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6 Jun, 2013

Australia makes its conferences more accessible for People with Disability

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4 June 2013 – Australians with disability will be supported to attend conferences across the country, thanks to $350,000 from the Gillard Government under the National Disability Conference Initiative.

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers Amanda Rishworth, today announced 34 conference organisers will receive grants of up to $12,000 to assist people with disability and their carers to attend a range of disability-focused conferences in 2013-2014.

“Conferences are a wonderful opportunity for people from all walks of life, including disability advocates and leading academics, to come together to learn and share experiences,” Ms Rishworth said.

“Conferences support professional development and provide an opportunity for people with disability to further develop their leadership skills. Sadly, people with disability can still face barriers in accessing them. It is through initiatives like this that the Gillard Government is helping ensure that people with disability have the same opportunities as other Australians to fulfill their potential and participate fully in community life.

“This funding will ensure conferences that are focused on improving the lives of people with disability are more accessible and inclusive. This way more people with disability can get involved, be informed and have their say. We need more voices contributing to the national conversation around disability.

“The grants will be used to assist with the costs of conference fees, accommodation and travel for people with disability and their carers. Services such as Auslan interpreters, live captioning services, hearing loops, note-takers for people who are deaf and hearing impaired, and conference materials in a range of alternative formats such as Braille or larger font can also be covered.”

DisabilityCare Australia will fundamentally transform the way we support people with disability, their families and their carers.

“That’s why in the Federal Budget Labor provided  $14.3 billion over seven years to 2018-19 to roll out DisabilityCare Australia nationally, on top of existing Commonwealth disability funding. This long term funding security will provide people with significant and permanent disability, their families and carers the certainty that they deserve,” Ms Rishworth said.

“DisabilityCare Australia will give people with disability, their families and carers the care and support they need over their lifetimes, and choice and control over the services they receive.

“In just over a month, DisabilityCare Australia will become a reality for about 26,000 people with disability, their families and carers in five locations across the country.

“Once the scheme is fully rolled out, DisabilityCare Australia will provide support for around 460,000 people who have a significant and permanent disability that results in substantially reduced capacity to participate in activities of daily living, as well as for people with disability for whom evidence shows would benefit from early intervention supports.”

Organisations receiving National Disability Conference Initiative funding are:

Organisation Conference Title Date Funding
1. Queensland Advocacy National Restrictive Practices Conference, Brisbane 3 Oct 2013 $6,433
2. Illawara Disability Trust 2014 National Dual Diagnosis Conference, Sydney 24 Feb 2014 $7,981
3. Association of Consultants in Access Australia Towards Universal Design the Future of Access, Sydney 18 Nov 2013 $8,400
4. Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland Live the Life You Choose, Brisbane 16 Nov 2013 $12,000
5. Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Limited M-Enabling Australasia 2013, NSW 14 Aug 2013 $12,000
6. Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education Ltd Australasian Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Conference, Brisbane 19 Nov 2013 $3,000
7. Community Resource Unit Incorporated 25 years of CRU Conference, Brisbane 13 Sept 2013 $10,858
8. Vision Australia Vision Australia Texpo 2013, Victoria 30 Aug 2013 $12,000
9. Deaf Society of NSW The 2nd International Conference of the World Federation of the Deaf, Sydney 16 Oct 2013 $12,000
10. Julia Farr Association Young People Together – Let’s Talk Leadership and Empowerment, Adelaide 15 Apr
2014		 $12,000
11. Able Australia Services Let’s Connect Conference, Brisbane 14 Oct 2013 $11,432
12. Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability – NSW 2013 ASID National Conference, Research to Practice, Our Time, Sydney 6 Nov 2013 $12,000
13. Rosie’s Place Incorporrated Finding A Way-Breaking down barriers to a just response for children and young people with cognitive impairment who have experienced or are at risk of sexual abuse, Sydney 6 May 2014 $12,000
14. Spinal Cord Injuries Australia Ltd Spinal Cord Injuries Australia 2014 Independence Expo, Sydney 3 May 2014 $12,000
15. Northside Community Forum Incorporated Designing the Future Through Choice Enablement Arts and Disability, Sydney 11 Mar 2014 $11,580
16. Stroke Association of Queensland Inc SMART STROKES 2013 9th Australasian Nursing & Allied Health Stroke Conference Risk, Recovery and Reorganisation, Brisbane 22 Aug 2013 $5,660
17. People with Multiple Sclerosis Victoria Incorporated Living with Multiple Sclerosis, Victoria 3 May 2014 $6,244
18. Haemophilia Foundation Australia WFH 2014 World Congress, Melbourne 11 May 2014 $11,483
19. National Disability Services NDS Employment Forum & Workability International Conference 2013, Gold Coast 8 Oct 2013 $12,000
20. Deafness Forum of Australia Ltd 8th NATIONAL DEAFNESS SECTOR SUMMIT, Brisbane 3 May 2014 $11,561
21. Round Table for Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Round Table on Information Access Annual Conference, Brisbane 3 May 2014 $12,000
22. People With Disability Australia Incorporated Stop the Violence National Symposium – Improving Service Delivery for Women and Girls with Disabilities, Sydney 18 Oct 2013 $12,000
23. Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) FECCA 2013 Conference – Breaking down the barriers – A strength-based approach for a just society, Gold Coast 7 Nov 2013 $12,000
24. Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability Inc Having a Say Conference 2014, Victoria 5 Feb 2014 $12,000
25. Australian Sign Language Interpreters’ Association, Inc. ANC 2013 — All in a Day’s Work, NSW 19 Oct 2013 $6,106
26. Albinism Fellowship of Australia Fair GO 2013 Albinism Fellowship of Australia 5th Biennial Conference, Sydney 11 Oct 2013 $12,000
27. Belonging Matters Inc One Person at a Time – What Could Be, Victoria 13 Aug 2013 $11,750
28. Disability Employment Australia Australia’s Disability Employment Conference 2013, Adelaide 7 Aug 2013 $12,000
29. Speak Out Association of Tasmania Inc. Speak Out Self Advocacy Conference 2013 (Choose your Future, Change your Life), Hobart 18 Oct 2013 $11,910
30. Blind Citizens Australia Blind Citizens Australia 2013 National Convention, Embracing Change, Sydney 26 Oct 2013 $11,600
31. Trigeminal Neuralgia Association Australia Inc The Road to Pain Relief Begins with You TNA Australia 5th National Conference, Gold Coast 26 Oct 2013 $8,400
32. Short Statured People of Australia 2013 SSPA Annual National Convention, Tasmania 29 Sept 2013 $5,600
33. Metabolic Dietary Disorders Association Croydon Enabling and Empowering a better You, Victoria 21 Feb 2014 $12,000
34. Arthritis Foundation of Victoria Incorporated Living Well with Musculoskeletal Conditions –  Overcoming the impact of disability on day to day activities, Melbourne 25 May 2014 $8,400