Weekend reading and viewing: 7 - 8 January 2017

The aging of the population with Down syndrome is a positive sign
Brian Skotko, Stat News, 4 January 2016... The most valuable resource that programs like ours have for improving the lives of people with Down syndrome are individuals like Ben and Kristin. No one can completely attest to a life with Down syndrome unless they are actually experiencing it ...

• You might also be interested in the broader issues raised in the comments on Dr Skotko's Facebook post about this article (4 January 2017)

Disability and Media: Inspiration Matters

David Perry, How Did We Get Into This Mess, 20 December 2016
Here's a nice story about Craig Blackburn, a man with Down syndrome who plays Santa. It could so easily veer fully onto the Inspiration Porn side of the disability news spectrum (it's not an either/or), and the title does go that way. "Metairie man with Down syndrome spreads cheer now and throughout the year" suggests that the story will be about how people feel about the man, rather than centering him ...

Brave mum shares why she almost gave up rare tins with Down syndrome
Julia Jensen, news.com.au, 21 December 2016
... Because of Julie’s age, she knew that the likelihood of having multiples or a child with Down syndrome would be greater, but she never expected both to happen ... According to the US National Down syndrome Society, by the time a woman is 40 years old, her chances of having a baby with Down syndrome are 1 in 100. But the chances of having non-identical twins like Milo and Charlie is nearly 14 in a million ...

Down’s syndrome: more of an identity than a disease? How a mother taught me more about Down’s syndrome than any lecture

George Gillett, Student BMJ, 20 December 2016
... As a student, my only encounters with Down’s syndrome had been in lecture theatres and textbooks. My revision notes featured more information about investigations, diagnosis, and management than any human experience of the condition. I would have found it easier to recall that 90% of Down’s syndrome pregnancies end in termination than to give the name of someone I had met with the condition ...

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Punk Therapy (audio file, podcast and transcript)
Emma Tracey, Ouch Talk Show (BBC)  21 December 2016
What do you when you’ve turned 18 or finished formal education if you’ve got learning disabilities? Electric Umbrella sought a solution and wound up with an amazing Christmas single, and they’re here on a quest to make Christmas As A Punk number one ...

A brother's loving film about his sister with Down syndrome: Kelly's Hollywood
Love That Max, 21 December 2016
As parents, we do our best to make our children happy, which includes indulging their interests/obsessions. Over the years, Dave and I have bought a whole lot of purple objects for Max during his purple phase, taken him repeatedly through car washes during his car wash phase, and basically camped out at our local fire house so he could hang with the guys ever since he decided he was going to be a firefighter.

Of course, this aim to please isn't limited to moms and dads, as a new documentary beautifully shows. Directed by Brian Donovan, Kelly's Hollywood tells the story of his sister's aspirations to become an L.A. diva, and his drive to make it happen. Kelly has all the makings of a Hollywood character—she's funny, charming and people are drawn to her. She also happens to have Down syndrome ...

Centrelink debt recovery fiasco must be suspended: Disabled People's Orgnisations Australia

5 January 2017

Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPO Australia) calls for the Centrelink debt recovery process to be immediately halted, amid concern about the impact on people with disability.

“We are concerned that the current debt recovery process, that uses automated data matching, is particularly unfair for people with disability,” says Matthew Bowden, Co-CEO, People with Disability Australia, and spokesperson for DPO Australia.

Centrelink has recently begun to use data from the Australian Tax Office to check records about people’s income, without staff involvement or oversight. People have received debt notifications, sometimes going back six years and have had a limited time to respond.

“Many people with disability rely on social security payments to make ends meet. For those that work in casual or contract work, this new system appears to be particularly problematic,” said Mr Bowden.

“The majority of people with disability being reviewed will have been entitled to social security payments and have done nothing wrong. Cutting social security payments to recover debts in this way could leave people with disability substantially worse off, and we already know that almost half of all people with disability live in poverty. People with disability are being made more vulnerable by how these policies are implemented.

“Springing this kind of change on people just before Christmas, with no additional resources to assist them, is unacceptable.

“People with disability may need more time and support to understand the information and respond, may need the information in different, accessible formats and should have increased advocacy available to engage with the Centrelink system and manage such a stressful situation," said Mr Bowden.

“DPO Australia is calling for the Federal Government to immediately suspend this automated debt recovery system and start to sort out the mess that has been created.

“Advocacy support needs to be significantly ramped up to make sure people with disability are not disadvantaged by poorly planned and implemented changes like this in government policy,” said Mr Bowden.

Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPO Australia) is an alliance of four national Disabled People’s Organisations (organisations made up of and led by people with disability).
DPO Australia was founded by, and is made up of the First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDNA) representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) representing culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability, People with Disability Australia (PWDA) a national cross disability organisation and Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), the national organisation representing women and girls with disability.

News and commentary from the broader disability community

Attitude Foundation And ANZ Engage Taste Creative For New TV Series Promoting Inclusion

B and T Magazine, 19 December 2016

The Attitude Foundation together with its principle partner ANZ, have selected award-winning production company Taste Creative to film a television series promoting the valuable contribution of people with disabilities within Australian communities.

This forms an important milestone for the Foundation which since being founded in 2014 by Graeme Innes, Australia’s former Disability Discrimination Commissioner, has worked to secure funding from industry and government for the production ...

The hidden story of sexual abuse
Ginger Gorman, Tierney Bonini, ABC Lateline, 30 November 2016
Jane Rosengrave has an intellectual disability and takes Lateline back to the institution in regional Victoria where she claims she was sexually abused by multiple perpetrators ...

Prison Is Not The Place For People With Disabilities
Rachel Siewert, Huffington Post, 30 November 2016
People in Australia are being detained simply because there is nowhere else for them to go ...

At least 100 Aussies with cognitive disability held in jail indefinitely
Shalailah Medhora, ABC Triple J, 11 December 2016

Swift action is needed to ensure that people with cognitive impairments and acquired brain injuries aren't held in jail indefinitely, a disability rights group says.

Earlier this month, a Senate inquiry into indefinite detention found there are at least 100 people who are in jail for an unspecified period of time because they did not have the mental capacity to plead to a crime. That includes people with personality disorders, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, dementia and brain injuries resulting from assaults and car accidents ...

Punk and disability inclusion have more in common than you may think
Diana Hiscock, HelpAge, 2 December 2016
Attitude can influence our perception of events and even has the power to shape our behaviour - even in immensely challenging circumstances. Working as we do with older people, people with disabilities, and indeed older people with disabilities, understanding this link between attitudes and behaviour is pivotal in getting our job done ...

Accessibility is not a blue wheelchair logo - it is an attitude

Josephine Maguire-Rosier, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 December 2016

... Sure, I could explain to you about ramps and lifts, about tactile signage, or easy English, closed captioning, or Auslan interpreting and, following that advice, would take you a lot further than where you are now. These are all things that you should do. However, providing people with nice, easy checklists glosses over one fundamental aspect of disability and, indeed, humanity – we are all different ...

Latest additions to 'events' pages

• Click here for Down Syndrome NSW events

These links provide information about events run by other organisations that might be of interest to people with Down syndrome, their families, carers and professionals who support them 

• All current events listings  

International expert on inclusive education: Mara Sapon-Shevin
Wednesday 8 February 2017 - Rosehill (Parramatta)

Family Advocacy will host an event with Mara Sapon-Shevin, Professor of Inclusive Education at Syracuse University in early 2017. Mara is a specialist in diversity and social justice issues, including full inclusion, bullying and harassment and cooperative learning. 

• Update: all details,  fliers and registrations are now here: All students learning together - creating positive social climates for inclusion

Disabled Surfers' Association of Australia - 2017 events
January - March 2017 dates and venues are listed by State and region.

The DSAA is creating opportunities for everyone, including our disabled participants and able bodied volunteers, to experience our unique, safe and happy surfing events, whilst under complete supervision from our trained Team Leaders and Beach Marshalls. 

We invite you along for this magical journey that many have already experienced over the past thirty years, without any pressure to win gold, just having fun and making new friends in your local community and around Australia and New Zealand.

“Ready, Set, AACtion” - AGOSCI 13th Biennial Conference
17 - 20 May - Melbourne

The AGOSCI Conference theme reflects our need to be ready for the arrival of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the effects this will have on the lives of children and adults with little or no speech. “Ready, Set, AACtion” will showcase the best products and services, the latest research and the most inclusive communication practices for people with little or no speech. 

The conference is an opportunity for people who use AAC, their families, friends, work colleagues, and people who work within the area of Augmentative and Alternative Communication to come together to share their knowledge and skills. 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas 2016

Best wishes for Christmas and New Year - happy summer holidays!

Regular posting will resume early in 2017.

The Down Syndrome NSW office will close on Thursday 22 December 2016
and will reopen on Monday 9 January 2017.

