CONTENTS
Welcome to Issue No: 39 of THE
PDCN BULLETIN, our topical issues newsletter 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 NSW.
For information about membership of PDCN please see our
website http://www.pdcnsw.org.au/about/membership.html
or contact us on (02) 9552-1606.
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. This
Bulletin goes out to PDCN members and others who wish to
receive it regularly by email.
Craig Andrews publishes this
electronic update bulletin quarterly focusing on the
Council's key priorities. Internet links are included
throughout the bulletin for further reading.
Please forward this bulletin to
anyone you know would welcome it.
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1. Appointment of new
Executive Officer
The Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN) is
pleased to announce the recent appointment of Ruth
Robinson as Executive Officer.
Formerly Manager of Complaints Assessment for
the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission, Ruth
now brings her knowledge and experience to bear in the
pursuit of PDCN's policies and objectives, improving
equity and access for people with physical disabilities
across the New South Wales.
PDCN believes that Ruth's energy, skills and
experience will add to the strength and vision of our
organisation as we move into an exciting future.
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2. Research Initiatives
We urgently need members to complete this
survey, so that PDCN can provide input into Commonwealth
and State Government priorities. Please complete the
survey using the attached link
http://www.surveymonkey.com/
Involved in developing our own PDCN survey,
investigating to obtain a better understanding of the
impact of ageing on the needs of people with a
disability, including questions on the following key
priority areas:
- Personal Assistance;
- Mobility/ Transportation;
- Housing/ Accommodation;
- Social Networks;
- Health; and
- Disability.
As part of our key priority areas, significant
networks have been established to further our research
agenda including:
- Providing feedback into a survey prepared by an
Occupational Therapy thesis student; investigating the
choices different people make before acquiring a power
wheelchairs or a scooter. For further information
about this survey, please click here http://www.pdcnsw.org.au/participant.doc
- Attended a forum to develop partnerships with
non-government organisations, university research
units and individual and systematic advocacy
organisations;
- Attended the launch of research conducted in
California, to be repeated in Sydney at the University
of Western Sydney. For further information on the
research paper - 'Exploring the Bottom Line: A
Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with
Disabilities' see the following link: http://www.psy.pdx.edu/faculty/mcdonald/publications.php
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3. Access to Accessible
Public Transport
In August 2007, the Allens Consulting Group
sought feedback from interested stakeholders regarding
progress towards achieving accessible public transport,
and PDCN submitted a submission with comments regarding
the following modes of transport;
- Buses;
- Trains;
- Ferries;
- Wheelchair Accessible Taxis; and
- Air Transport Services.
Following this consultation period, a draft report was
prepared by the Allens Consulting Group, and PDCN
forwarded a response containing the following
concerns:
- Thorough accountability is required. There are
significant variances between reported data and the
constituency;
- There lacks of an independent audit process to
ensure that transport conveyances, infrastructure and
premises comply with the DDA Transport Standards;
- The lack of an effective complaints mechanism ,
due to the large number of stakeholders involved in
the funding, planning, design and construction of
transport facilities; and
- Defences such as unjustifiable hardship
which destroy the effectiveness of the DDA.
Please find the draft report prepared by the Allens
Consulting Group and the response submitted by PDCN:
http://www.ddatransportreview.com.au/downloads/ACGTransportRevewDraftReport.pdf
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PDCN
Forum Are you in NSW with a physical
disability?
The PDCN
Forum is our online email group where people with a
physical disability in NSW, Australia and ideas come
together. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pdcndiscussion/
4. Inability to
Access Polling Options
As part of the review of the State Government
elections conducted in March 2007, PDCN attended a public
hearing at Parliament House, identifying the following
issues:
- That the Electoral Commission of NSW needs to
ensure that all electoral procedures and processes are
available to all community members, with support if
required. These components include: written and
electoral information, enrolment, postal voting,
access to all venues including the location of the
Returning Officer and all polling venues.
- That PDCN believes that the Electoral Commission
of NSW needs to comply completely with the following
sections in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992
(Cth):
- Section 23 - Access to Building and
Premises
- Section 24 - Access to Goods, Services and
Facilities
At the public hearing PDCN highlighted the following
issues:
- That across rural and urban NSW, 14% of electoral
regions did not provide at least one accessible
polling place for the 2007 NSW State Government
elections,
- That knowing that state government elections fall
on a given date every four years, that the Electoral
Commission of NSW could easily book accessible polling
places well in advance rather than relying on the
Returning Officer to locate an accessible venue in the
last three months prior to the elections; and
- That providing Special Voting Centres is
discriminatory, and not inclusive. It was essential
for PDCN to stress this view, as the Electoral
Commission of NSW appears to be in favour of this
option. Providing this option is seen to cater for
people with a vision impairment, and hence an easy
option for all people with a disability. An inclusive
society is achieved only when people with disability
are involved in every aspect of political, social,
economic and cultural life.
More recently the Electoral Commission of NSW has
circulated the Equal Access to Democracy Plan for the
2008 Local Government Elections. Unfortunately the
performance measures used in this Plan still contain no
tangible targets for us to use as a guide.
Click here to read this paper
- http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/Final_Equal_Access_to_Democracy_Plan_2008.pdf
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Privacy
Statement
We are committed
to protecting your privacy and commit ourselves to
conforming to the Privacy Amendment (Private
Sector) Bill 2000, which came into effect in
December 2001 and the National Privacy Principles
issued by the Australian Privacy Commissioner.
This newsletter
is distributed by email. You have provided us with an
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for the purpose for which you have provided
it.
You can have
your email address removed from the list for this
bulletin at any time by sending an email to Craig
Andrews at PDCN. To be added to or removed from to
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address please contact Craig by email at
craig.andrews@pdcnsw.org.au
This Bulletin
contains links to websites. We cannot be held
responsible for the privacy practices (or lack
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Physical Disability
Council of NSW
St. Helen's Community Centre
3/184 Glebe Point Road
Glebe NSW 2037
Telephone (voice) 02 9552 1606
Telephone (TTY) 02 9552 1370
Fax 02 9552 4644
Web Site http://www.pdcnsw.org.au/
Email admin@pdcnsw.org.au
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please contact Craig by email at craig.andrews@pdcnsw.org.au
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