Graeme Innes's address to the National Press Club, 2nd July 2014

• Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes reviews his eight and a half years in the role at the National Press Club in Canberra, on 2nd July 2014 (video: 56m 36s)
• I have never accepted the concept of 'lifters' and 'leaners', transcript of Graeme Innes's speech to the National Press Club, The Guardian, 2nd July 2014
• If we're not lifters, it's because society forces us to be leaners, edited extract of speech, Sydney Morning Herald, 2nd July 2014
• Outgoing disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes fires parting shots at Abbott government, Sydney Morning Herald, 2nd July 2014
  
  

National Press Club address, 9th July 2014

Dr Bruce Bonyhady AMChairman, National Disability Insurance Agency

'Building the NDIS – A Progress Report'

Dr Bruce Bonyhady was formerly the President of Philanthropy Australia and also formerly the Convenor of the Independent Panel appointed to advise the Productivity Commission and Government during the Inquiry into long-term care and support for Australians with disability. He is a Member of the Disability Investment Group and the Reference Group for the Pension Review. He was Deputy Chair of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Advisory Group to the Council of Australian Governments and former Chairman of Yooralla. 

Dr Bonyhady has also held a number of senior positions in the funds management industry and insurance industry in Australia and internationally. He is Chairman of Acadian Asset Management Australia Limited and a Director of Dexus Wholesale Property Limited. His former roles include senior positions in the funds management industry, including Managing Director of ANZ Investments and Executive Vice President at BT Funds Management. His earlier career was as an economist and econometrician in the private sector and the Commonwealth Treasury. 

He is the father of three adult sons two of whom have disabilities. Dr Bonyhady was appointed as a member of the Order of Australia in 2010 for services to people with disabilities, their families and carers and to the community.

Library Shelf

Life is a Blessing: A Biography of Jerome Lejeune - Geneticist, Doctor, Father, Clara Lejeune-Gaymard
Biography written by Jerome Lejeune's daughter. A brief and loving portait of the doctor who 'discovered' the third copy of chromosome 21. Includes Clara's understanding of her father's religious faith and his medical research and practice.

Members' library

The Down Syndrome NSW library catalogue is available to view here.  

• To contact Jo at the library, ph. 9841 4410, or email library@dsansw.org.au

Nominate a Don't DIS my ABILITY ambassador for 2014

International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD) is celebrated annually in NSW with the

Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign. The campaign celebrates the diversity and ability of people with a disability. It is about promoting positive perceptions and building an environment that encourages active participation in careers, leisure pursuits as well as social activities.

Don't DIS my ABILITY has opened nominations for its 2014 ambassador program. We are seeking nominations for ambassadors from a range of backgrounds, ages and disabilities. Ambassadors support and strengthen the delivery of Don't DIS my ABILITY by serving as the voice of the campaign to the community.  

Experience in this environment is not essential as ambassadors will be mentored by campaign staff to communicate key messages, share personal stories and, ultimately raise awareness of the abilities and achievements of people with disability 

Nominations are open from 9.00am Monday 23 June until midnight Sunday 20 July 2014.

A number of people with Down syndrome have served as ambassadors in the past - read about in the archives, here.

• Nomination procedure and criteria

More responses to the interim report on welfare reform: focus on impacts on people with disability

Welfare Reform Interim Report

People with Disability Australia, 1st July 2014

People with Disability Australia President, Craig Wallace, has expressed strong concerns about the release of the Welfare Reform Interim Report amidst negative media portrayals of people with disability ...

Welfare review chief backs disability cutbacks

Patricia Karvelas, The Australian, 1st July 2014

The author of the McClure welfare reform report says not all those currently on the disability support pension should be “grandfathered” so they can ­retain their benefits under his proposed new system.

The comment by former Mission Australia boss Patrick McClure raises the prospect that people under a particular age or with episodic mental illnesses could receive lower payments.

The welfare lobby will try to argue that those currently on the DSP should be grandfathered to protect them from being put on a new, lower “working age payment”...

