News Hub Opinion
Voices of experience on living with disability, inclusion and how the NDIS is transforming lives.
COVID-19 contingency planning: everything actually worked!
Someone in my home got the dreaded phone call last week – he’d been exposed to COVID-19 and needed to self-isolate. And to my extreme shock, all our contingency plans actually worked as intended!
Read more
Disability, health and the coronavirus: Why action is urgently needed
We all have stories to share about when the medical system has let us down. But people with disabilities have more than the average person.
Read more
A big AAT win for Jake – and all NDIS participants with complex needs
Advocates from VALID have shared the story of an important win at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for Jake, a young man with complex support needs. Here’s what the AAT agreed to.
Read more
Housing for people with disabilities: what needs to happen
Today our good friend Dr George Taleporos will give evidence to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability at their hearings in Melbourne.
We asked Dr George what he planned to tell the Commission – and what he thinks needs to change when it comes to housing for people with disability.
Read more
A quick catch up with Carleeta on International Day
Today is International Day of People with Disability. The purpose of the day is to promote understanding of the issues facing people with disability, and to push for change.
We don’t often hear from people who use different forms of communication on this day. So we thought this was a good chance to ask our Champion Carleeta what she has been up to lately.
Read more
A quick catch up with Benjamin on International Day
Tomorrow is International Day of People with Disability. The purpose of the day is to promote understanding of the issues facing people with disability, and to push for change.
We don’t often hear from young people with disability on this day. So we thought this was a good chance to ask our Champion Benjamin what he has been up to lately, and what he would like to see change for young people in this country.
Read more
It’s time to get young people out of nursing homes
Last week the Royal Commission on Aged Care released their interim report. The report was long and there was a lot to take in, so we asked our good friend George Taleporos at the Summer Foundation to cast his eye over it and tell us what we needed to know.
Read more
“I know what red tape is”. Self advocates tell the PM a few home truths
A couple of weeks ago the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the new Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert held a meeting with a small group of people with disability and their families in western Sydney.
Read more
Becoming visible: A chat with Ricky Buchanan
How is the NDIS working for people who can’t leave their homes?
Read more
“We deserve to be heard”: An open letter about the NDIS by Melissa Norman
“My name is Melissa Norman, I am 23 years old and I’m writing this letter to highlight the problems people with disabilities experience on the NDIS.”
Read more
Are we getting action – or just more talk?
At the end of last week the Federal Minister for Social Services Paul Fletcher announced a new government action plan to get young people out of aged care.
So what is in the plan, what does it have to do with the NDIS – and what will it mean for young people currently trapped in facilities around the country?
George Taleporos from the Summer Foundation explains it all for us.
Read more
Autism and the NDIS – what is going on?
There has been a great deal of media coverage during the last week about NDIA plans to review the guidelines which govern access to the NDIS. In particular whether or not they plan to change the guidelines relating to people with autism.
Read more
NDIS review system can no longer be ignored
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has released a report on the administration of NDIS reviews. Among other things, it noted that as of February 2018 there were 8,100 reviews on hand, and a further 620 new review requests each week.
Read more
Disability advocates alarmed as the NDIA breaks its silence on disability housing
You may have missed it last week with all the fuss about the government’s decision to walk away from the increase to the Medicare Levy to fund the NDIS, but the National Disability Insurance Agency finally broke its silence on the future direction of disability housing in the NDIS.
Read more
The AAT and why what they say is important
Many people don’t know where to turn when they have a problem with the NDIS. Sam Paior from The Growing Space explains what happens when an NDIS review goes the next step – to the AAT – and why we should all be paying close attention to why those AAT decisions are so important.
Read more
25 years on – the Disability Discrimination Act
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin talks about the Disability Discrimination Act (the DDA) today, on it’s 20th anniversary
Read more
Don’t screen out our humanity
The idea of screening genetic conditions has become part and parcel of having children for many Australian couples. The recent push by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute for
Read more
Choice and Control Under Threat: Victoria must listen to people with disability and stay true to the principles of the NDIS
Choice and control is one of the fundamental principles of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. We must be vigilant to ensure that this important principle is not lost in the rollout.
Read more
Exciting and challenging times…
Over the past 2 ½ years I have spoken with thousands of people with disability, their families and carers, advocates and support workers sharing information, knowledge and experience about all things NDIS. These discussions have highlighted issues, anxieties, problems and frustrations but also options, possibilities, developments and opportunities for the future. I have loved my role as Community Educator for the Every Australian Counts campaign; it is something I feel very proud and privileged to have been a part of and these are exciting and challenging times.
Read more
Is NDIS really as scary as people say it is?
If you have a child with a disability and never have been eligible for financial assistance before, the NDIS is like the answer to your dreams. To be able to write a plan with no limits, no thinking about the cost, no thinking where will I get the money from. I can tell you this was a dream we would have never thought possible.
Read more