91��̳ - People with disability

Blessings, bigots and discrimination

Janet Parker — Mon, 02 May 2022 15:15:00 +1000

It is what we have come to expect from the Prime Minister — comments that reflect age-old prejudice and which put him firmly in the bigot camp, argues Janet Parker.

Vulnerable people still not vaccinated as NSW reopens

Rachel Evans — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:00:00 +1100

As NSW eases restrictions for fully vaccinated people, vulnerable First Nations people are still struggling to be vaccinated, write Rachel Evans and Elliott Guerrero.

WA NDIS under scrutiny from people with disabilities

Pip Hinman — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +1100

The NDIS bilateral agreement signed on February 1 by the Western Australian and federal governments resulted in a separate NDIS being rolled out in WA. In this version, WA will pay all the administration and operating costs but governance responsibilities will be shared with the Commonwealth.

Blame the system not the victim

Sam Wainwright — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +1100

You'll all be familiar with the stories about lazy dole bludgers that the commercial media roll out a few days before the federal government announces another cut to welfare payments.

In fact, there is a massive reservoir of people unemployed or underemployed who are desperate for work. This includes people with a disability.

Australia has some of the highest rates of poverty and lowest rates of workforce participation for people with a disability in the developed world.

WA law fails mentally impaired

Pip Hinman — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:00:00 +1100

A 19-year-old Aboriginal man, charged with sexually assaulting two children and who later had the charges dropped, is still living under a conditional release order. 91��̳ Weekly's Janet Parker spoke to the CEO of Developmental Disability WA Taryn Harvey about how the law is failing people with disabilities and how it can be changed.

Disability and respite services saved in Moreland

Chris Slee — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:00:00 +1000

Socialist councillor Sue Bolton convinced Moreland Council on July 13 to reinstate the after-hours Aged and Disability Home Support Services for existing clients as well as new ones. Bolton said she was enormously grateful to the parents of children with disabilities who spoke up on behalf of all the parents who were unable to come to the meeting or who didn’t think it was possible to fight the cut. “Those parents put a human face on the implications of a very bureaucratic cut: their stories had an impact on the other councillors”, Bolton told 91��̳ Weekly.

Autistic activists demand acceptance and rights

Helen Said — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:00:00 +1100

World Autism Awareness Day will be held on April 2 and members of the autistic self-advocacy movement are campaigning for basic services and social acceptance.

I’m in my 20s but had to spend four months in aged care because there was 'nowhere else to go'

Kirrilly Hayward — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +1100

People with a disability or a mental illness and their families have not had sufficient access to the services, programs and funding necessary for fully independent inclusion in society. For a person with a disability to participate in the community, in many circumstances, equipment and organisational assistance is needed.

Gov’t axes funding for disability peak bodies

Janet Parker — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +1100

Under the cover of Christmas, 10 peak representative bodies of people with disability were defunded by the federal government. Hang on, how does that work? Is this government not rolling out the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) that seeks to consult widely with people with disabilities and their advocates? Is this not the promise of a new arena of flexibility and choice, a “consumer-led” initiative that puts disability rights and voice front and centre?

Gov't disability crackdown shows brutal austerity

Angus McAllen — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +1100

People with a disability, especially young people, are facing another wave of attacks and victimisations by the federal government in a new crackdown on those receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP). In mid-December, the then-minister for social services, Kevin Andrews, announced that his department would begin investigating people on the DSP. This will be carried out by the Coalition’s leading attack-dog, Scott Morrison, who inherited the ministry after a cabinet reshuffle removed him from the position of immigration minister.

Letters: Blind workers in too hard basket

Jay Fletcher — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 10:00:00 +1000

I disagree with a few points in the article “Blind workers fight for jobs at Vision Australia”. There are lots of parts of welfare to work which are not great but there is a particular part which helps people with disabilities be able to compete on the labour market or become self employed more easily.

White cane protest calls for vision on jobs

Helen Said — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 10:00:00 +1000

Hundreds of blind people and their supporters have linked white canes in front of Vision Australia Enterprises in support of blind manual workers facing the sack at the end of this month. The white cane chain stretched more than 200 metres, doubling back across the length of the Kensington worksite. It received widespread media coverage. The crowd, which gathered on September 15, chanted, “people before profits” and “have some vision, change your decision”, referring to Vision Australia’s decision to close its supported employment program because it failed to make a profit.

Blind Workers step up jobs fight

Helen Said — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 10:00:00 +1000

The Victorian Blind Workers Union and United Voice Queensland have stepped up the fight to save the jobs of 73 vision-impaired workers. The workers are due to be sacked within three months by Vision Australia Enterprises in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. Not-for-profit organisation Vision Australia plans to cease its supported employment program due to financial problems.

91������̳ - People with disability