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Launch of FPDN in Sydney – 30 March 2012

On 30 March 2012 the First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN) was launched in Sydney by The Hon. Senator Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disability & Carers.

FPDN is the new national peak organisation representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with disability in Australia, and their families and carers. FPDN membership is made up of existing state networks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people living in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, and will be looking to include other networks in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania as full members in the future.

Traditional dancers

First Nations performers

Damian Griffis CEO

Damian Griffis CEO

Senator Jan McLucas

Senator Jan McLucas

FPDN Executive with Graham Innes

FPDN Executive with Graham Innes

Rights & Inclusion Australia congratulates FPDN and we look forward to partnership opportunities – to advance the rights and inclusion of First People with a disability.

Kuwait Access Strategy

In April 2012 Michael Fox was invited to Kuwait – and as part of a global RI team a contract was signed with the RI National Member Organisation, the Kuwait Society for the Handicapped (KSH), to prepare a Kuwait Access Strategy.

The program is scheduled for completion by December 2012.


KSH Director Hashem Taqi and his wife, KSH Secretary General Munira Al-Mutawa and husband Faisal, and Khaled El-Mohtar, RI Arab Region Vice-President, with Michael Fox – Visit 2, May 2012. Photo by Joseph Kwan, RI team member and ICTA Global Chair

INAUGURAL RI Australia CRPD WORKSHOP

Making the CRPD work

Awareness raising & effective implementation – international, regional and national implications of the CRPD

THURSDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2010

Sponsored by House With No Steps, Northcott & Access Australia
Keynote Speaker – Professor Ron McCallum AO
UN CRPD Committee Chair

* The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was ratified by Australia in 2008, and the associated Protocol was ratified in 2009. The 50 Articles of the CRPD provide obligations for Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to implement more equitable and inclusive programs and services.

Program:
2 pm to 4.30 pm – Thursday 25 November 2010

Venue:
House With No Steps
49 Blackbutts Rd, Belrose NSW 2085 Ph 02 9451 1511
Registration: Click here to complete Online Registration Form
Limited spaces – Registration closes 15 November 2010
CRPD Workshop Program

House With No Steps
49 Blackbutts Rd, Belrose NSW 2085 Ph 02 9451 1511

2 pm Welcome to Country & introduction (Uncle Lester Bostock – TBC)
Michael Fox – (RI Australia Chair)
Ron McCallum

Ron McCallum AO

2.15 Keynote – Professor Ron McCallum AO
2.45 Discussion
3.00 Afternoon tea
3.15 Panel discussion
Damian Griffis – Executive Officer, First People’s Disability Network / Australia
Lesley Hall – Executive Director, Australian Federation Disability Organisations
Professor Ron McCallum AO – UN CRPD Committee Chair

Facilitator – Sue Salthouse – President WWDA / RI Australia

3.45 Discussion
4.30 pm Summary, next Workshop & close
Northcott & HWNS can also support participants’ travel costs
Please let us know your support, accessibility and/or dietary requirements.

Workshop for Service Providers with Professor Tom Shakespeare

Thursday 3 March 2011 – 9.30am to 1.00pm

Charles Blunt Conference Room, Royal Rehabilitation Centre, 227 Morrison Road, Putney NSW

Acclaimed scholar, Professor Tom Shakespeare will be presenting a workshop for service providers, hosted by the University of Sydney.

The workshop will address two topics:

  • violence, abuse and bullying in the lives of people with intellectual disability; and
  • independent living initiatives in the lives of people with intellectual disability.

These topics will be introduced by Professor Shakespeare followed by an interactive group discussion.

Professor Shakespeare has researched and taught in the field of disability studies, medical sociology and bioethics at the UK Universities of Cambridge, Sunderland, Leeds and Newcastle.

He is currently involved with the World Health Organization in Geneva, as one of the editors of the forthcoming World Report on Disability.

Registration is free but places are limited. To register, contact Dana Higgins, dana.higgins@sydney.edu.au

Rights & Inclusion Australia CRPD WORKSHOP Program

Initial Workshop HWNS Sydney 25 November 2010

February 2011 – comments & suggestions

The Workshop was attended by approximately 50 delegates representing all stakeholders – including people with a disability, advocates, DPOs, service providers and government. People attending the Workshop were from around Australia, together with delegates from Fiji and Hong Kong.

Rights & Inclusion Australia thanks everyone who attended and contributed to the success of our inaugural CRPD Workshop.

Comments on 25 November CRPD Workshop

Excellent overview of many issues. Good to have broad cross- section of presenters

Lots of important issues put across

Excellent. Challenging to service provider organizations – any engagement of stakeholders with service providers is welcome.

Excellent inaugural meeting – great initiative. Good speakers – broad coverage, well organized. Maybe in small groups and have people introduce themselves, time dependent.

Excellent workshop. Good balance of international and domestic, but disorganized and go for longer please.

Thanks for a very informative afternoon. I appreciated the efforts to be inclusive with the media and sign interpreters.

Suggestions for future CRPD Workshops / events

Ideas so far sound good – consider needs of people who have communication disabilities / using augmentative and alternative communication, as many issues in this area need a lot of support.
May be beneficial to split into domestic CRPD implementation and international in future especially for overseas visitors.

Email forum for discussion.

Familiarisation with content of CRPD.

Key areas – corporate / employment – try and get Debra Perry ILO Geneva.
Children with disabilities – assess situation in Australia.

Relating CRPD to service providers in their day to day context.

There is a great need for more awareness to be created within Australia about the CRPD and that this might be the focus of future workshops.

Disability and the criminal justice system and legal rights building grass roots advocacy to support exercise of rights.

Supporting developing countries in region to implement CRPD.
Accessibility to ICT.

R&IA Townsville Workshop – Initial outcomes

Rights & Inclusion Australia Townsville Workshop – 1 December 2011 – initial outcomes

The Workshop was attended by approximately 45 participants representing key stakeholders and summary reports and audio / video highlights will be posted shortly. Initial outcomes include:

  • Adverse implications of the Price Waterhouse Coopers Report on all Australian with a disabilities. OECD ranks Australia 21st out of 29 countries in employment participation rates for people with a disability, with 45% living near or below the poverty line
  • An estimated 37% of Indigenous Australians have a disability compared to the national statistic of 19%
  • Lack of knowledge and awareness about support services available to First People with a disability (FPWD)
  • Process fundamentally upside down, with indigenous agencies mainly staffed by non indigenous people
  • Key importance of respect, and the need to change mind sets of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders and non indigenous people
  • Federal initiatives including the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) provide opportunities for real change, and need effective involvement of all stakeholders
  • NDIS provides important opportunities for regional and remote communities
  • Employment opportunities for FPWDs should be based on access to training, equality, job security and enjoyment
  • Federal and Queensland employment strategies, policies and guidelines for setting up a business are available, and links will be posted at www.riaustralia.org in due course
  • Creating employment requires a combination of available opportunities and innovative ideas
  • The best outcomes result from building and maintaining good partnership
  • Better outcomes for FPWDs need to be based on strong family values and effective transition to employment, education and social inclusion
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