Resources

Speak Up and Be Safe from Abuse - Communication toolkit and resources
Scope
Abuse is not ok. Everyone has the right to speak up. Scope was supported by the Victorian Government to produce a communication toolkit and resources for people with communication difficulties, to assist individuals to identify and report abuse ...

Wiki technology helps people with disabilities tell their stories

Durango Herald, 10 December 2016

Twenty-five years ago, if any wiki existed, it was a lyric from a Sheb Wooley song. Today, wiki technology shapes the way many of us access information. In the future, it may be the way people with intellectual disabilities tell their stories and manage their care ...

Preventing mate crime. For people with an intellectual disability

Endeavour Foundation

Friendship is an important part of life for most people, and brings a sense of shared interests, connectedness and trust. Sadly, there are some people who will use friendship to take advantage of others for their own personal gain.

Mate crime happens when a person is ‘befriended’ by someone who goes on to abuse or exploit that friendship. Most recently the shocking US crime involving a mentally disabled young man who was tied up for five hours and horrifically assaulted by a group led by his school 'friend' while being broadcasted on Facebook Live is an extreme example of such abuse of friendship and trust.

... We have produced an Easy Read Guide for people with an intellectual disability that’s designed to prevent mate crime. Download the guide ... and use it to help you have a conversation with the person you care for about the nature of true friendship and about mate abuse.

Who Cares? App

Young Carers NSW
Are you 25 years or under? Do you help to care for a family member or friend? If so, you might be a young carer. Young carers are children and young people, 25 years or under, who help to support a family member or friend who has a disability, mental illness, drug or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail.

The Who Cares? App is a free narrative based, self-identification tool designed to help young people with caring responsibilities to recognise their role and get the support they need. The App is home to the stories and voices of real young carers from all over NSW. The easy to use sharing function enables users to share these stories outside the App, with the broader community, giving the app an important role in building public awareness about the unique experience of young carers ...

TOUCHDOWN 21

TOUCHDOWN21 is a research project.

A research project made by people with Down syndrome, about people with Down Syndrome. 

We collect information. 

We want to look at this topic from many different angles. 

And we want to bring together people who are thinking about this topic.

It started in Germany as a World Down Syndrome Day project, and is based there, but all the website pages are now available in English.

There are stories about people with Down syndrome from around the world, art projects, film, history, information and questions.

The idea of people with Down syndrome researching Down syndrome would have been revolutionary until very recently - TOUCHDOWN21 is worth watching to see where it takes us.

• The original site in German is here.

NSW CID End of Financial Year packages

NSW Council for Intellectual Disability offers a range of expert services to organisations:

With the end of the financial year rapidly approaching, now is the time to put the remainder of your hard-won budget to good use. NSW CID is offering some great value EOFY packages that will help your organisation be more inclusive and accessible. What better use is there than that?

Need Easy Read materials? Keen to offer more learning opportunities for people with intellectual disability? Wondering how to make your organisation more inclusive? Want to invest in training for your staff? We can help you achieve all of this and more with the expertise of people with intellectual disability, our skilled trainers, facilitators, designers and easy read gurus.

View flyer for more information here or contact our Business Development Manager Tymon Kennedy to book today.

'Disability and a Good Life': free six week online course, UNSW

The University of NSW is offering a six week free online course, Disability and a Good Life:

Learn how disability intersects with human rights, and how a good life can be made possible for everyone. 

20% of the global population has a disability; that means most of us will have an experience of disability in our lives - whether personally, through family and friends, or work. 

It’s crucial that we understand disability and what it means to live well with disability.
In this online course, you’ll find out more about human diversity, and learn about disability and the systems, structures, supports and approaches that enable everyone to live a good life. 

• Register now

NSW CID e-news, February 2017

Health matters

Twenty Things I Want My Health Care Provider to Know

A series of videos from the Adult Down Syndrome Center, published on their Facebook page. The quickest way to reach them is via this link, or via the 'Videos' tab in the left column of the ADSC home page :

 Before We Get Started - published October 2016. A 'welcome to the series', includes a brief history of the Adult Down Syndrome Center. (3m 6s)

It Is More Than Just Language - published 13 February 2017. It is about language but it is also a philosophy on interacting with people with Down syndrome. (1 m 10s) 

Common Characteristics of People with Down Syndrome - published 16 February 2017. All is not Down syndrome. (3m 33s) 

Life Expectancy and Two Syndromes - published 19 February 2017. People with Down syndrome are living much longer than in the past and despite the same genetics from years ago, the lives of people with Down syndrome look much different than they did in the past. (7 m)

• More health related information and resources are available from the Adult Down Syndrome Center's website. 

