News Hub News
Is your organisation returning to face-to-face meetings? You need to read this…
Lockdowns have lifted – and some disability organisations are moving back to face-to-face meetings, and interstate travel. The pandemic is not over. People with disability are still at risk of serious health complications and death – even with some protections from vaccines. And apart from that – we cannot now or ever forget the enormous gains mainstream society has made in online accessibility over the last couple of years. Our friend Dr George Taleporos has some important advice for these organisations based on his recent personal experience.
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Planning for life with COVID – getting some answers on what people with disabilities need to know to stay safe
As Australia opens up despite ongoing COVID community transmission, people with disabilities need to work through some complex questions. One of these questions hits our friend Dr George Taleporos a bit too close to home – so he got some answers to share with all of us in his new series of Reasonable and Necessary.
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Vaccinating people with disability against COVID-19
People with disability are at much bigger risk of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19. But getting a vaccine has been really hard for lots of people in our community, and vaccination rates are still too low. So we have been asking people with disability, families and the people who support them to tell us about their vaccine experiences, so we can tell the government what they can do to make it easier. Here’s what we have heard so far…
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Left behind – disabled people and the COVID vaccine
A new report from the Disability Royal Commission into the COVID vaccine rollout is just the latest in a long list of documented failures by governments to address the needs and rights of disabled people. In the race to “open up”, governments must prioritise the needs of disabled people and do a much better job of engaging with the expertise of disabled people and the sector’s organisations, says El Gibbs, an award-winning writer and disability rights advocate.
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Last minute backflip from NDIS on Support Coordination
Breaking news out of the NDIS this morning …
And it is not good. Not good at all.
Buried in an announcement about the end of some of the changes made to the NDIS as a result of the COVID19 is the news that participants will NO longer be able to buy or top up Support Coordination out of their core budget.
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New Coronavirus rules for Victoria
Victoria has the highest numbers of COVID19 infections in Australia. We are collecting all the latest news, info and resources for people with disability and families as it comes out so you don’t have to go hunting. (We have done our best to try and explain what it all means which has NOT been easy…)
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Coronavirus changes in South Australia
South Australia has gone into 6-day a “hard lockdown” starting on Thursday November 19. We’ve popped all the info people with disability and families need to know right here – and we will keep updating as new info comes out.
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Keeping people with disability safe during COVID
Yesterday the National Disability Insurance Agency, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the Department of Social Services all appeared before the Senate inquiry into the government’s management of the COVID19 pandemic.
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Testing times in the NDIS…
Just over a week ago the Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert announced the government’s response to the Tune review.
It was a good news/bad news kind of a thing.
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Coronavirus changes in Queensland
Changes have been announced for people with disability in some parts of Queensland about masks and PPE, supported accommodation, and new rules. We’ve popped all the info people with disability and families need to know right here – and we will keep updating as new info comes out.
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Every Australian Counts heads to the Disability Royal Commission
“We feel forgotten. We need help. And we need things to be much, much easier”.
They were the messages we took to the Disability Royal Commission yesterday.
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“Left out and locked down” The experiences of people with disability and their families during COVID19
“We’ve been forgotten. We need more help. We need things to be easier”. They are the overwhelming messages to come out of our Coronavirus survey for people with disability and families.
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Media release: “Left out and locked down” report highlights the COVID-19 experience of people with disability
A new report into the experiences of NDIS participants and their families during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic shows many were stretched to breaking point and let down by poor communication and a lack of support and help.
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Get your mask on!
There’s been a bunch of new info released over the last couple of months around masks and people with disability. We’ve popped it all in the one place so you don’t have to go hunting. (And we have done our best to try and explain what it all means which has NOT been easy…)
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Getting answers to the big questions – our Zoom forum with the NDIA
Why can’t we have planning meetings over video? Why can’t we get contact details for staff at the NDIA? Why do approvals for equipment take so long?
And will you cut my funding next time because I did not use all of it as a result of COVID lockdowns?
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Advocacy groups call for better support for people with disability
Disability advocacy groups are calling on the National Disability Insurance Agency, the Federal government and the Victorian State government to all work together to make sure people with disability and their families have what they need to stay safe and well during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Big coronavirus changes – and what it means for Victorians
For all our Melbourne peeps, our hearts go out to you. Another six weeks in lockdown. And we are with you – because that is where we are based too.
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Get your calculators out – it’s the new NDIS price guide
The final price guide for 2020 came out today.
Well … sort of the final. At least until the next update comes out.
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NDIS prices – the good, the bad and the ugly
The NDIA released the new price guide for 2020 today. The good news is that the NDIA have got this guide out much earlier than usual. This means we all have a chance to dig around in it and get a handle on everything before it actually goes live on July 1.
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What’s going on with the Disability Royal Commission during COVID-19?
The utterly heartbreaking stories about people with disability that have come out over the last few weeks prove just how important it is that we have a Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
And although the Commission has put public hearings on hold during the pandemic, they still need to hear from our community.
Here’s what they want to hear about right now, and how you can get involved.
NDIS: What’s working and what’s not? We want to hear from you
The National Disability Insurance Agency have introduced lots of changes in the last few weeks to try and help people with disability and their families get through this difficult period. We want to know what’s working and what’s not – and what still needs to change.
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One small step for the NDIS … one giant leap for participants
Today the Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert and the National Disability Insurance Agency made a bunch of announcements about changes to the NDIS.
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Smart devices, tablets, iPads – the NDIA get their act together (finally)
After a couple of weeks of confusion, anxiety and worry, the National Disability Insurance Agency confirmed this afternoon that NDIS participants CAN purchase a smart device to help them with their disability support during this period.
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NDIS and the Coronavirus – what’s changed and what still needs changing? An interview with NDIA CEO
Late last week we had the chance to interview the CEO of the National Disability Insurance Agency Martin Hoffman.
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