Resources, publications

A one-day free offer! 

Do your kids love a good mystery novel? The Kindle edition of  Sam's Top Secret Journal - Book 1: Sam Spies by Sean Adelman is currently available for free download for just one day, from Amazon.

Join Sam as she embarks on her first big adventure in this middle-grade mystery full of fun, suspense...and just the right amount of spying! Sam is a middle school girl living a normal life-except when she is occasionally bullied for the differences kids perceive in her. Sam has Down syndrome. See how she and her brother John work together to find some stolen money, help a new friend and escape real danger in this exciting adventure!

Amy Julia Becker reviews a new online resource for parents of newborns from the highly regarded DownSyndromePregnancy.org:

A New (Free!) Resource for Parents of Babies with Down SyndromeParents, 3rd August 2015 

... provides honest, comforting stories alongside accurate, helpful information. It is filled with facts and figures in conjunction with personal perspectives and beautiful photographs of individuals with Down syndrome. I suspect all new parents will find it a helpful guide as they enter into life with a child with special needs and welcome a new baby with Down syndrome ...

Diversity in Disability has released a toolkit for organisations - you might like to pass it on to those that serve you:

These are tools to help you make a difference.
These are resources designed to help you and your organisation make a difference for people with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD).
... (It) comprises a suite of exploratory resources on how to:

• Develop your workforce for cultural diversity
• Engage and partner with CALD carers and community to make a difference
• Develop leadership for cultural diversity
• Review where your organisation is at and begin planning for change

Resources

Exploring sexual and social understanding: an illustrated pack designed for working with people with learning disabilities
Edited by Karen Dodd, Keith Jones, Heather Liddiard and James Stroud,  2nd edition, British institute of Learning Disabilities.
This pack has been developed to provide a flexible visual resource that can be used to assess sexual knowledge and capacity to consent, and help to teach and discuss appropriate social and sexual behaviour ...

Diversity and Disability Alliance
Diversity and Disability Alliance is a user led disability support organisation, run by and for people with disability from diverse backgrounds with the support of families and allies. We assist people to live the lives they choose. We are an independent, collective voice committed to diversity and full inclusion ... Our President Diana Qian has written a blog for the Every Australian Counts Campaign with the title How will the NDIS talk to a quarter of the disability population?

Journals

Down's Syndrome Association UK Journal
Selected past issues of the Journal are available online, here.

New issue of Service Support and Success

Volume 4-Issue 6: Pey-shuh ns: Who We Are Or What We Do? 

• Link to all back issues of Service, Support and Success on the Vita Living Services website, here. 

News and commentary on the NDIS (15)

Transcript of interview about NDIS funding: Senator Mitch Fifield 

Peter Van Onselen, Sky News, 29th January 2014

... Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey, Mathias Cormann are all committed to the NDIS. And part of the reason for that is, this is getting back to what should be the core business of government. Now, we all believe in hard work and reward for effort, but we also believe in helping people who face extra challenges for reasons beyond their control ...

Moving from charity to insurance: Australia’s disability system transformed
Tony Abrahams, World Economic Forum, 16th January 2014
... The success of Australia’s NDIS campaign has global implications and gives cause for optimism for a better and fairer future for all. So, what were the ingredients of success? And can they be replicated?

NDIS information translations now available online

NSW Ageing, Disability and Home Care (News), 24th January 2014
Information about the NDIS for people with disability, families and carers now available in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese, as well as Easy English.

NSW Capacity Building for People with Disability
NSW Ageing, Disability and Home Care, January 2014
The NSW Government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting people with disability, families and carers prepare for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by investing in 'Getting Prepared' – capacity building projects which have been funded until 30 June 2015 ...

Disability advocates fear NDIS impact of budget cuts

ABC News, 17th January 2014
Cost blowouts and Government budget cuts have got people with disabilities and their advocates wary of assurances that the National Disability Insurance Scheme will go ahead as planned. (7.30 video 6m 57s)

NDIS privatisation a betrayal: Labor
AAP/Daily Telegraph, 16th January 2014
A potential sell off of the National Disability Insurance Scheme agency would betray disabled people and their carers, the federal opposition says. During a senate inquiry on Wednesday, the chairman of the Abbott government's commission of audit, Tony Shepherd, refused to rule out recommending a sell-off of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which is tasked with rolling out the scheme ...