Keratoconus and Down’s syndrome

Stephanie Campbell, Down's Syndrome Association (London), 3 January 2017
Keratoconus is a condition in which the cornea, the transparent ‘window’ at the front of the eye, grows abnormally thin and into a cone shape, causing distorted vision.

... Until recently, there was no treatment for early stages of keratoconus, and nothing to be done about it until vision was affected, when contact lenses can be a real help. In cases of severe progression, scarring of the cornea meant that a corneal transplant was the only means of providing reasonable vision.

Now, there is a new treatment becoming available, called collagen cross-linkage therapy that can halt the progress of the abnormal growth and prevent sight deteriorating ...

• Keratoconus and Down’s syndrome: Rachel’s story,  DSA (UK), 27 January 2017

Lack of Specialist Clinicians Failing Australians with an Intellectual Disability
Simon Wardale, Probono News, 3 October 2016
Bluntly speaking, complex and challenging behaviours are not very well understood, even within the disability sector, and that situation is borne out by the training – or lack thereof – available for Australian practitioners ...

Jackson Lab Helping 11-Year-Old With Rare Disease In Search For Cure

Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, 3 January 2017
... At age 4, Talia Duff, who was born with Down syndrome, began to slowly lose motor milestones that were hard to achieve initially. Doctors believed her motor skills were delayed because of her Down syndrome ...

Carly Findlay on inspiration and objectification.

Melbourne writer and activist, Carly Findlay has invited readers to share her recent post, written in response to a request for a resource for teachers and parents, from a parent. We are happy to oblige - it is thoughtful, substantial, well researched and illustrated, founded in Carly's personal experience, as well as others'. One of the references is to the Indiana campaign included in our weekend post.

The Down syndrome community is replete with references to inspiration and with objectification - we need to consider this phenomenon/behaviour seriously, take on board what people with disabilities have to say, and alert our schools and communities to it.

Sue asked me if I knew of any resources for parents and teachers that teaches young people about the impact of inspiration and objectification on people with disability. She and a friend wanted to see something written from the perspective of a disabled person, that was "informy, rather than blamey". She wanted it to be in palatable language for a broad audience ...  

... When I've previously mentioned inspiration as objectification of people with disability, using the term Stella Young coined, some people have felt uncomfortable. They don't like the term, so deny it exists or don't want to look into the issue further. This happened a lot during the #crippingthemighty discussions While I never want to censor myself, sometimes I realise the need to soften language to make serious issues more palatable, to reach an audience that needs to hear it. There is definitely a need for this post ...

Inspiration and objectification of people with disability

 - a resource for teachers and parents

Carly Findlay, 5 February 2017 

School, education, teaching, learning

What a very hot, hot hot week for the start of the 2017 school year! Best wishes to all of those students starting school or high school for the very first time, and those returning from the long summer holidays.

There is so much information available to support students, teachers and families, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are just a few links to give you food for thought right now:


I Don’t Speak for Laura
George Estreich, New York Times, 27 January 2017
... In one way, Laura’s Father’s Day note is nothing special: Lots of people with Down syndrome read and write. In another, it is evidence of a radical transformation that began in my lifetime, and is still underway ...


Schools For All Guide

School Inclusion Parent Network

We, as parents, are the experts on our children and the constant in their lives. But navigating the schools years and ensuring that our children gain access to the general education classroom, receive the appropriate supports and stay on the path to an inclusive future, can be challenging and confusing. Access to quality information can make all the difference ...

• This guide refers to US law and school administrative procedures, but it also includes reading on the nature of inclusion in education, the role of families and other matters that have universal relevance.

Tips for Teachers - a collection of short practical tips for teachers to improve the inclusiveness of their general education classrooms

Dr Robert Jackson and Catia Malaquias, IncludEd (part of the blog Starting with Julius), January 2017
The 2017 school year is about to start and teachers in regular mainstream classrooms will be busy planning and preparing teaching materials, including differentiated curricula materials for students with disability allocated to their class. To assist, we have gathered together all our “Tips for Teachers” articles on this page, including some additional information.

