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CONTENTS
1. LIVING ON OUR OWN TERMS – PERSONAL ASSISTANCE CAMPAIGNPDCN has been leading a NSW disability sector campaign to improve personal assistance and support services for people with physical disability. Following a sector wide meeting in early April, a campaign group has been co-ordinating activity amongst disability sector organisations and members of the PDCN Advocacy Network. Early in May we wrote to Minister Lo Po’ (Minister for Disability Services at the time). We called for urgent action (and funds) to halt the crisis in support services and eradicate waiting lists. We also called for the creation of a State-wide Advisory Committee to propose fundamental, long-term reform and modernisation of systems. The letter was supported by 28 disability sector organisations and can be viewed on the PDCN web site. Mrs Lo Po’ agreed to meet with a delegation representing the sector to discuss our proposals to reform, modernise and adequately fund personal assistance and support services in NSW. A small group met the Minister on 4th July. Its members were:
You can read the proposals we put to Mrs Lo Po’ at: www.pdcnsw.org.au/campaigns/pa/0704.html Although Mrs Lo Po’ listened sympathetically to the points raised by our representatives, we were disappointed that she did not feel able to agree to our two key proposals, which are:
You can read the PDCN Media Release issued after the meeting with Mrs Lo Po’ at: www.pdcnsw.org.au/media/02/0704.html As most people will now know, Mrs Lo Po’ has resigned from her Ministerial Portfolios. The new Minister for Disability Services is Carmel Tebbutt MLC. PDCN President, John Moxon, will be among a small group of peak disability advocacy groups to meet the new Minister on Thursday, 18th July. We have already written to Ms Tebbutt to ask for a meeting to discuss personal support and assistance services. We intend to continue to press our claim for more money and a complete overhaul of current service provision. Members of the PDCN Advocacy Network have been active in a letter writing campaign to urge the Government to make changes to the current services. We’ve distributed campaign material, our new advocacy publication Network News, and been phoning round to keep people’s motivation strong. Campaign materials can be viewed on the PDCN web site at: www.pdcnsw.org.au/campaigns/pa Although Mrs Lo Po’ is no longer Minister we still urge all PDCN supporters to write to their local member and / or the new Minister calling for reform. The new Minister can be reached at:
2. DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSIONPDCA has been active over the past six weeks or so in the disability sector’s national campaign to oppose the Commonwealth Government’s proposals to amend the eligibility criteria for Disability Support Pension.
The Commonwealth Government was forced to withdraw its proposals because of the strength of opposition both inside and outside Parliament. We are all sure, however, that Senator Vanstone will be back at some stage. We’ll keep people informed. If you are interested in the work of the campaign and the new national alliance you can read more at the web site established to pool resources and share news: It’s at:
3. PARKING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY – A NATIONAL DAY OF ACTIONThe Physical Disability Council of Australia (PDCA) has announced a National Day of Action on Parking Issues and People With Disability To be held on Wednesday, 25th September 2002 This national day will address the particular issues that impact the lives of people with a physical disability. It is hoped people will be active and lobby for change. PDCA will co-ordinate actions that address, accessible parking bays being used illegally and other access issues that impact on the day-to-day life of a person with a disability. The actions and lobbying will be co-ordinated to take place in regions and cities throughout Australia on 25th September 25th. Actions could take various forms: Holding public action to attract media attention.
The communication with authorities will point out that these actions represent a 'snapshot' in time in the life of a person with a physical disability and are not to be interpreted as 'that's all there is to worry about.' We will target councils, governments, departments etc and the media will be invited to all or any of the actions on the day with plenty of build up especially in local papers. Attention will be drawn also from the national newspapers and television/radio where possible. Put the date in your diary. As events are planned we’ll let you know. Check out the PDCA web site at:
4. ACCESS TO HEATH SERVICESHave you ever experienced problems accessing health services? Do you feel that you might have received poorer quality health services because of your disability? We have been approached by PDCN members to find out if people with physical disability are having or have had problems with any kind of health service. We want to know if people with physical disability might be getting less well treated by health services than ought to be the case. There are all kinds of examples that we can think of. Have you ever had trouble with one of them or anything like them?
Let us know if you’ve had a problem with health services. Contact us on: pdcnsw@pdcnsw.org.au
5. REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE WITH RESEARCH STUDYWe’ve received the following request for assistance from a Research Student at the University of Sydney. Can you help? Would you be interested in participating in an interview on the topic of ‘personal care’? In this research personal care is referred to as intimate personal care (IPC) and defined as: Requiring a paid personal attendant to assist with:
If you receive assistance with some or all of these tasks, you are invited to participate in this study conducted by Michelle Meyer a University of Sydney, Occupational Therapy, Honours student... Participation in this research involves: Talking with the researcher over the telephone, for the purpose of a semi-structured interview, expected to take approximately 60 minutes. You will need to give consent: to discuss the intimate nature and perception of being assisted with IPC tasks, and sharing how/if it effects you within your own intimate experiences – related to your sexuality.
Michelle Meyer
6. COMPLAINING ABOUT POOR SERVICESOur attention has been drawn to an Internet Site that assists people to register complaints. It’s called “Not Good Enough” and you can check it out at:
Here's what the say about themselves: Not Good Enough works for consumers in 4 main ways. NGE collects consumer complaints. And, of course, combining forces with other consumers, you have a much better chance of your problem getting heard. Check it out. Tell us what you think of it.
7. PDCN WEB SITE GOES THROUGH MAJOR OVERHAULWe’ve started a major revision and redesign of the PDCN web site. Check it out at: Tell us what you think about the new
layout and style.
8. DDA DRAFT STANDARD ON TRANSPORT: COMMENTS WANTEDThe DDA Standards Project is inviting people to comment on the Draft Regulatory Impact Statement on the Technical Review Report recommendations on Draft Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. This is an important but quite technical draft document. An explanation is available on the Web Site of the DDA Standards Project at
A copy of the draft Regulation Impact Statement can be obtained electronically by following links on the Australian Transport Council’s website at
PDCN’s Transport Policy Group will be preparing a submission by the deadline, which is 2nd August.
9. PDCA NATIONAL FORUM: PRELIMINARY NOTICEOctober 12th 2002 at the Adelaide Hilton Hotel Topic: Overcoming the disability poverty trap! The forum will address the Cost of Disability, A Disability Allowance Model, And Welfare Reform proposals put forward by government post 2002 Federal Budget. Senator Amanda Vanstone will speak at the PDCA National Forum. If you are interested in attending this Forum please contact pdca@ozemail.com.au There will be an attendance fee structure of the following:
More details will be issued in due course
10. NEW ON THE HREOC WEB SITENew at News of passage of Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill to permit progress of Accessible Public Transport Standards
11. RESEARCH FIGURES ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITYThe Aust Institute of Health and Welfare has published its latest report on disability in the Australian population. If you are interested in having a look or a copy go to
Look under “What’s New”. There is a downloadable and printable .pdf version up there for free.
Dougie Herd, PDCN Executive
Officer Tel: (02) 9552 1606; 1 800 688 831
PDCN produces its electronic BULLETIN every fortnight. The BULLETIN is compiled by Dougie Herd (PDCN Executive Officer) and Dr Jack Frisch (PDCN Treasurer). The Editorial Board is PDCN's Executive Committee, although the views expressed in the BULLETIN are not necessarily those of PDCN or its Executive Committee. If you wish to comment on the BULLETIN or submit a short article for inclusion please contact: pdcnsw@pdcnsw.org.au 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.
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