Honour for NDIS advocate Trisha Malowney

Champion for the rights of people with disabilities and NDIS supporter Trisha Malowney has joined the Victorian Honour Roll of Women for her work advocating for women with disability.

Congratulations Trisha!

Since contracting polio at the age of four months Trisha has been a strong advocate for women with disability, and has been very involved in the Every Australian Counts campaign, giving a stirring speech at the Melbourne Make it Real rally in 2012.

She says the NDIS needs to change the way people with disability in Australia are treated – and we couldn’t agree more.

Read more about Trisha’s work here.

Community Cabinet coming up in Vic

Community Cabinet is an opportunity to bring your concerns directly to the Government.

Every Australian Counts supporters took their opportunity in WA last week to ask what the Federal Government was doing to reach an agreement with the state government to ensure the NDIS is rolled out in WA.

Victorians will have their chance next with one scheduled for Wednesday 17 April in Ringwood.

Unfortunately registration to attend the Community Cabinet has already reached capacity but you can still send your questions in here.

Details for the meeting are:

Date: Wednesday 17 April 2013
Location: Norwood Secondary College, Byron Street, Ringwood, VIC
Time: Ministerial Meetings: 4.30 – 5.30 pm (AEST), From 5:30 (AEST): Gates open for the Public Forum, Public Forum : 6.00 – 7.00 pm (AEST)

A letter to Premier Napthine: Nick’s story

More than 1,200 Victorians have sent a message to new Premier Denis Napthine calling on him to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Many supporters have shared their personal stories with the Premiers, urging him to lock in the NDIS. Here is one from Nick:

Dear Premier Napthine,

Congratulations on your recent appointment as Premier of Victoria. 

You now have the ability to make a decision to do something that is really important to me, the full implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

I have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Bi-Polar which finally stopped me working around 3 years ago. This began my contact with the current disability system. I wish to give my impressions of the new NDIS which we are all waiting for with bated breath. 

One of the many frustrations which my wife and I have learnt are now part of our lives are offers of financial support to help with safety and mobility equipment, primely though the SWEP “State Wide Equipment Program”. But with the co-payments required often out of the reach for those on limited incomes this funding is so often not used, with no reason to believe it will ever be used. With the labyrinth of programs both State and Federal that are available, you need to be a career public servant to locate and take advantage of all that is on offer.

However my wife and I are looking forward to the future. A future where we will live with a fully-fledged NDIS. Have a single set of forms. Common assessment tools set up for my type of condition with a single point of contact. The chance to use the funding on offer in ways that will best suit me and my family. We live in the Dandenong Mountains, our priorities are obviously different to those of someone living in the inner city.

I’m particularly looking forward to a future were my health doesn’t dictate my family’s future. Where it isn’t assumed my wife will give up full time work to care for me. A future where my daughters don’t give up their free time to shuttle me around and fill the gaps my wife’s crowded schedule leaves uncovered. 

I don’t see the biggest impact of the NDIS being on my life at all. It’s the other lives that have been dragged into this system with me. I see the NDIS will have an impact far wider than just equipment and aid with daily living. I see it giving back, at least part of my old life. A chance to be part of the work force a bread winner, someone who is productive, as I was for 20 years.

Best wishes, and thank you for your support.

Nick

Send your own message to Premier Napthine.

Several Federal Members of Parliament set to hold NDIS forums across Victoria, come and have your voice heard!

Monday the 4th of March starts a three day tour for Senator Jan
McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers as she joins
Federal Members of Parliament to talk with various communities about the
current state of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Victoria.

These forums provide all members of the community the opportunity
to have their voices heard, their opinions listened to and their questions
answered.

Continue reading »

Geelong is in for a double delight as two NDIS forums are held on February 8, 2013! Register today!

Residents of Geelong will be treated to two different events on Friday the 8th of February, both discussing and looking at the broad issues and questions relating to the National Disability Insurance Scheme both in Victoria and around the nation.

Having a Say Conference – A discussion on the NDIS

To start the day at 9.30am the VALID Having a Say Conference is opening its doors for free to the broader community on Friday morning only, for residents to come and listen to, and ask questions of the expert panel of speakers.

Continue reading »

Every Australian Counts cycling team finishes first

The Every Australian Cycling team is at the start line ready to race

Early November we bought you the story of the ‘Every Australian Counts cycling team’ as they prepared for the Financial Review Corporate Cycling Challenge at Flemington Racecourse in Victoria.

Held on Sunday the 18th of November, the team did an outstanding job as they finished first in the mixed team enthusiast category. Congratulations!

Formed to promote the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the team which boasted the support of Carlton Captain Chris Judd was led by CEO Paul Ostrowski from Care Connect.

Continue reading »

Expert disability panel to discuss NDIS – Frankston – 5 December

Held at the Frankston Arts Centre in Frankston on Wednesday December 5, locals will be treated to an expert line up of speakers to discuss the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Starting at 9.30am the forum will discuss the foundations of NDIS, what is it, why we need it, who is for and what is happening in the current environment.

Continue reading »

Upcoming NDIS forum in Benalla:15 November

A forum on the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be held in Benalla on Thursday 15 November at 1pm.

The key speaker at the forum will be the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Senator Jan McLucas who has been a key driver of the development of the NDIS in the Federal Government. James O’Brien, Acting State Manager, National Disability Services in Victoria will also address the forum.

The forum is just one of hundreds that have been held across Australia by the Every Australian Counts campaign, who have been working right across Australia to push for the introduction of a properly designed and funded NDIS. The campaign now has 135,000 supporters, who have all been pushing for the introduction of the NDIS which will help ensure people living with disability, their families and carers get access to a decent level of care and support. Continue reading »

Rob Mitchell MP and Senator McLucas host NDIS forum in Seymour

The Every Australian Counts campaign seeks to continuously lobby and raise the issue of fully funding and implementing the NDIS with Government.  If you live in the Mitchell Shire then this is your opportunity! Come and tell your Federal Member for McEwen, Rob Mitchell MP and the Assistant Minister implementing NDIS, Senator Jan McLucas your thoughts on the NDIS and what it means to you. 

The forum will provide you with the latest news from Canberra and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the NDIS.

When: Thursday 15 November, 10:00am till 11:30am Continue reading »

Chelsea, your Federal MP wants to hear your thoughts on the NDIS

If you live in Chelsea, Victoria, or in the surrounding region, come and share your opinion about the NDIS with you Federal MP, Mark Dreyfus QC, Member for Isaacs and Senator the Hon. Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disability and Carers. 

Ask the government about the latest news from Canberra during the question and answer session and hear from others in your community about what the NDIS means to them.

When: Friday 9 November 2012, 9.00am – 10.30am Continue reading »