Work not welfare

Anna Henderson, Lateline (ABC TV1), 30th June 2014
(first 3m 51 sec of 4m 58s addresses DSP criteria)
The nation's top disability advocate has warned suggested changes to welfare will drive more vulnerable people into poverty ...

Can you work? That's all the Australian government wants to know

El Gibbs, The Guardian, 30th June 2014

For people living with disabilities, the world is full of places hostile to how we move, look, speak and talk. Any welfare review that prioritises self-reliance ignores this ...

... The federal government's McClure review into welfare is not about whether social security spending is out of control (it's not), nor whether there are thousands of rorters and bludgers abusing the system (they're not). It's about defining everybody's value as whether they can do a particular kind of work ...

Changes to Disability Support Pension from 1 July 2014

The Australian Department of Human Services has posted information about changes to the Disability Support Pension to apply from today (1st July 2014).  These changes were announced in the 2014-2015 Federal Budget, and are not a result of the McClure review of welfare:

... From 1 July 2014, the government will introduce compulsory work-focused activities for DSP (Disability Support Pension) recipients under age 35 who have an assessed work capacity of at least 8 hours per week. Activities will be focused on support to prepare for, find and maintain employment and could include connecting with an employment service provider, work experience, education and training, or rehabilitation activities to overcome individual barriers. DSP recipients who do not complete their activities may have their payment suspended or cancelled. If this applies to you, we will discuss this with you at your next participation interview and work with you to include the compulsory activities into your DSP Participation Plan. 

From 1 July 2014, certain DSP recipients aged less than 35 years with a work capacity of 8 or more hours and granted between 2008 and 2011 will have their work capacity reassessed and eligibility reviewed against the revised Impairment Tables. This group was originally assessed for the payment prior to the introduction of the revised Impairment Tables in January 2012. DSP recipients reviewed will be supported to help maximise their capacity to join the workforce and some may have to undertake a Program of Support following review. If this applies to you, we will send you a letter closer to the date of your review. This letter will give you the information you need to know about the review and tell you what you need to do ...

• Read more about these changes here, on the Department of Human Services website

Good health: new resources and information

Health Click is a New Zealand company producing Me, a collection of resources to teach people with learning disabilities about hygiene, relationships and intimacy. The complete series:

• Friendships: covers friendships, relationships, dating, kissing, breaking up, getting help, staying safe.
• My Body Male: covers using the toilet, having a shower, growing up, masturbation.
• My Body Female: covers using the toilet, having a shower, growing up, masturbation, periods.
• Getting Help: covers going to the doctor, contraception.

Available as:

• Me Ebook an animated book with voice-over which can be downloaded onto an iPad, Android tablet or personal computer.

• Me CD Rom an animated with voice-over. Some organisations use this for a library copy.

• Me Social Story books are small books of the most commonly used chapters from the Ebook/CD Rom. They can be used away from the computer or device. Titles include:

• Having a Shower – Male / Female
• Using the Toilet – Male / Female
• Touching Myself – Male / Female
• My Period

Gluten free diet improves thinking for those with coeliac disease
This recent Australian study showing a gluten-free diet 'led to better scores in attention, memory and other brain functions over the course of a year', has implications for people with Down syndrome and coeliac disease (known to occur more commonly in those with Down syndrome).

... Experts cautioned, however, that those without celiac disease who choose to go gluten-free - a current diet trend - can't expect clearer thinking to result. While more research is needed, they said, it appears that systemic inflammation common to celiac patients consuming gluten is to blame for subtle thinking problems, not gluten itself ... 

Address to the National Press Club: Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, Wednesday2nd July

July 2, 2014 

ABC TV 12 noon

Australia's Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes will complete his term of office on 4 July. In this presentation, Commissioner Innes will review his eight and a half years in the role. Appointed by the Howard Government, in 2005 he was re-appointed by the Rudd-Gillard government. 

The Federal Government announced - as part of budget savings measures - that his position would not be filled by a full-time Commissioner who has lived experience of disability, and knowledge of the disability sector. Instead, one of the current Commissioner's will fill the role on a part-time basis. 

