Kate Ellis will be hosting a NDIS forum on Tuesday 17 July from 1pm -2.30 pm at the Unley Civic Centre – 181 Unley Road, Unley.

Both Jan and Kate are keen to talk to people in Adelaide about the NDIS and we encourage people to get to this important forum to ensure our political leaders are in doubt about the urgent need to lock in the NDIS for good.

If you can attend this event, please rsvp by email to david.wilkins@aph.gov.au or call 08 8269 2433.

Rick Neagle makes a powerful case for the NDIS

Rick Neagle is the President of Dignity 4 Disability, a political party in South Australia. He is also the father and carer of Mitchell, his 12 year old son who has autism.

For many years, Rick has been a powerful advocate for disability and has been unwavering in his support for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

In this new video, Rick makes a powerful case for the NDIS and how it will benefit people with disability, families and carers and help fix the current broken system and how the reform should be embraced by the whole nation.

We salute Rick for his tireless advocacy for the NDIS.

You can check out Rick’s message here:

http://video.everyaustraliancounts.com.au/video281

Disabled slowly getting more autonomy with entitlements

Below is a transcript of a story which ran on the ABC’s PM Radio Program on 12 June in relation to the move towards self managed funding arrangements in South Australia.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme will expand the idea of giving disabled people more control spending their entitlement instead of service agencies. But with the scheme several years away, the self-managed funding system is already being set up in some areas. Those using it say it gives better value for money and better results, but the body representing service agencies says it could drive workers away from the industry

South Australians have started to ‘Spread the Word’ in support of a NDIS

This week, hundreds of South Australian’s with disabilities, their families and carers as well as service providers and community organisations will be taking part in Spread the Word week to inform the community of the need for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

South Australia has seen an enthusiastic response to Spread the Word week with activities such as letterboxing neighbourhoods, recruiting 10 friends to the campaign and / or holding a community stall to get the word out.

We will have campaigners on the streets in the eastern coast of Eyre Peninsula at Tumby Bay to the South East at Mt Gambier and the mid-north at Redbanks to east-southeast of Adelaide at Murray Bridge and communities everywhere in between.

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Ronni and Matthew, SA campaigners of the week

Ronni, our campaigner of the week is pictured here with her 9 year old son Matthew, husband Geoff and Federal MP, the Hon Kate Ellis. Ronni is not new to advocacy as she has been fighting for a better deal for children with disabilities over the past 9 years.

Matthew, who has severe and multiple disabilities also has chronic complex health needs which destined him to spend a considerable amount of time in hospital and the medical system in his first years of life.  Ronni became a vocal member on several health committees, where as a consumer advocate she passionately championed for better systems for children with complex health needs and improved conditions on the Medical Wards in the Womens and Childrens Hospital.

As Matthew’s health issues began to improve and he spent less time in hospital Ronni learnt just how deficient, broken and crisis driven our disability sector is. SA has the sad claim to having the lowest rate of state funding per person with a disability.

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Select Council asked to fast-track NDIS foundation reforms

This Thursday 20 October in Sydney the NDIS Select Council (Disability Ministers and Treasurers) established by COAG will meet for the first time – and be asked to put in place NDIS foundation reforms a year ahead of the Productivity Commission’s deadline – by mid-2013.

Accelerated delivery of the foundation reforms – the key changes the Productivity Commission said were needed before a National Disability Insurance Scheme can be introduced – are a welcome response to the strong pressure EAC campaigners continue to exert on MPs from all political parties to implement the NDIS happen as quickly as possible without sacrificing the scheme’s sustainability.

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State Government Responses: NDIS Announcement

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Media Release: Federal Government Commits to National Disability Insurance Scheme

August 10 2011

The Every Australian Counts campaign today commended the Federal Government for its commitment to the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Every Australian Counts Campaign Director John Della Bosca said the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians with a disability and their families would ultimately be transformed by today’s historic announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

“This is the biggest social-economic reform Australia has seen since the introduction of Medicare. It will have a transformational impact on our community and our economy,” Mr Della Bosca said.

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