Some quotable quotes from the My Choice, My Control, My Future national conference

1035 participants registered for the  My Choice, My Control, My Future national conference on DisabilityCare Australia, in Melbourne, over the last two days (23rd and 24th June). All sessions were filmed and will be put up on the DisabilityCare website in about a week. Every Australian Counts will also attempt to make some transcripts available (links will be posted here).  Here is a selection of postings on social media from participants during the proceedings:

".... no one should underestimate the importance of what we are about to achieve" Jenny Macklin, Minister for Disability Reform, opening address 

Capacity building needs to also be for parents, to help lift their eyes and shift their horizons beyond the low expectations set by professionals and service providers. Kirsten Deane

When people ask about you, when you are missed, you know you're included.

Fantastic speech by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, who is amazed at the quick passage of Disabilitycare and says that the disability genie is well and truly out of the bottle and not going back anytime soon.

Government cannot keep telling private enterprise to employ people with disability when their own employment figures are shameful! Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner

Important to keep using the term NDIS alongside DisabilityCare, to ensure maintained focus on insurance aspect. All Australians are shareholders in NDIS.

Four key areas of necessary focus for board of DisabilityCare: sustainability of the scheme; choice and control; mission is achieved; insurance model is implemented well and maintained.

There is no link between Disability Support Pension and DisabilityCare. DisabilityCare unding will not be considered as income, so it will not affect pensions.

"It's been an extraordinary two days, so many people from across the sector with one purpose, to make DisabilityCare Australia the very best system in the world. To have that sense of unity along with such extraordinary diversity makes it all the more significant. 

It contrasts with conferences a year ago where every second sentence began with "My concern is...". This week it has changed to "My suggestion for improvement is…", which means we have reached an important milestone. 

The papers presented here and other work being undertaken in the states will be examined by DisabilityCare Australia, and then decisions made as to where research should be directed. So there will be a rich research agenda alongside the practice in launch sites. The principle of co-design must be a characteristic of the future. 

I very much looking forward to working with you ... with a great sense of unity, energy and inspiration". 

Every Australian Counts reporting the closing remarks of Bruce Bonyhady, Chair of DisabilityCare Board.