Commissioner Innes will examine - through the personal stories of people with disabilities - the successes which have occurred, and the progress achieved. He will talk about better access to buildings and public transport. He will assess how the National Disability Insurance Scheme will improve the lives of people with disabilities, and resource them to make a positive contribution to the Australian community and economy. 

He will also look at areas where success has been lacking- unequal access to justice for victims and offenders, the employment crisis facing people with disabilities, and the poor educational outcomes being achieved. 

Finally, he will provide a frank assessment of missed opportunities, and the directions which government should take on disability policy in the future.
Given his preparedness to call it as he sees it - figuratively at least - and the fact that his term will end two days after, his presentation should be informative and entertaining. (National Press Club of Australia - Speakers)

National Press Club broadcasts are archived here. 

2014 review of Australia’s Welfare System: interim report and public consultation

Yesterday (29th June 2014), the Australian Government released the interim report of the Reference Group it commissioned to review the welfare system (commonly known as the McClure review). A six week period of consultation will close on 8th August, followed by the release of the final report.

The interim report is available in several formats, including an Easy English edition from the Dept of Social Services website, here. Details on how stakeholders can make submissions are also linked from this page.

Media about the interim report:

• Blueprint for overhaul of welfare system recommends simplifying payments, extending income management, ABC News (online), 30th June 2014
• Reform puts work before welfare, The Australian, 30th June 2014
• Welfare advocates worried by McClure interim report, AM (ABC Radio), 30th June 2014
• Social Services Minister enthusiastic about interim welfare report, AM (ABC Radio), 30th June 2014
• Support agencies say Coalition is rushing its overhaul of welfare system, The Guardian, 29th June 2014
• Labor will support welfare changes with conditions, Australian Financial Review, 30th June 2014
• Informal carers ‘can get back to work’, The Australian, 30th June 2014
• Payment reform must reduce poverty, complexity and exclusion from employment, ACOSS, 30th June 2014
• McClure Welfare Review - a mixed bag for carers, Carers Australia, 30th June 2014

Commentary on the review prior to the release of the interim report: 

Welfare backing for single payment
Patricia Karvelas, The Australian, 24th June 2014
The National Welfare Rights Network has told the McClure welfare review it would support a single welfare payment and a “transitional” benefit for people with disabilities who have some capacity to work ...

HILDA survey shows Australians less reliant on welfare, number of people on benefits down since 2001ABC News online, 16th June 2014

A report shows working-age Australians are less reliant on welfare than they were a decade ago ...

Carers deserve better than this
Carers Australia, 16th June 2014
... Carers Australia will be making a considered and robust response to options raised in the Social Welfare Review Discussion paper when it is finally released. This includes the point that, on 2010 estimates, the replacement costs of unpaid care was estimated to be over $40.9 billion, or 3.5% of GDP ...

Welfare reform to target carers
Patricia Karvelas, The Australian, 14th June 2014
Carers would be required to prepare for a future return to work under the landmark McClure review of the welfare system. As well as a tightening of their mutual obligations, the number of benefits carers receive would be simplified ...

Weekend reading and viewing: 28th - 29th June 2014

When a woman noticed my daughter because she has Down syndrome

Ellen Stumbo, Finding Beauty in My Brokenness, 24th June 2014

... Sometimes people stare at my daughter because she has Down syndrome, sometimes I can tell by the way they look at her that they feel pity, but not this time, and not this woman and her sister ...

Buts and Rebuts
Autistic Speaks, 19th June 2014
When it comes to reasons why parents are hesitant about – even outright against – autism acceptance, there are a series of “buts…” that come up over and over again ... So, every time I see one of the “buts” come up, I desperately want to engage that person in conversation and try to help them get a bigger view of the situation, a zoomed-out perspective, so that maybe they will see the validity, the rightness, dare I say, of accepting autism ...
* I think this is the best thing I've ever read about what it means to be autistic. And, the writer makes so many points that could equally be applied when thinking about Down syndrome, and probably other disabilities. Wow. (Jackie Softly, Co-CEO Down Syndrome Australia)

Mother Recalls How She Came To Terms With Her Daughter's Down Syndrome

Huff Post Live, 4th June 2014
Tara McCallon can remember the first time she ever articulated that her daughter had down syndrome. She was in the hospital gift shop ...

