PDCN Bulletin # 9 • March 21, 2001

latest news and views from PDCN

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Contents

REMINDER -- REMINDER -- REMINDER -- PDCN SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

1. SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY FACES THREAT OF DE-FUNDING
2. PDCN SURVEYS ITS MEMBERS – YOU TELL US WE DO A GOOD JOB
3. ENQUIRY INTO HEPATITIS C RELATED DISCRIMINATION
4. NEW BOOK ADDS TO DEBATE ON POLITICS OF DISABILITY IN AUSTRALIA
5. ACCESSIBLE ARTS ESTABLISH ‘REGISTER’ OF ARTISTS WITH DISABILITY
6. ‘CARERS’ CARD
7. UPCOMING EVENTS

PDCN Special General Meeting: Monday, 19 March 2001 at 6.00 p.m

PDCN is holding a Special General Meeting on Monday, 19 March at six o’clock. The meeting will be held at the St Helen’s Community Centre, 184 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037. There will be two items of business.

1. To consider and approve a resolution to appoint Walker, Sharp & Co, Chartered Accountants as Auditors to PDCN.
2. To discuss and consider any resolutions presented to the meeting on the subject of the Review of Advocacy & Information Services initiated by the NSW Ageing & Disability Department on 6 February 2001.

ALL FINANCIAL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND

1. SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY FACES THREAT OF DE-FUNDING

By now many readers of The pdcn Bulletin will already know about the threat of de-funding that confronts local, regional and state wide disability organisations providing advocacy, information and peak body services in NSW. PDCN is one of the threatened organisations.

Here’s the sequence of events so far:

On 10 January 2001, 36 funded organisations were asked by NSW Ageing and Disability Department (ADD) to fill out a survey form, describing the advocacy and information services they offer. The organisations were invited to a seminar in Sydney to discuss ideas for “improving advocacy and information services to people with disability.”

The ADD letter inviting us to the seminar set out four objectives of a proposal which, we were told, has been endorsed by the Minister for Disability Services, The Hon Faye Lo Po’ MP. These objectives are

1. “increased individual advocacy to support access to mainstream services and manage key life transitions;
2. clarity about the outputs/outcomes Government is purchasing and improved accountability for advocacy and information service funding;
3. improved capacity to address diversity of need and geographical spread of resources across New South Wales; and
4. complementing the implementation of the outcomes of the commonwealth’s National disability Advocacy program Review.”

Since 10 January – in an attempt to placate a vigorously opposed disability advocacy sector – the ADD has added a fifth objective:

“Funding for systemic advocacy projects” (but pointedly not for organisational infrastructure).

At the ADD Seminar on 6 February the disability advocacy and information organisations present were told:

• All current grants in the advocacy programme will be vacated by ADD to fund a new programme.
• $1 million would be added to the $3.6 million currently allocated to the 36 organisations. A competitive tender bidding process would be used to determine which organisations – existing or new – would be funded in the future.
• The new programme will give priority to individual advocacy services at local and regional levels.
• Peak bodies and systemic advocacy organisations (local, regional or State-wide) will not be a priority for funding in the new programme.
• A competitive tendering process will be used to decide which organisations receive grant aid from ADD.
• An Expressions Of Interest process was supposed to be launched by ADD on 3 March. Originally it was to close on 27 April. Decisions were to be announced “by 30 June” for a new scheme that is intended to start on 1 July. This timetable has now slipped by a few weeks. We believe it should be abandoned altogether.

On 19 February two officials from the ADD attended the PDCN Management Committee to explain the ADD strategy in greater detail. Not very much was made clear, we’re afraid to report. If anything, our committee members were more puzzled by the ADD strategy after 90 minutes of ‘explanation’ than before we started.

On 22 February a slightly revised ADD position was posted to the ADD web site. It added the new objective of systemic advocacy projects and announced a delay in the competitive tendering EOI process of about three weeks. The ADD document can be found at www.add.nsw.gov.au

PDCN, along with other peaks, systemic advocacy organisations and local bodies has expressed our opposition to the ADD’s plans. They have the potential to decimate disability advocacy services and organisations. Opposition to ADD’s proposals is not just coming from affected organisations in the disability sector however:

• NCOSS opposes the ADD proposals.
• ACROD NSW opposes the ADD proposals.
• The Australian Services Union opposes the ADD proposals.
• The Labour Council opposes the ADD proposals.
• The Opposition Parties in Parliament oppose the ADD proposals.
• Community groups and peak bodies in other community service sectors oppose the ADD proposals.