NDIS the key to 'happy families'

Rachel Baxendale, The Australian, 23rd January 2014
.... Ms McCallum, 43, spoke to The Australian as one of 22 participants in LEAD Barwon, a Victorian government-funded project aimed at developing the communication and advocacy skills of the disabled people, families and carers who are the first users of DisabilityCare, to help ensure the new scheme achieves its aims ...

Minister lauds cultural diversity reforms for ageing and disability services

NSW Ageing, Disability and Home Care, 8 April 2013:

The success of cultural diversity reforms implemented by Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) continues to make a real difference in the lives of people with disability, older people, their families and carers from a culturally and linguistically diverse background across the State, Minister for Ageing and Disability Services Andrew Constance said today.

Arabic speaking parents network: Eastern suburbs

Would you be interested to have contact with other parents who have children with special needs

Friday 19th April 2013
10.30 am - 12.30 pm
Suite 3, 1 Elizabeth Ave Mascot

• Arabic bilingual facilitator

Representatives from local services and, and opportunities for discussion about parenting, support, behaviours, developmental stages, supporting your child's development, services - what interests you.

Contact for more details: Inja Stacenski on 02 9662 7627 or Rosetta Kai Sung on 02 8344 2700

• Click here to download the flier in Arabic and English

Vietnamese speaking parents network: Eastern Suburbs

A local support group: 

Monday 25 March 2013 10.30am to 12.30pm

South Sydney Community Aid and Multicultural Neighbourhood Centre  

73 Garden Street

Alexandria NSW 2015 

02 9319 4073                      

Bilingual Vietnamese Facilitator: Vi Pham, Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project

A LOCAL NETWORK FOR VIETNAMESE SPEAKING PARENTS

Would you be interested to have contact with other parents in the Eastern Suburbs who have children with special needs?

It would be an opportunity for sharing information, with discussion in Vietnamese on what you’d like to know more about to help support your child and family.

Discussion about services, different agencies, choices on what interests you, such as, parenting, support behaviours, development stages, supporting children with development.

Meet with representatives from Autism Spectrum Australia and ADHC Community Access for tips on ways to develop a support network that’s good for you.

Come along to our seven meeting. Let us know what would support you. Share your ideas.

For further details, please contact Rosetta Sung, Senior Case Manager CALD Rosebery on 02 8344 2700?

Source: Resourcing Parents

Bengali parent support group: Eastern Suburbs

A LOCAL NETWORK FOR BENGALI PARENTS
Would you be interested to have contact with other parents who have children with special needs in the Eastern Suburbs?

It would be an opportunity for sharing information, with discussion in the Bengali language on what you'd like to know more about to help support your child and family.

Discussion about services, different agencies, choices on what interests you, like parenting, support behaviours, development stages, supporting children with development. 

Come to a first meeting to let us know about what would support you. 

If you are interested, please contact - ASHRAF 8338 8506 or ROSETTA 8344 2700

Click here to download the flyer at A4 size

CALD community members invited to participate in making a DVD

Bankstown Area Multicultural Network is making a DVD to teach people from multicultural communities about HACC services. They are seeking people from the community who are interested in being part of the DVD (telling their story or even acting a role).

They are looking for people with disabilities, older frail people and carers from the following communities: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, Vietnamese.

If you know of anyone who might be interested contact Rainier or Joyce by emailing map@bamn.org.au or phone 9796 3717 or 0488 231 001

Source: NSW CID e-Bulletin September 2012

Supported Living Fund seminars for Arabic speaking workers and families

Family Advocacy is working with Arab Council Australia 

to run free seminars for the Arabic speaking background community

The first seminar is targeted at Arabic speaking background community leaders and community workers to assist them to understand supported living and the Supported Living Fund so that they are well placed to assist  Arabic speaking background to apply on behalf of their son or daughter with disability.

Thursday 8 March

9:30am to 2:30pm (register from 9am)

Canterbury (venue confirmed upon registration)

This will be followed by 2 seminars for families that will be planned in conjunction with Arabic speaking background community workers who attend the first seminar.

For more information and to register, call 9869 0866 or 1800 620 588 or email enquiries@family‐advocacy.com

• Flyer -  registrations close Thursday 1 March