Tips For Teachers Series:

• Creating An Inclusive Class Culture – Practical Tips For Teachers (N.o1)

• Supporting Peer Connection in the Inclusive Class – Practical Tips For Teachers (No.2)

• Less Is More: The Education Assistant – Practical Tips For Teachers (No.3)

• Getting the “Big Idea”: Including All Students in the Same Curriculum – Practical Tips for Teachers (No. 4 Part A)

• Making the “Big Idea” Achievable: Including All students in the Same Curriculum – Practical tips for teachers (No. 4 Part B)

• Presenting the “Big Idea” for All: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – Practical tips for teachers (No. 4 Part C)

• Behaviour Support in the Inclusive Classroom: The Basics – Practical Tips for Teachers (No. 5 Part A)

Education conferences in Qld and NSW
Two education conferences scheduled for the early weeks of the school year will be of interest to schools, individual teachers and support staff - families can pass the information about them to their child's school:

Embracing Success, Down Syndrome NSW's annual education conference will be held in Sydney 23 - 24 March 2017

Endless Possibilities, Down Syndrome Queensland's annual education conference will be held in Brisbane 2 - 3 March 2017, and might be more accessible to families and teachers in far northern NSW 

More posts on education matters

The Art of Holding Space: Service Support and Success Vol 5, #12

Congratulations to Dave Hingsburger and Angie Nethercott, the editors and publishers of the online journal for direct support workers, Service, Support and Success, on completing their fifth year of publication! The journal is distributed internationally without charge. 

The final issue for 2016 focusses on the concept of 'holding space':

The Art of Holding Space
Kevin Alexander, Service Support and Success, Volume 5, Issue 12, December 2016
... As a direct support professional, I am always challenged with wanting to step in and do something for someone I support. I see them struggling with a task, and I immediately want to make it easier for them. I want to feel needed and do a good job.

However, I have learned over my career that doing tasks for others is not always the best option. Sometimes doing less is helping out more.

If we do everything for someone, then that individual never learns how to do anything for themselves. The absence of failure and struggle are great losses in a person’s life ...

• Each issue is also available in French - this one is here.
• Link to back issues of Service, Support and Success on the Vita Living Services website, here, including Vol 1 Issue 1 and Vol 1, issue 2, which are both about supporting people with disabilities through the holidays.

News and commentary on the NDIS (59)

The official NDIS website provides access to documents, and up to date information about how the NDIS works, and NDIS events such as local workshops and webinars.

NDIS and Me
People with Down syndrome and/or their families and carers can join the closed Facebook Group, NDIS and Me, for discussion specifically about the NDIS and people with Down syndrome.

Disability Loop - a way to find out more about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Through Disability Loop you can:

• Find a great selection of resources relating to the NDIS
• Find out how the NDIS is working for other people
• Have your say about the NDIS
• Keep up to date with news and events about the NDIS

Disability Loop is a project funded by the NDIS. It is run by, and for, people with disability and their allies.

Two other closed Facebook groups (only members can see the posts) that you might find useful for answering particular queries are:

• NDIS Grassroots Discussion - a large group run for and by people with all kinds of disabilities, and welcoming of carers - the administrators are very experienced in managing discussions that can become robust at times, as criticism of the NDIS is raised
• the newer and smaller I Love NDIS started recently to promote discussion individual's successes in putting their plans together and implementing them. 

Counting what counts surveys 
Julia Farr Association
We have had a significant response to the first Counting What Counts survey but it's not too late to have your say.

If the NDIS is to be really helpful in people’s lives, it needs to be shaped in line with what people living with disability need to live a rich and meaningful life.

Currently, much of the NDIS development is focused on how service providers make the move to the NDIS. This creates a risk that the NDIS market will reflect what providers need, not what people and their families need.

Counting What Counts is a series of surveys to find out more about what people living with disability, their families and supporters, want. JFA Purple Orange will publish the survey results, so people can use the information to make sure the NDIS is implemented well.

2016 NDIS supporter survey
Every Australian CountsTell us what you think about the NDIS.

People with disability, their families and carers and the service provider sector must have an NDIS that’s the best it can be.

That means letting our decision makers know what’s working, what isn’t and what needs to be done to make it better.

We’ll be releasing our first Every Australian Counts Community Report Card in December and we need you to shape it.

This is your NDIS. Fill out this simple survey to make sure you have your say.