Down Syndrome NSW will continue to provide emergency support and assistance for new parents throughout the holiday break. Please contact us via Facebook private message in this instance, or call the office on 02 9841 4444 and leave a message and someone will return your call. We will attend to all other enquiries on our return on 9th January, 2017.

People with Down syndrome

James is crashing barriers
Barossa Leader, 2 December 2016
“Life’s good,” says 25 year old James White. The Nuriootpa resident couldn’t be happier after being appointed a Member Ambassador for Down Syndrome SA, one of only two to be given the 12 month role.

“I’m very proud – very happy,” said James ...

Tom has a paid job at The Environment Agency’s National Laboratory Service

Down's Syndrome Association (UK), 8 November 2016
Tom has lots of work experience, including in catering, but had been looking for a more permanent work challenge for some time. Although Tom has plenty of transferable skills, he faced many barriers to the workplace ...

Doctors said he would never hold a job — now he's retiring after 35 years

Colleen Jones, CBC News, 15 December 2016

The energy he brings and surrounds himself with is contagious. After Andrew MacEachern was born with Down syndrome in 1960, medical experts told his father he would never learn to read or write, or ever hold down a job.

He proved them wrong. On Wednesday, after 35 years delivering supplies around the Victoria General hospital in Halifax, MacEachern was celebrated by his co-workers at a well-earned retirement party ...

How a man with Down syndrome achieved his dream of becoming a firefighter

Brian Brueggemann, Charlotte Observer, 16 December 2016
Jason Eagan is a firefighter in Sandoval, Illinois, and has Down syndrome. Lt. Matt Horn says Jason is a valued member of the volunteer department ...

Journal of Mental Health for Children and Adolescents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: An Educational Resource Volume Seven, Issue 3/4, December 2016

The NSW School-Link Initiative has been addressing mental health in schools since 1999. The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) has recognised the potential to further develop the existing School-Link Initiative by focusing on students with an intellectual disability.

The latest edition of the Journal of Mental Health for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is now available on the School-Link website.

Highlights include:

• The Future of Our Children’s Mind, Spirit and Soul: Will the digital revolution destroy them or can schools grow them? by David Dossetor 
• Notes from the 19th Society for the Study of Behavioural Phenotypes (SSBP) International Research Symposium by Peter Wurth 
• The Medicine Cabinet: Atomoxetine by Judy Longworth 
• Addressing cardiometabolic risk factors in people with an intellectual disability by Jessica Walsh, Professor Katherine Samaras and Professor Julian Trollor 
• The 15th World Congress of the International Association for the Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSID) by David Dossetor 
• IASSID Symposium on Quality of Life in Children with Intellectual Disability by Donna White 
• A report on the inaugural meeting of the Bowral Mental Health Intellectual Disability Professionals Network 
• Resource Spotlight: Carer Checklist by Carers Australia 
• KidsQuit 

School-Links encourages readers to circulate this link to your networks or anyone else who may be interested and to sign up to the e-list.

National Disability and Carers Advisory Council Communiqué

The National Disability and Carers Advisory Council (NDCAC) held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday 14 December 2016 in Canberra.

At its first meeting the Council discussed and agreed on the Terms of Reference and the role of Council in a number of key policy areas:

• National Disability Strategy (NDS) Reinvigoration
• National Disability Insurance Scheme – Transition 
• Disability Employment Services Reform
• Carer Reform and the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services
• Regulatory Reform
• Working Groups

• Read the full text of the National Disability and Carers Advisory Council Communiqué  here.

BSWAT court case result

Many people with Down syndrome working in Australian Disability Enterprises could be eligible for payments. Information from People with Disability Australia, 16 December 2016:

Lengthy and dedicated advocacy work has resulted in a win for employees with disability. 

Today the Federal Circuit Court of Australia has approved the settlement of the class action between the Commonwealth and employees of Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) whose wages had been assessed under the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT). 

The decision is worth tens of millions of dollars that will benefit employees with disability working in ADEs around Australia.

PWDA encourages all eligible employees of Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) to register under the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT) Payment Scheme. This scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible ADE employees. 

