PDCN Bulletin #22 • February 11, 2003

latest news and views from PDCN

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CONTENTS

1. Get Ready to Vote
2. NSW State Election Forums
3. Public Education Forums
4. NSW Disability Council - Call for Nominations

Welcome to Issue No: 22 of The pdcn Bulletin, our topical issues resource and information source for opinion formers, decision-makers and others interested in disability sector topics. The bulletin is produced by the Physical Disability Council of New South Wales (PDCN). We are the peak body representing people with physical disability across the state.

Our aim is to provide readers with accurate, up-to-date and timely information, comment and analysis of disability sector issues from the perspective of people with physical disability in NSW, including children with disability and their representatives.

1. Get Ready to Vote...PDCN Top Priority Issues

The State Election takes place on Saturday, 22nd March. In the weeks ahead PDCN wants to raise the profile of issues of interest to people with physical disability. We want every candidate to tell us what they would do to promote greater equality for and participation by people with physical disability (and other people with disability).

The Management Committee of PDCN has been discussing what it sees as the priority issues for politicians to act on, if elected in March. We've set out a list below of the policies we think are 'top of the agenda' for people with physical disability in the forthcoming election.

The list is not exhaustive. There are many, many ways politicians can and should act to improve the quality of life of people with physical disability in NSW. But the key issues set out here are our absolute, top priorities. These are the issues that the new Government, once it is elected, should start to work on from day one of the next administration.

We want people with physical disability and their supporters to ask candidates to answer the questions about the policies below. We need to raise our issues as high as we can on the political agenda:

Here are some ideas of how you can ask the questions that need to be asked:

• Write letters about these topics to every candidate putting their name forward in your Electorate.
• Ask questions of candidates at hustings meetings and election forums.
• Write an 'open letter' about your personal top priority from these issues to your local newspaper.
• Get on the phone to Talk Radio presenters and ask them to ask politicians what they'll be doing about these issues if the get elected in March.

These are some of the key issues we ask EVERY CANDIDATE to support.

Equipment

• Funding for the Programme of Appliances for Disabled People (PADP) should be increased to $30 Million (recurrent) to respond to and meet the equipment needs of the larger number of people with disability eligible for support from PADP as a result of changes made to the programme from January 2001.

Personal Support and Assistance Services

• Funding for personal support services to enable people with disability to live at home should be increased to eradicate existing and projected unmet need.
• A high priority should be given to reforming the government and non-government services intended to enable people with physical disability to live at home with dignity, person autonomy and appropriate support.

Transport

• Wheelchair accessible taxi services must be more effectively targeted on the needs of wheelchair users. The Passenger Transport (Taxi-cab Services) Regulations 2001 should be more rigorously enforced by the NSW Taxi and Hire Car Bureau. Specifically, Clause 54 of the regulations requiring a "driver of wheelchair accessible taxi-cab to give preference to [a] person using a wheelchair" should be strictly enforced using currently installed Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to direct drivers to passengers using wheelchairs.
• The rate of NSW Government support for the Taxi Travel Subsidy Scheme (TTSS) should me increased from 50% to 75%, as recommended by the Parliamentary Report on "unmet need", entitled Making It Happen: Final Report on Disability Services (published December 2002). PDCN believes that the increase should be introduced in a single change (rather than incrementally) to minimise administration problems.
• The additional costs of travelling by taxi in rural and regional NSW should be recognised within the TTSS by the introduction of a higher limit to the maximum fare subsidy available for travel that occurs outside metropolitan postcodes (greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong).
• The current paper voucher system used in the TTSS should be replaced at the earliest possible date by a 'Smart Card' scheme to reduce the potential for fraud and / or maladministration.
• The current no-interest loan scheme available to prospective operators / owners of wheelchair accessible taxis in regional and rural NSW should be extended to cover metropolitan operators / owners.
• Every accessible bus owned by the State Transit Authority to be designated to timetabled routes, advertised to members of the public as wheelchair accessible.

Access to the built environment

• All new private dwellings should be constructed to visitable and adaptable standards of access.
• A new State Environmental Planning Policy, as part of the Environmental Planning And Assessment Act 1979, should be developed and adopted by Planning NSW to set State-wide minimum requirements for access to the whole built environment.

And as usual … let us know at PDCN what feedback you receive from politicians.

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2. NSW State Election Forums

The NSW Disability Action Alliance, of which PDCN is a member, has organised a series of Election Forums in five locations in NSW. Representatives of the major paries contesting the elections will be available at each forum to answer questions on a range of disability specific topics.