Information, linkages and capacity building

National Disability Insurance Scheme, 9 November 2016
The NDIS has released the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Framework (ILC). The ILC includes:

Personal capacity building – this is about making sure people with disability and their families have the skills, resources and confidence they need to participate in the community or access the same kind of opportunities or services as other people. 

Community capacity building – this is about making sure mainstream services or community organisations become more inclusive of people with disability ...

The ILC Toolkit is designed to help organisations get ready for ILC - it was released on 21 November 2016.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme: a quick guide

Luke Buckmaster,  Parliamentary Library (Australia), 1 September 2016

This five page 'Quick Guide' from the parliamentary Library could be a useful for those who are hearing about the NDIS for the first time, either as participants, family members, carers or potential service providers or support workers.

Our Choice Our Voice: Talking About The NDIS

Community Disability Alliance Hunter (CDAH), 11 November 2016
A video about the NDIS and the importance of peer support. Made by people with intellectual disability for people with intellectual disability. 9 m 30s

National Disability Insurance Scheme struggling to meet enrolment targets, report shows
Norman Hermant, ABC News, 14 November 2016
The first quarterly report from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) transition phase shows the scheme came nowhere near to hitting its original estimates for enrolees ...

Rocky start to NDIS transition period

Every Australian Counts, 16 November 2016

The first quarterly report covering the NDIS transition phase has been released. Here’s what you need to know.

Health matters

Improving Mental Health in Children with Autism and Intellectual DisabilityBelinda Ratcliffe (guest blogger), NSW Council on Intellectual Disability, 26 October 2016

Did you know about 70% of children with Autism have mental health issues like depression, anxiety or challenging behaviour?

Positive Cardiometabolic Health for People With Intellectual Disability resources

3DN at the University of NSW has developed a set of  resources and tools on Cardiometabolic Health for People with Intellectual Disabilities,  including postcards to take to your doctor.

Cardiometabolic health of people with intellectual disability differs from members of the general population. The resources aim to inform medical practitioners, those who work with or care for people with intellectual disability, people with intellectual disability, and prescribers of psychotropic medication on the affects on specific health conditions of people with intellectual disability.

• Click here to download resources on a range of topics related to cardiometabolic health.

What a patient with a learning disability would like you to know
Emily Smith, British Medical Journal 2016; 355: i5296, 5 October 2016
Emily Smith has Down’s syndrome and is an Expert by Experience at the University of Nottingham. After a visit to an emergency department (A and E), she was referred to her general practitioner. Here she contrasts the interactions she had with the different healthcare professionals ...

Service, Support and Success: October 2016 issue

Service, Support and Success is a monthly international journal for direct support professionals, published in Canada. Each issue features a single substantive article focussed on a practical aspect of direct support.

As more people manage their own support via the National Disability Insurance Scheme, they will be interested in locating such good quality resources themselves, to establish good practice,  and as education and training resources for the professionals they employ.

It is available free via email subscription or through a website (link below). Here is the link to the latest issue:

In Case of Emergency, Please Read: Ideas and Strategies for Supporting People with Intellectual  Disabilities Receiving Emergency Care 
 Yona Lunsky and Jacques Lee, Service, Support and Success, Vol 5, issue 10, October 2016
Adults with developmental disabilities visit the hospital emergency department (ED) as often as some of us go to the dentist. In fact, they go twice as often as adults without developmental disabilities (DD). We all know the “drill” when it comes to the dentist, but just how much do you know about what to expect out of an emergency department visit? This article offers some practical tips about how to make emergency visits as good as they can be, and also outlines some steps we can all take to reduce the likelihood of having to go to the hospital in the first place. Because, let’s be honest; like the dentist, none of us want to go the hospital more than we have to...

Answers to FAQ’s about the journal

1) The journal is intended to be widely distributed; you do not need permission to forward. You do need permission to publish in a newsletter or magazine.

2) You may subscribe by sending an email to dhingsburger@vitacls.org

3) We are accepting submissions. Email article ideas to either the address above or to anethercott@handstfhn.ca

4) We welcome feedback on any of the articles that appear here.

• Link to back issues of Service, Support and Success on the Vita Living Services website, here. Each issue is now available in both English and French. 

World Mental Health Day: 10 October

Today, 10 October, is World Mental Health Day. NSW Council on Intellectual Disability on Facebook published a timely reminder of it's print resources on 5 October 2016:

Worried. Sad. Angry. Scared. Upset. 