For information on the BSWAT Payment Scheme, you can call the AED Legal Centre on (03) 9650 2533 and leave a message or email noni.lord@aed.org.au 

You can register by visiting the website at: https://bswat.dss.gov.au/, phoning the BSWAT Hotline on 1800 880 052, or email bswatpayments@dss.gov.au

New books from Woodbine House

New titles recently released by specialist publishers Woodbine House:

Whole Child Reading: A Quick-Start Guide to Teaching Students with Down Syndrome and Other Developmental Delays 

Natalie Hale, 2016

Discover the keys to teaching children and adults with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities how to read for meaning. Written for today's busy parents and teachers, this easy-to-use guide explains how to "go in through the heart" to hook beginning and struggling readers with high-interest, individualized materials—flashcards, personal books, and modified trade books. The simple strategies described are designed to "teach to the brain" and are based on research about how we learn most easily and naturally ....

• Kindle/eBook and paperback editions are available. 

Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A guide for parents and professionals

Maryanne Bruni, third edition, 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 ...

• Paperback 

Woodbine House does not accept orders to ship to Australia, but other sources are readily available that ship to and within Australia.

Weekend reading and viewing: 17 - 18 December 2016

Michael Berube: The Value and the Virtue of Raising a Child with Down Syndrome, (Audio 33m)
Lindsay Beyerstein, Point of Inquiry, 5 December 2016

... Berube tackles the misconceptions about intellectual disability from the perspectives of both a scholar of disabilities and that of a father. He challenges the misconception that intellectual disability detracts from the value of a life, as exemplified by his son Jamie, who Berube describes as witty, inquisitive, and full of a love for life. Berube asserts that like most children, when given ample amounts of love and attention, kids with Down syndrome have the best fighting chance at meeting their full potential and living a successful, happy life. Berube calls upon bioethicists, politicians, philosophers, and all of us to rethink how we approach disability, and advocates for changes that will move us towards a more inclusive society ...

Julius a model example of celebrated diversity

Amanda Keenan, The West Australian, 13 December 2016
A few episodes of Sesame Street and a benign blue box of nappies. That wasn’t everything but it was the beginning of something.

Catia Malaquias was at home with her baby boy Julius and eldest daughter Laura. What Sesame Street had that the nappy box didn’t was suddenly glaringly, infuriatingly apparent. The cheerful kid with Down syndrome reciting his ABCs in the brownstone-lined land of Sesame Street resonated with Catia in a way that the toddler on the nappy box — the child on the baby food jar, the family in the cereal ad — couldn’t possibly ...

Bonding In A Checkout Line

Erika Lantz, WBUR-FM Boston NPR 6 December 2016

... Right away, Sydney said, “She has Down syndrome. She has a big heart, like I do.” Suzie pushed the cart toward Sydney, and Sydney wrapped her in a hug. Then Sydney asked if Carly knew any sign language, and before long they were swapping different signs ...

Could this 81-year-old be the oldest person living with Down's syndrome?

Holly O'Flinn, Lincolnshire Live, 8 December 2016
A woman with Down's syndrome from Mablethorpe, who has just celebrate her 81st birthday, has defied all the odds - because doctors said she wouldn't live beyond 20.

Julia Pittaway, who was born in 1935, is believed to be the oldest woman in the world with Down's syndrome as she hits the grand age of 81 ...

Recreating Down Syndrome in Mice (audio: 12m 16 s)

Witness, BBC World Service, 9 December 2016
In 2005 British scientist Elizabeth Fisher and a colleague successfully transplanted a human chromosome into a mouse for the first time. It transformed medical research into the genetic condition Down Syndromethat affects millions of people worldwide. Professor Fisher tells Louise Hidalgo about the challenges researchers faced and their thirteen-year struggle to create the first Down Syndrome mouse ...

This Man Called His Little Brother With Down Syndrome The‘Perfect Mirror'

Kat Abianac, Parker Myles, 8 December 2016

6 years ago, Tyler Klefot’s brother entered the world in Louisville, Kentucky. He discovered he was a life-changing little guy. And the more he thought about it, the more he wanted people to know what he now knows. Then this big brother decided to share his thoughts about the last 6 years, on his Facebook page. Tyler wanted others to know that the more time he spent with Jonah, he discovered a secret ... His brother is his teacher. And he explains here exactly why ...

My Brother Is Disabled But He’s Not A Sob Story

Anne Suslak, Buzz Feed, 8 December 2016
We may have missed out on a traditional sibling relationship, but my twin brother’s cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, and epilepsy has far from ruined our lives ...

A World that Wants Me In It': The Case for Conserving Disability

Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, ABC Religion and Ethics, 1 December 2016

... Arendt's and Hubbard's ethical assertions address the central question of my current scholarly project: why disabled people should be in the world ...