Stay or go? Country families' dilemma on children with disabilities

Bush Telegraph (ABC Radio National), 20th June 2014
Meet 12 year old Reggie Happ. He loves tenpin bowling and swimming and has two great mates who, like him, have Down Syndrome. He's in year seven at high school in Bathurst, New South Wales, where a dedicated teaching assistant helps him stay in touch with the curriculum. But it wasn't always like this. When he lived in the small town of Coonamble out west of Dubbo, he struggled to find a suitable friendship group ...

• To stay or go: living with a disability in rural Australia, University of Sydney News, 19th June 2014

Breaking Up With Doctor Normal

Heather Kirnlanier, Star in Her Eye, 5th January 2014

... Then, at another appointment, Doctor Normal looked at the sizes of my two children in the office (the oldest is two pounds lighter than the youngest) and asked me, without any pretense or awareness, How is it, having a normal child? ...

2015 calendar reminder: call for photos

DS NSW members - it's time to start sending in photos to be included in the Down Syndrome New South Wales 2015 Calendar. The theme - "Be Seen in 2015"

Craig Peihopa has very kindly offered to put together another wonderful calendar for us for 2015 and we need you to send in your photos to make it the best one yet!

All the details are here.

And if you still need to order your 2015 Entertainment Book, the details about both the paper and new digital editions are here.

Dance, Theatre and Visual Art - Engaging Students with Disability: professional development for teachers

Discover how dance, music, theatre and visual arts can unlock students' learning in stimulating and enjoyable ways.

5 - 6 September 2014

Sydney

Dance, Theatre and Visual Art: Engaging Students with Disability is a NSWIT Accredited Professional Development conference, presented by Sydney Opera House.

• All details on the Sydney opera House website, here

Visit Accessible Arts NSW 'What's On?' web page for links to arts events across NSW

New resources

New 'See and Learn' editions: iPad, Windows 8.1 and paper editions
Down Syndrome Education International, June 2014

Two versions of our new See and Learn Saying Words app are now available - for iPads and for Windows 8.1 tablets, laptops and PCs. This is the first of 17 new See and Learn apps due for release in the coming months. 

The first versions of our new See and Learn apps are now available for iPads and Windows 8.1 tablets, laptops and PCs. Versions for Android tablets and Windows Vista/7 laptops and PCs will also be available in the coming weeks ... read more.

A Place to Call Home: the story of the Benambra Intentional Community
Sally Richards and Timothy West, 2014

Three young men with a disability live in a welcoming community in the heart of Canberra along with 22 other households in public housing. They are the headtenants and share their home with a co-resident or house-mate. Two of them require 24 hour support. This book describes how three mothers achieved this over several years. It describes the families, the essential elements, the strategy,the partners, the community, the philosophy, the work.

• Preview

Purchase:

Individuals and families: $10.00 plus $3.85 postage

Organisations: $20.00 plus $3.85 postage

Email: sally@jacksonwest.org for your copy.

• More about Benambra Intentional Community

Members' library

The Down Syndrome NSW library catalogue is available to view here.  

• To contact Jo at the library, ph. 9841 4410, or email library@dsansw.org.au

News and commentary on the NDIS (22)

Views about how well the NDIS is meeting needs in the current trial sites are somewhat variable, as might be expected:

Meet the Mowbrays: the human face of the NDIS 
Natasha Boddy, The Canberra Times, 22nd June 2014

... this a family where having a voice is clearly cherished. For Trish and Glenn Mowbray, communication with their four children is an important part of the secret to their happy family - where everyone gets a say in how they want to live their life ...

Children with autism miss out in NDIS

Rachel Browne, Sydney Morning Herald, 20th June 2014
Families of children with autism say they have been short changed under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with early intervention therapy provisions falling far below international best practice. Participants in launch sites have been told they will received funding for less than six hours of therapy a week, less than a third of the recommended 20 hours ...