We all have these feelings sometimes. If these feelings last 2 weeks or more or keep coming back it maybe a mental health issue. 

NSW CID has Mental Health Fact Sheets - good info and and great conversation starters around what can be a sensitive topic. 

Ask CID can also help with information and referral to Mental Health services 

Ph 1800 424 065 

Mental Health Day is near, so maybe it's time to check in on your Mental Health or the health of someone you know.

• NSW CID Health Fact Sheets can be downloaded here 

Down Syndrome NSW resources on mental health in people with Down syndrome

• Dennis McGuire’s Mental Wellness seminar now available online
• Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome, Dennis McGuire and Brian Chicoine, Woodbine House (DS NSW library collection)
• Down Syndrome: When to Worry about Mental Health and What to Do About It! A Guide for Parents and Care-Givers, Robin Friendlander and Peter Johnson (DS NSW library collection)

NSW Mental Health Commission: October is Mental Health Month

Mental Health Month NSW is part of a national mental health promotion campaign held throughout October each year. The timing of the campaign centres on World Mental Health Day, which is marked each year on October 10. 

For further information visit the Mental Health Association NSW website.

Educational videos from the Adult Down Syndrome Center

First in a new series of short videos designed to support people with Down syndrome to stay healthy:

A Healthy Pace for Eating

Adult Down Syndrome Center, 13 September 2016 2016
Being able to learn about and participate in our own health promotion is a key factor in improving anyone’s health. This educational video, created by the Adult Down Syndrome Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill. aims to help persons with Down syndrome learn how to keep themselves healthy by establishing good eating habits.

To learn more about the Adult Down Syndrome Center, visit the website. Our videos are now available on Facebook, our web page and on You Tube. Watch for more videos soon.

New resources from Down Syndrome Australia

Down Syndrome Australia has published three new resources, all free to read and/or to download from the DSA website:

Ageing and Down Syndrome
- a 30 page booklet

Down syndrome in the workplace for employees  
- a 12 page booklet

Down syndrome in the workplace for employers  
- a 20 page booklet,

Resources

Phone app connects people with disabilities to carers with shared interests

Jodie Noce, 7.30 (ABC TV), 29 August 2016
Every day, hundreds of thousands of Australians with disabilities have to welcome strangers into their homes to help them meet their everyday needs, sometimes even for really personal things like showering or getting dressed. 

Now a new app is hoping to make that not just a business exchange but instead, a meeting of kindred spirits. It's matching carers and clients based not only on needs but also on interests and passions ...

Supporting informed decision making: something every direct support professional should do!
Joseph M Macbeth, Carol Britton Laws and Perry Samowitz, Service, Support and Success, Vol 5, Issue 9, September 2016
Each day, direct support professionals support scores of thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities whose needs and desires are as multiple and varied as is their number. Central to this effort is a vast direct support workforce whose members have diverse ethnic, racial and educational backgrounds and whose different life experiences shape what they bring to the job. Our personal beliefs and values certainly guide each of us in our personal lives, but it gets really tricky once we enter our place of work because what we believe is “right or wrong” and what the person we support believes is “right or wrong” is often quite different ...

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

Resources

• Recordings from the (US) National Down Syndrome Congress 2016 Convention

From (US) National Down Syndrome Congress e-News, August 2016

... This is traditionally the time of year that we get sooo many questions about the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Here are a few things that may be helpful as your child goes back to school. Time after time, we refer families to these articles, written by Cheryl Jorgensen: Inclusion Works Parts 1 and 2  We also really like this webinar, presented last summer by PEAK Parent Center in Colorado. Some things you will hear:  What is inclusive schooling? What is the difference between accommodations and modifications? “All students are General Education students first.” “Fair doesn’t mean every student gets the same thing. Fair means every student gets what they need.” So much practical advice, it is well worth an hour of your time to listen to this presentation.  And here's a list of responses to “When They Say…”, the things that parents often hear from educators. These are great talking points to keep in mind during your conversations with school staff who may not share your vision. 30 Days to the Co-Taught Classroom: How to Create an Amazing, Nearly Miraculous and Frankly Earth-Shattering Partnership in One Month or Less Dr. Paula Kluth and Dr. Julie Causton, 2016 In just 30 days, they will introduce you to the information, competencies and habits you will need to become a great co-teaching partner. The authors will help you get to know your co-teacher, understand each of your roles, improve your planning and co-planning skills, expand the structures you use to teach and support students and even celebrate your accomplishments ... Achieving inclusion: What every parent should know when advocating for their child Julie Causton-Theoharis and Christi Kasa,  free download via Family Advocacy (repost) ... Despite (the) known benefits, inclusion is still not a given for many students with disabilities. As parents, you play an essential role in advocating for inclusion for your child. Whether you are in the early stages of understanding your child’s individual needs, already advocating for an inclusive classroom or hoping to understand inclusion best practices, the information in this article is vital. It is important to understand exactly what inclusion is, why it is essential and how to work with your school team to achieve it. This booklet was developed to help parents with their thinking on how best to advocate for their child when achieving inclusion.

