Rally With Us to Save Disability Advocacy Funding!
The NSW Government still hasn’t committed to ongoing disability advocacy funding, despite the looming state election and the relatively small amount of money required to keep these vital organisations running. Some organisations will even be forced to close their doors in July this year if no commitment is made soon!
It’s time we made it very clear to the NSW Government that we are not going away, and that we refuse to be ignored any longer. People with disability will continue to demand their right to be heard, to be included in society, and to have access to securely funded organisations which provide vital support and advocacy when things go wrong.
So we’re going to come together as a community and rally to save disability advocacy funding in Martin Place on Sunday 24 February from 11am to 12pm.
Join all the members of the NSW Disability Advocacy Alliance as we step up our campaign to secure long-term funding for disability advocacy, information and peak representation services. Featuring speakers from various disability advocacy organisations talking about this crucial issue, as well as politicians from across the spectrum, this is also your opportunity to catch some great musical entertainment, and maybe snag a Stand By Me supporter t-shirt.
Registration is recommended so that we can quickly alert you to any changes should they occur. If you’d like to register, please visit the Stand By Me website – it will only take a second.
You can also follow event updates on the Facebook event page.
We’ll be meeting in the Amphitheatre between Castlereagh St & Pitt St.
If you’re tweeting about the rally, please use the hashtags #StandByMe and #JustDoItGladys.
We’ll see you there!
NDIS Plans in Practice – Bega and Merimbula
Are you currently on an NDIS plan, or the carer of someone on an NDIS plan? Our free Plans in Practice workshops are designed to help you get the most out of your NDIS funding. The workshops are led by facilitators with disability or lived experience who are currently managing their own or assisting in the management of an NDIS plan. We’ll help you to understand your plan, get the most out of your funding, know your management options, find support, and prepare for a plan review.
We have NDIS Plans in Practice sessions scheduled at the following locations and dates:
- Bega – 18 March 2019
- Merimbula – 19 March 2019
- Gymea – 2 April 2019
Morning tea and lunch is provided, and all venues are fully accessible.
If you’re interested in finding out more or registering for a workshop please click through to register on our website.
PDCN Meeting With NSW Politicians
Following the release of the official PDCN Election Policy Platform in January, we’ve had several successful meetings with MPs from the Liberal, Labor and Greens parties to discuss our requests. We’ve been really pleased by their common commitment to work towards solutions which address the barriers in the community that prevent people with disability from achieving full access and inclusion.
- Ensuring accessible transport services are available across NSW;
- Addressing housing issues including tenancy insecurity, unaffordability and inadequate accessible housing;
- Providing continued funding for disability services in NSW;
- Ensuring that the needs of people with disability are at the centre of government decision making through the creation of a Minister for Disability Inclusion and a permanent Disability Inclusion Unit.
L-R: Ellen Small, PDCN; Dr Hugh McDermott, MP; Serena Ovens, PDCN
User Testing for NSW Home Mods Website
As part of our work in the community we often facilitate links between our members and organisations who are proactively looking for feedback about issues that affect people with disability. In this role, we’ve recently started working with the UNSW Home Modifications Information Clearinghouse to conduct a usability review of their new website. The aim is to create a website that is ultimately accessible to all people with disability, while integrating pleasing design and technical search functionality.
We’ve enlisted fifteen participants with disability to take part in this website user feedback process, which is primarily about testing how well the website works for people who use assistive technology or have a cognitive impairment. After using the website each participant will take part in a survey about their experience, looking at accessibility features, design and usability of the search function. We’ll then analyse the data and provide a detailed report to give a clear understanding of any issues or difficulties that may have arisen.
It’s great to have the opportunity to be involved with these types of projects and generate positive outcomes for people with disability, organisations, and the expansion of accessible online technology.
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