Checking up on the NDIS
El Gibbs, Ramp Up, 19th June 2014

Positive changes, improved services, confusion, inconsistency, and reduced services. El Gibbs found these were just some of the outcomes for participants of the NDIS trial since it began almost a year ago ...

‘Preparing for the NDIS’ – 5 June 2014 webinar now online
The National Disability Insurance Agency held its sixth webinar on 5 June 2014 on the theme ‘Preparing for the NDIS’. The panel featured early trial site participants and carers, sharing their insights and responding to questions from the online audience. Now available to view online.

NDIS Planning guide and workbook

Published June 2014

The Planning workbook has been designed to assist you to identify your needs, goals and current supports and start the planning process - it is now available to download from the NDIS website here.

NDIS Costs on Track
ProBono Australia News, 5th June 2014
Participation in the National Disability Insurance Scheme has doubled since December 2013 with the average cost of individual care packages dropping to within budgeted predictions, the Federal Government has told the Senate Estimates Committee ...

ACT to transition 5,000 people with disabilities onto NDIS from July 1ABC News Online, 5th June 2014
Recent school leavers, young children and 64-year-olds will be the first groups to join the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the ACT. From July 1, the ACT will begin transitioning 5,000 eligible Canberrans away from current disability services onto the NDIS ...

'Mothers and Sons' road tour 2014: national, regional + documentary

Two opportunities coming up to see Sons and Mothers on stage, and a documentary on its making.  Some of the performers have Down syndrome :

Sunday Arts up Late: Sons & Mothers screens on ABC1

Christopher Houghton, Arts (ABC), 17th June 2014

No Strings Attached is an Adelaide based theatre company that creates unique work based on the perspective of disabled artists and performers. In 2012 they made Sons and Mothers – a theatre production that explored the bonds of love and frustration experienced by disabled sons and their mums ... (the) documentary is a fly on the wall journey following the performers and writer/director Alirio Zavarce as they bring the show together, from workshop to performance ...

• Sons & Mothers screens on Sunday 20th July 2014 at 10:35pm on ABC1

Sons & Mothers hits the Road

No Strings Attached - News, 1st June 2014
After the runaway success of Sons & Mothers’ premiere season in the 2012 Adelaide Fringe, and after foot stomping standing ovations in its 2013 Space season, No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability is proud to announce that in 2014 Performing Lines will deliver a national tour of Sons & Mothers through the Road Work initiative ...
... “It took seven years to create Sons & Mothers: five years for the idea to gestate, two years to develop, three weeks to rehearse and two weeks to perform. In those brief two weeks, Sons & Mothers became the buzz of the 2012 Adelaide Fringe. Five-star reviews and great word of mouth led to sold out houses and top Fringe Awards. A magic energy continues to animate this unusual show that appeals to audiences of all ages. As one reviewer put it, this show appeals to anyone who’s ever had a mother, and we are thrilled that audiences all over Australia will get to see it" ...

People with Down syndrome in the media

Smile that made Down's girl a Sainsbury's star: Natty is face of supermarket's children's clothing campaign after beating hundreds of hopefuls

Beezy Marsh, Daily Mail (UK), 23rd June 2014
A girl of seven with Down’s Syndrome has been chosen from hundreds of hopefuls as the face of a major children’s clothing campaign. The decision by Sainsbury’s to use Natty Goleniowska to advertise school uniforms is a step forward in making children with the condition more accepted, say campaigners ...

Athlete With Down Syndrome Sues For Right To Compete
Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, 20th june 2014
A 24-year-old with Down syndrome is suing in federal court after he was allegedly denied the opportunity to compete in the sport he loves due to his disability. After training in mixed martial arts for more than four years, Garrett Holeve is looking to take his competition to the next level. However, the Cooper City, Fla. man says his efforts to move from exhibition matches to participating in amateur bouts have been thwarted because he has Down syndrome ...

Wrexham man with Down's syndrome wins black belt
Jonathan Grieve, News North Wales, 16th June 2014
... “Although the training and concentration got more intense, he just focussed himself and kept at it. He wasn’t confident about taking the grading, but he took advice from the club instructors he trusts and stayed calm and focussed to pass" ...