New from Woodbine House

Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, Third Edition

Maryanne Bruni, Woodbine House, 2016
The popular book, Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome is now available in a completely revised third edition. The author, an occupational therapist and parent of an adult with Down syndrome, describes how the characteristics of Down syndrome can impact the acquisition and progression of fine motor skills. She presents a thorough overview of the building blocks of fine motor development, from infancy through to adulthood:

• Early arm and hand control 
• Stability 
• Bilateral coordination 
• Sensation 
• Dexterity 

... Woodbine House

Supporting Positive Behavior in Children and Teens with Down Syndrome: The Respond but Don't React Method

David Stein, Woodbine House, 2016
... common behavior issues in children with Down syndrome can quickly become engrained and may even persist into adulthood. No parent wants that to happen, and thankfully, help is available! Dr. David Stein, a psychologist and Co-Director of the Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, shares his approach to behavior management in this new book for parents.

Supporting Positive Behavior in Children and Teens with Down Syndrome examines how the brain of a person with Down syndrome works, how those differences impact behavior, and why bad behavior should not be viewed as a willful act. Governed by this new awareness, parents are in a better position to change and manage their child’s behavior using these guiding principles:

• Be proactive, not reactive
• Be consistent
• Use visual schedules and Social Stories to direct behavior
• Develop a token reward chart
• Keep gut reactions in check
• Teach siblings to ignore bad behavior
• Learn effective disciplinary techniques
• Know when professional help is neededSome of these parenting concepts are intuitive, others are not, but when they are followed consistently, children and teens with Down syndrome do their best behaviorally and the parent-child relationship remains as positive and loving as it should be 

... Woodbine House

• Current Woodbine House catalogue

Note - Woodbine House does not accept online orders from Australian buyers, but their titles are widely available from other booksellers.

Resources on hearing

This is Hearing Awareness Week in Australia. 

Conductive hearing loss is common in children with Down syndrome (and other forms of hearing loss can also occur), and most families are well informed about its management and importance (in the development of speech, for example). All newborn babies in Australia are now screened for hearing loss.

Hearing Loss in Children with Down Syndrome is a comprehensive fact sheet published by the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, available online and to download as a .pdf file.

You will also find useful resources for providing information to other people in your child's life on the Hearing Awareness Week website, under the 'resources' tab, including a brochure about conductive hearing loss.

News and commentary on the NDIS (51)

NDIS and Me
People with Down syndrome and/or their families and carers can join the closed Facebook Group, NDIS and Me, for discussion specifically about the NDIS and people with Down syndrome.

Disability Loop eNews Issue #22, 26/07/2016

National Disability Insurance Scheme website

NDIS Ready
Archive of the NDIS webinar broadcast on 7 July 2016
... Hear from our panel as they discussed what it means to be an NDIS participant, how people will enter the NDIS and how it is being rolled out. The panel shared first hand experiences of the NDIS, lessons learnt from trial and tools and tips for getting ready ...

My NDIS Pre-Planning kit Advocacy for Inclusion
Over 20 pages of plain english information and Easy English worksheets. Use this booklet to identify:

1. What you are doing now in each area of your life
2. What would you change in each area if you could?
3. How could you make these changes happen?
4. How will you keep these changes permanent?

By identifying these 4 things, it will help you work out what supports you want and who you would like to support you.

Available in hard copy only - ordering details 

The NDIS is not enough - we need strong advocacy tooVictorian Council of Social Services, 1 July 2016
The National Disability Insurance Scheme will give people with disability many things, including choice, control, and a lifetime approach to their needs. But these advancements must not come at the expense of something equally important: their voice.

Strong, independent advocacy empowers people with disability, their families and carers. It helps them understand their human and legal rights, communicate their needs, and have those needs met. It also helps promote these rights to the wider community and acts as a safeguard against abuse or neglect ...