In our view, the ADD proposals are deeply flawed in these ways:

• The proposals fundamentally misunderstand the purpose, role and variety of forms of disability advocacy. We agree that people with disability need support and advocacy services as individuals. People also need an independent, systemic voice to Government and other decision-makers.
• ADD sees individual and systemic advocacy as separate processes rather than as complementary. We believe in ‘horses for courses’. Some problems are best dealt with on a one-to-one basis. Systemic problems – such as access to transport or buildings, high levels of unemployment, reform of PADP, improvements in independent living support systems, and others – require a systemic response informed by systemic advocacy.
• State-wide organisation is regarded as unnecessary, undesirable and/or problematic. (It is particularly bizarre that a State Government Department should seek to undermine state wide organisations).
• The authors of the proposals seem to have completely misunderstood the Commonwealth Government’s review of advocacy services.
• Competitive tendering is being introduced to the funding of Human Services despite a Premier’s commitment in 1997 that this would not happen.
• The $3.6 million that ADD talked about on 6 February is not available for the tendering process ADD would like to launch. Some of that money is committed to contracts already signed between ADD and disability organisations until 2002 and 2003.
• The decision to vacate grants (now from the end of March 2001) places Directors and/or committee members of organisations such as PDCN at risk of insolvent trading or curtailing activity until the crisis is over.

We have urged ADD to abandon its current, destructive EOI process. We have made it clear that we are not against change, constructive debate or the reform of advocacy to better meet the needs of people with disability. No-one can have confidence, however, in a debate about reform while the sword of de-funding hangs over our heads.

Let us be clear.

We support increased funding for individual advocacy and information services locally, regionally and statewide.

We believe absolutely that statewide services, systemic advocacy organisations and peak bodies are essential to promoting the rights of people with disability.

We believe that people with disability need and want individual AND systemic advocacy. Each supports the other and both make an essential contribution to promoting the rights of people with disability to live full, independent lives.

We are more than willing to discuss the best way to develop better individual and systemic advocacy services. But not with the threat of de-funding hanging over our heads. Like many representative bodies, PDCN has long called for more resources to go to organisations of and for people with disability to provide genuinely improved and accountable advocacy.

We urgently need your help to stop this ill conceived, poorly explained and hastily implemented plan. The Government’s Ministers have been badly advised and we MUST tell them what the disability sector truly wants and needs.

You can help us in these ways:

• Write to your local State Member of Parliament or try to arrange a meeting to express your opposition to the defunding policy.
• Write to The Hon Bob Carr, Premier, Level 40, Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000 asking him to intervene to halt this process.
• Write to The Hon Mrs Faye Lo Po’, Minister for Disability Services, Level 25, 9 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000 to tell her you oppose these cuts.
• Write to Marianne Hammerton, Director General of the ADD, Level 13, 83 Clarence Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000 to tell her of your opposition to these dangerous proposals.
• Send copies of your correspondence (including any replies your receive) to our office. (Fax number 9552 4644. E.mail pdcnsw@pdcnsw.org.au)

We will keep you up to date about changes.

2. PDCN SURVEYS ITS MEMBERS – YOU TELL US WE DO A GOOD JOB

In January 2001 PDCN surveyed all of its financial members to gauge their opinions of how well we do our work as an information provider, a systemic advocacy organisation and a peak representative body. We distributed survey forms to every PDCN member by e.mail or post. 38.6% of our financial members responded, which is a good response rate in anybody’s terms.

Here’s what people told us:

1. Everyone who answered the question (98.8% of the total responses) thought that PDCN’s current priority issues are extremely or very important to people with disability.
2. Everyone who responded said it was important, very important or extremely important that PDCN works on these priorities.
3. 94.49% of respondents were satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the gains made in reforming PADP.
4. 96.86% thought that PDCN had represented them well, very well or extremely well on accessible transport matters, including the ORTA case.
5. 95.92% of respondents strongly agree with PDCN that personal support services such as the attendant Care Programme need to be fundamentally reviewed. The remaining 4% agreed or moderately agreed.
6. 96.76% agreed, moderately agreed or strongly agreed that PDCN had made an important contribution to defending rights to educational access by organising the ‘Scarlett Finney case’ rally.
7. 97.88% of respondents are satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied with PDCN as a systemic advocacy organisation. More than half of all respondents said they were very satisfied with PDCN.
8. 98.93% are satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied with PDCN as a peak representative body. Over half of all respondents said they extremely satisfied with PDCN.
9. Every respondent who receives our newsletter, The pdcn Advocate, said it was informative, very informative or extremely informative.
10. Every respondent who receives our electronic news in The pdcn Bulletin, said it was informative, very informative or extremely informative.
11. 98.96% of respondents said that the information they receive from PDCN is valuable, very valuable or extremely valuable. More than half said it was extremely valuable.

It is gratifying to learn that our individual and organisational members rate highly the work that we do. According to figures they give to us, our organisational members have a combined membership of 30,000. That’s a lot of people and we’re pleased that the organisations to which they belong feel that PDCN is doing a good job.

We never want to become complacent, however, about the work we do on behalf of people with physical disability. If you believe that we can improve our performance or that there are areas of work that we should take up on behalf of people with physical disability please let us know.

Send an e.mail to us at pdcnsw@pdcnsw.org.au or write to John Moxon, President, PDCN, 3/184 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037.

The full results of the survey are available from the PDCN Office, where the original survey form returns can also be inspected.