Jianna Georgiou - a dancer with exceptional talent

Jianna Georgiou is one of four 2014 recipients of the Australia Council for the Arts’ Community Partnerships Career Pathways – Professional Development funding ...

Visit the home page of Jianna's website to see what she achieved throughout 2013.

Don't Kill Us
Speak Out, Spring Special Edition 2014
The astonishing story of famed swimmer and Down syndrome activist Karen Gaffney, to whom the University of Portland presented an honorary doctorate in May 2013.

Actress Jessica Kishner Morgan on Her Big Break

Aol.on Entertainment, 28th may 2014

... as a guest star on the Hallmark Channel original series ‘Signed, Sealed, and Delivered'
I'm Taking a Stand to Make My Difference in the World

Lauren Potter, Huffington Post (Impact blog), 2nd June 2014
... I want to live in a world where everyone can live, go to school and go to work without having to be afraid. Afraid of being judged, afraid of being bullied or cyber-bullied. Afraid of new things. Afraid of failure. Afraid of dreaming. In fact, I want to live in a world where people are actually celebrated for their differences, just as I celebrate mine! ...

Trivia night: DS NSW fundraiser, Five Dock

Down Syndrome NSW is set to host its first Trivia Night to raise much needed funds. Down Syndrome NSW supports and promotes the interests of all people with Down syndrome, their families and carers in NSW. We work to improve the quality of life of people with Down syndrome by empowering and enabling our membership and supporters.

... Register Now!

Research news and commentary #7 for 2014

To stay or go: living with a disability in rural Australia

University of Sydney News, 19th June 2014
Rural families in Western NSW who have a child with a disability are faced with difficult decisions about whether or not to stay in their communities, according to a study by the University of Sydney.

"The lack of access to therapy services such as speech and physiotherapy in rural Australia often means families are forced to compromise on services if they decide to stay," said Dr Angela Dew from the Faculty of Health Sciences.

"It's testament to the sense of community of small rural towns that many people do stay when faced with such limited options' ... read more
(Congratulations to DS NSW member Vicki Happ from Western NSW on her part in writing this report.)

• Stay or go? Country families' dilemma on children with disabilities, Bush Telegraph (ABC Radio National), 20th June 2014

Down Syndrome Research Forum 2014

The Department of Psychology at Lancaster University is hosting the 2014 Down Syndrome Research Forum on 24 and 25 September in collaboration with Down Syndrome Education International. The Down Syndrome Research Forum provides an opportunity for researchers active in areas related to Down syndrome and those working with people with Down Syndrome to meet, share ideas, and discuss recent findings and implications for practice.

Bookings are now open, and a call for papers has been issued ... read more

Dr Maggie Woodhouse receives OBE
Down's Syndrome Association (London), 18th June 2014
Dr Joy Margaret (Maggie) Woodhouse from the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of Cardiff has been awarded an OBE for services Optometry and people with disabilities in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

For over 20 years Dr Woodhouse has been running a study of visual development in children and young people with Down's syndrome at the University of Cardiff ... read more

(US) Down Syndrome Registry
A short video overview of the Down Syndrome Registry - US based, but the research resulting from its establishment will  benefit people with DS worldwide, in the longer term




Centre for Disability Studies - research on intellectual disability and anxiety
Do you have a mild intellectual disability and experience anxiety?
The Centre for Disability Studies (University of Sydney) is looking for adults with a mild intellectual disability aged 18 years old and older who experience anxiety to participate in a research study on treatment for anxiety.
If you would like further information, or to be involved, please contact Lynette Roberts at lynette.roberts@sydney.edu.au

Lines of Inquiry #3, May 2014
... the regular newsletter of NDS’s Centre for Applied Disability Research (CADR).

Compose - recruiting continues across Australia

The Compose study is a ...