Everyone is invited to attend the meeting or meetings of their choice. We have tried to arrange them in different locations and at different times to maximise your chances of being able to attend at least one meeting if you live in metropolitan Sydney. The details of each meeting is given below:

Location: Manly

Date: Wednesday 26 February 2003
Time: 9.30 am for 10.00 am to 12.00 noon.
Venue: Harbord Room, Harbord Diggers, Evans Street, Harbord
Lead Agency: Mental Health Co-ordinating Council (MHCC)
Telephone Contact: RSVP 12 February on 9555 8388 or
Email: consult@mhcc.org.au

Location: Kogarah

Date: Saturday 1 March 2003
Time: 10.00 am
Venue: Mahogany Room, St George Leagues Club, 124 Princes Highway, Kogarah
Lead Agency: NSW Council for Intellectual Disability (NSW CID)
Telephone Contact: 9211 1611

Location: Lismore

Date: Tuesday 4 March 2003
Time: 2.00 P.M
Venue: Lismore Workers Club
Lead Agencies: People with Disabilities NSW (PWD NSW) and Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDC NSW)
Telephone Contacts: 9319 6622 and 9552 1606

Location: Ryde

Date: Thursday 6 March 2003
Time: 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm
Venue: Ryde Eastwood RSL,
Lead Agency: Family Advocacy
Telephone Contact: 9327 7298

Location: Parramatta

Date: Monday 10 March 2003
Time: 12.30 pm
Location: Parramatta Town Hall
Lead Agencies: People with Disabilities NSW (PWD NSW) and Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDC NSW)
Telephone Contacts: 9319 6622 and 9552 1606

In addition to the NDAA Election Forums, we've been told of the meetings below, which may be of particular interest to people with disability.

Location: Parkes

Date: Thursday 6 February 2003
Venue: Parkes Neighbourhood Centre, Currajong Street, Parkes
Time: 11.30 am.
Lead Agency: Central West HACC Forum
Telephone Contact: 6852 4388

The Western Sydney Community Forum is hosting four evening forums. All enquires should be directed to Joan Jenery on 9897 2677. Details of the forums are as follows:

Location: Liverpool

Date: Wednesday 12 February 2003
Time: 6.00 pm
Venue: Liverpool Library, 170 George Street, Liverpool.

Location: Blacktown

Date: Wednesday 19 February 2003
Time: 6.30 pm
Location: Blacktown Workers Club, Campbell Street, Blacktown

Location: Parramatta

Date: Tuesday 25 February 2003
Time: 6.30 pm
Venue: Baulkham Hills, Holroyd, Parramatta Migrant Resource Centre, Level 6, 169 Macquarie Street, Parramatta

Location: Penrith

Date: Wednesday 5 March 2003
Time: 6.30 pm
Venue: Theatrette Room, Penrith Library, High Street, Penrith

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3. Public Education Forum

The NSW Teachers' Federation is one of the agencies sponsoring a Public Education Forum at Sydney Town Hall Forum being chaired by Professor Tony Vinson. The Forum will take place on Wednesday, 19th February between 5.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. Spokespersons for all the major political parties are expected to attend.

PDCN representatives will be among disability sector activists attending the education forum to promote our belief in inclusive education. Join us if you can.

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4. NSW Disability Council - Call for Nominations

The Disability Council of NSW is the official adviser to the NSW Government on issues affecting people with disabilities and their families. The Council is also the NSW Disability Advisory Body to the Commonwealth Government.

The Minister, the Hon Carmel Tebbutt, would be pleased to receive nominations for positions of up to four year duration. Appointment to the Council will be made on the basis that the applicant can demonstrate:

• a thorough understanding of issues relevant to people with a disability and their families;
• suitable contacts with networks which enable the development and dissemination of sound advice based on community contact; and
• a commitment to effective communication, consultation and feedback.

The representation on Council includes people with psychiatric, intellectual, physical disability, acquired brain injury, deaf, hearing impairment, blind, vision impairment or other disabilities, as well as family members and people with particular expertise in the area of disability. In putting forward a nomination, you should be aware that Council Members are appointed for their individual experience and expertise and not as representatives of any particular interest group or organisation.

People with disabilities from Non English Speaking Background or Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander background are encouraged to apply.

The Council meets monthly. Members receive sitting fees and expenses for approved participation.

If you wish to receive information about making an application or any further information on Council Membership, please contact Kevin Byrne on

• (02) 9211 2866 (voice and TTY)
• 1800 044 848 (voice and TTY)

or write to:

• The Executive Officer, Suite 2102, 323 Castlereagh St., SYDNEY NSW 2000
• FAX 02 9211 2271
• email info@discoun.nsw.gov.au
• internet www.discoun.nsw.gov.au

Nominations close - Monday, 17th March 2003

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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