3. ENQUIRY INTO HEPATITIS C RELATED DISCRIMINATION

The Anti Discrimination Board of New South Wales is conducting an enquiry into the extent and nature of discrimination against people who have, or are thought to have, Hepatitis C. The Board invites submissions from any organisation or person interested in this issue or who believe they have been subjected to or have witnessed discrimination based on a perception or knowledge of someone’s Hepatitis C status or lifestyle.

Hearings will be held in Sydney, Lismore, Newcastle, Wollongong, Dubbo and Goulburn. Please contact the Anti Discrimination Board to obtain information about preparing a submission. The information package will be available on our website shortly. Go to: www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/adb and use the search function - Hepatitis C.

The New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Board
P.O Box A2122
Sydney South
New South Wales, 1235
Telephone in business hours: (02) 9268.5555
Freecall: 1 800 670.812
hepcenquiry@agd.nsw.gov.au

The deadline for the application of submissions is Thursday April 12th 2001.

4. NEW BOOK ADDS TO DEBATE ON POLITICS OF DISABILITY IN AUSTRALIA

Promises, Promises: Disability and Terms of Inclusion
Edited by Mike Clear
Paperback/ 224pp/ ISBN 186287374 $38.50

The past quarter century has seen the Australian community and its governments commit to full and equal citizenship for disabled people. Has the promise been fulfilled? How effective have these changes been?

Mike Clear focuses on NSW to find answers and engage their meanings personally and socially. He brings together research analysis and the insights of disabled writers in a detailed and critical study, structured around three Parts -

• personal dialogues that provide sensitive insights into personal experiences and the nature of a disabling society;
• chapters describing and critically appraising the policy and legislative landscape; and
• four critical perspectives on key relevant social issues: access, telecommunications, cultural representation and the politics of ‘care’.

Author royalties have been “socialised” to support an annual award to a scholar/researcher with disability.

Details for ordering/purchasing from the federation press website www.federationpress.com.au The book is available electronically through the publisher.

5. ACCESSIBLE ARTS ESTABLISH ‘REGISTER’ OF ARTISTS WITH DISABILITY

Kiersten Fishburn, Audience Development Officer with Accessible Arts has written to tell us that they are interested in developing a register of artists with disability (across the art forms - visual, dance, theatre, writing etc). Kiersten is interested in hearing from any artists who identify themselves as having a disability. Accessible Arts hopes to better promote the work of artists with disability and to inform them of any opportunities that arise. Kiersten can be contacted on kiersten@aarts.net.au or by phone 02 9251 6499.

6. ‘CARERS’ CARD

The “Carer Card” is FREE to ‘Carers’ who are financial members of Carers' Taskforce Australia Inc. It is for ‘Carers’ of people who are frail/aged or with disability and the card runs along similar lines to the government funded Seniors Card. You will find more on the Card and the organisation at www.carer.org.au

7. UPCOMING EVENTS

National Social Policy Conference 2001
COMPETING VISIONS 4-6 July 2001

Competing Visions, will be held at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, from 4-6 July 2001. The year, when Australia is celebrating its centenary of federation, is an appropriate time for public debate about what kind of a country has developed over those 100 years and where it is going now. This debate extends into the social policy arena through current controversies surrounding issues such as welfare reform. Underlying such controversies are competing visions of Australian identity and society. The appearance of social fault lines in a society with a historical self-image of unity and egalitarianism is leading to some soul-searching and a lively debate about future directions.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Professor Anna Yeatman, Macquarie University, Australia

Professor Jane Lewis, Oxford University, UK

Professor David Ellwood, Harvard University, USA

Telephone enquiries should be directed to (02) 9385 7800. The conference website will be available through the SPRC website at www.sprc.unsw.edu.au

Exclusion and Embrace - Conversations about disability and spirituality
October 18-21, 2001 At YWCA, 489 Elizabeth St. Melbourne

3rd Australian Conference to explore a range of issues relating to the faith dimensions of disability. For people with disabilitiy, parents, ‘carers’, academics and anyone with an interest in this area.

E-mail: excemb@mcm.org.au
Phone: 03 8625 4444

 

Dougie Herd, PDCN Executive Officer
St Helen's Community Centre,
3/184 Glebe Point Road,
Glebe NSW 2037
Email: pdcnsw@pdcnsw.org.au;
Web: www.pdcnsw.org.au

Tel: (02) 9552 1606; 1 800 688 831
Fax: (02) 9552 4644

PDC NSW Inc is funded by the NSW Government's Ageing and Disability Department. Views expressed by PDC NSW Inc are not necessarily endorsed by the NSW Government.

©PDCN, Physical Disability Council of NSW • 184 Glebe Point Road, GLEBE NSW 2037 Australia
Phone (02) 9552 1606 • Fax (02) 9552 4644 • TollFree 1800 688 831 (within NSW) • TTY (02) 8223 7579
URL www.pdcnsw.org.au • Email pdcnsw@pdcnsw.org.au