"research from Stanford University, funded in part by the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, (that) has identified BTD-001 for its potential to improve memory, language, and learning in people with Down syndrome.
We are now running a clinical study for persons with Down syndrome age 13 to 35 years old to evaluate whether BTD-001 treatment has any effectiveness.
The Study is currently approved in Adelaide, Launceston, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong. Sites in other locations are planned" ... read more

Weekend reading and viewing: 21st - 22nd June 2014

Yes, my son, an adult with Down syndrome, lives with us
Mardra Sikora (guest blogger), Finding Beauty in My Brokenness, 13th June 2014
The first thing you should know is this: Marcus lives with us, not because he has to but because we want to live together. Like millions, really well over 6 million, families with adult children who live “at home” in the US today, this is the best option for us right now ...

Fatherhood: It’s all about love

Lisa Larson, The Spectrum, 14th June 2014
If there is one thing Bob Sonju’s face exudes when he looks at his two oldest daughters, Macey and Madi, it is love. ... While most parents feel that their children are unique, having two Down syndrome children in the same family, when neither parent has any predisposing factors for the syndrome, is truly one in a million. And it was certainly not what Bob and his wife, Leslye, were expecting ...

Last Sunday was Father's Day in much of the northern Hemisphere - this article is one of a number circulating about/by fathers of people with Down syndrome.

My Two Kids With Down Syndrome and I Found a Place to Be a "Typical" Family
Stephanie Practico, Huffington Post (blog), 17th June 2014

... Special Olympics is where we go for sports training and competition. My children need to be in a place where despite their disabilities they are among their peers, can have the same experience as any other child and are valued for their special abilities. It is so wonderful to have a place in the community where we can be a 'typical' family ...

Here, Now

Dave Hingsburger, Rolling Around in My Head, 18th June 2014
I was at a meeting the other day where one of the speakers was saying that some of the work had been put on hold because ... because ... because ... the self advocate who is part of the team is on her honeymoon ...

5 Reasons Your Business Should Hire Someone With An Intellectual Disability

Amy Wright, Maria Shriver, 18th June 2014

... in the spring of 2013, Ben decided it was time to make his professional life as authentic as his personal life. He resigned as vice president at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and opened Dye Creek Capital, a full service investment practice with a focus on employing people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities ...

Getting away with murder
Craig Wallace and Samantha Connor, Ramp Up, 18th June 2014
Media reports on homicides of people with disability, particularly those with intellectual disability, are frequently sugar-coated and euphemised. This only serves to diminish the value of those who have lost their lives ...

Time to let go of the medical model
Jarrod Marrinon, Ramp Up, 17th June 2014

Jarrod Marrinon says the source of negative attitudes about disability is people with disabilities themselves. He says it's time to leave the medical model of disability in the doctor's room and to take responsibility for changing these attitudes ...

• Links to all five of BILD's email newsletters, on Ageing Well with Learning Disability, to mark (UK) Learning Disabilities Week 2014 have been added to our post about the initiative, here. 

Northern Intellectual Disability Health - 12 week Exercise Group

Weekly program of group exercise for people with intellectual disability starts mid July 2014, at Cremorne for 12 weeks.

Participants will be assessed prior to commencing and individualised exercise plans developed.

For more information contact Elizabeth at
Northern Intellectual Disability Health:
 elizabeth.hammond@sydney.edu.au or phone 02 8968 3400

Source: NSW CID E News, June 2014

New sports opportunities

Soccajoeys Next step

Readers with young people who would like to play soccer may be interested in Soccajoeys Next Step. They offer a soccer program for families of children with additional needs aged three to eight years and who maybe in early childhood intervention programs. The program encourages inclusion and the opportunity to increase their physical and social development in a fun and safe environment

Classes are currently held in Waverly, The Hills and Epping. They hope to be able to expand into other areas of Sydney soon.

• Visit their website here

Bowling - Warners Bay

DS Bowling Warners Bay is an initiative of DS NSW Hunter Region. It is a social group for people with Down syndrome over the age of 10. The group meets every 4th Friday to bowl at Super Strike Warners Bay
Contact: Lisa Taylor  Mob: 0421 642 675  E: leisbj@hotmail.com

• Flyer with dates here