Porter prioritises savings to fund NDIS, childcare for Senate talks
Laura Tingle, Australian Financial Review, 25 July 2016
Social Services Minister Christian Porter has nominated a $1.4 billion budget saving that is to be redirected to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and cuts to family tax benefits to fund the Coalition's childcare package as his priorities for Senate negotiation when parliament meets next month ...

NDIS ILC Consultations Summary Report released NSW CID e-news, July 2016 The NDIS held consultations about the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Commissioning Framework. CID ran one of the consultations for people with intellectual disability. Click here to read the report.

People get ready… as the NDIS becomes a reality

George Taleporos, Every Australian Counts, 19 July 2016
Up until now, for many of us living with disabilities or caring for someone with a disability, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been something that we have only advocated for and dreamt about. But on 1 July, the NDIS moved from trial phase to full rollout and for thousands of Australians, the advocacy will finally pay off and it will be time to turn those dreams into reality. Here is some advice on what you need to do to get NDIS ready ...

Disability service standards at risk
AAP, 9 News, 20 July 2016
Disability service providers who most need to upgrade staff training may not do so because of the costs under the NDIS structure, a child protection expert warns ...

Podcast: Is the Disability Sector NDIS Ready?Ellie Cooper, Probono News, 7 July 2016
The National Disability Insurance Scheme promises choice and control for people with disability, but both Not for Profits and participants face teething problems as the service is rolled out nationwide ...

Understanding the NDIS
The Conversation, 6 - 13 July 2016
A series of seven articles on various aspects of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and the population it aims to serve, the supports it can fund, and some perceived limitations.

NDIS is a game changer full of opportunities Graeme Innes, Sydney Morning Herald, 14 July 2016
John was 40 when his quad bike rolled. Two vertebrae were crushed causing paraplegia. After a time in hospital, John did not return to his wife and kids on their Hunter Valley farm. He had high support needs and went to live in an aged care facility. The impact of his disability on John and his family was stark – he lost a loving family, and they lost a husband and dad.

Q and A with Upcoming Leader Quang Nguyen

My Choice Matters, July 2016

I attend workshops with other people with a disability or people who are carers of a person with a disability. We learn how to develop our skills in public speaking, organisation, team work, and how to think outside the square. I learn about leadership and how to use that in my own life and with people in the community ...

Abuse hearing takes NDIS focus    

AAP, Sky News, 19 July 2016
The child sex abuse royal commission will spend two days hearing from government agencies and NGOs on the quality of services provided to keep children with disabilities safe in institutions ...

Education matters: new resources and calls for investigations of abuse

The first two of these links are to newly released resources, but both the IncludED section of the Starting with Julius website, and the SWIFT You Tube channel are good sources of many others, and well worth book-marking. The last two highlight ongoing calls for investigation into incidents of abuse of disabled students in Australian schools - this too is confronting (see previous post), but a current matter of real concern:

Making the 'big idea' achievable: including all students in the same curriculum - practial tips for teachers (N0 4, Part B)

Robert Jackson and Catia Malaquias, Starting with Julius, July 2016
This is the Part B of the fourth article in a series of short articles aimed at providing practical tips for teachers to improve the inclusiveness of their general education classrooms. You can read the earlier articles at SWJ IncludED and their respective titles and weblinks are also listed at the end of this article ...

• Starting with Julius on Facebook

Together, and Whatever it Takes
Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT), University of Kansas, 23 July 2016
Two new, free documentary films showing inclusive education in action at schools in Maryland, Mississippi and Oregon. These two films are available on the SWIFT Youtube Channel for unlimited distribution and screening. 

Call for UN to investigate treatment of disabled students (audio file 10m 53s)

Jonathon Green, Radio National Drive (ABC radio), 21 July 2016 6:15PM
A group of disability organisations has asked the United Nations to investigated dozens of incidents in which children were allegedly assaulted, locked-up and restrained in Australian schools.

The harrowing cases were collected by six groups including Autistic Family Collective, Children and Young People with Disability Australia, United Voices for People with Disabilities and disability advocate Julie Phillips.

But what exactly can the UN do, and have all domestic options been exhausted?
UN asked to probe ‘school system in crisis’Robert Ballantyne, The Educator 25 July 2016
The United Nations has been asked to investigate dozens of incidents involving assault against children with a disability in Australian schools ...