Worlds are spaces, complex material environments made up of people, the material artefacts we make and use, the geological habitat and other living things ranging from forests to viruses. Our lives occur in these spaces; how we think and what we do shapes them.Disability offers a good case study for investigating current and future world building. Modern cultures are now undertaking two contradictory world-building initiatives that are expressed in social, legislative, material, cultural and attitudinal practices ...

DSA website makeover

The new Down Syndrome Australia website is now live. It has a fresh new look, links to DSA's Easy Read website and importantly is now mobile-friendly.

Your feedback is welcome.

Commentary on non-invasive prenatal screening

A lot of the most recent media attention and commentary on non-invasive pre-natal testing/screening has arisen from UK proposals about providing this testing under the National Health Service there, but it continues to be discussed vigorously around the world:

Is Screening The Solution To A Down Syndrome Problem?

Renate Lindeman, Huffington Post, 29 October 2016

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. For weeks the web was flooded with beautiful photos and inspirational stories of men and women who became pre-school teachers, Zumba teachers, athletes, models, DJs, artists, etc. There has never been a better time to live with Down syndrome, or has there?

Fears over new Down's syndrome test may have been exaggerated, warns expert

Hannah Devlin, The Guardian, 5 November 2016
Leading statistician says evidence suggests there will be no change in number of terminations, and more than 40 miscarriages a year will be avoided ...

Why having Down syndrome is not a ‘choice’ but the systematic eradication is

Renate Lindeman, Huffington Post, 6 November 2016
... We can all agree however, that having Down syndrome is not a choice. Neither is being a woman, or a man, being colored, transgender, having a different sexual preference, a high IQ or short legs. The only choice we have is to prevent the births of babies based on any of these human traits. And while NIPT can potentially detect a range of genetic (chromosomal) conditions, microdeletions and duplications in an unborn child, it is focused mainly on detecting Down syndrome. That is a choice ...

Doctors question accuracy of prenatal tests that predict Down syndrome

Blake Hanson, WSOC-TV, 23 November 2016

... (Dr Brian) Skotko told Channel 9 that the 99 percent accuracy rate advertised on test manufacturers’ websites refers to the test picking up 99 percent of fetuses who have Down syndrome. He said it's important that patients ask for the accuracy of the test if it comes back positive.

Non-invasive prenatal tests, or NIPT, became popular in 2011. Skotko said the technology moved quickly, but the explanation of information to patients hasn't kept up ...

Other recent posts on NIPT

• A Lateline (ABC TV) report last month highlighted the need for better information and support for families who receive a high probability result of Down syndrome during their pregnancy. This link to Down Syndrome Australia's response to the program was posted on 23 November 2016

• The link below was also included in the most recent post on research into aspects of Down syndrome, here:

Non-invasive Prenatal Testing and the Unveiling of an Impaired Translation Process

Blake Murdoch et al, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada,

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is an exciting technology with the potential to provide a variety of clinical benefits, including a reduction in miscarriages, via a decline in invasive testing. However, there is also concern that the economic and near-future clinical benefits of NIPT have been overstated and the potential limitations and harms underplayed. NIPT, therefore, presents an opportunity to explore the ways in which a range of social pressures and policies can influence the translation, implementation, and use of a health care innovation ...

• The full text available without charge online 

Art Gallery of NSW: Disability Inclusion Action Plan Survey

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is working with Accessible Arts to develop an exciting new disability inclusion action plan for 2017 – 2019.

The gallery is seeking your feedback to develop a plan that reflects the community’s needs and experiences.

One of the ways the gallery is collecting feedback is an online survey. This survey will take 5 – 10 minutes to fill out and your input is really valuable to shape the plan for the Art Gallery. The survey is for anyone who has visited the Gallery or would like to visit the Gallery. Please fill out the survey by Friday 23 December.

Click here to complete the survey online - or here for links to contact the Gallery if you need assistance.

Down Syndrome International: e-newsletter launched

The first issue of DSi News has been launched by from Down Syndrome International.

It will be a regular e-newsletter summarising DSi news for members and supporters, and also giving members a way to communicate their news with other DSi members, the global Down syndrome community and beyond.  Sign up for a free online subscription here.

2017 events

• Click here for Down Syndrome NSW events

These links provide information about events run by other organisations that might be of interest to people with Down syndrome, their families, carers and professionals who support them 

• All current events listings  

Performing Arts Summer School: Murmuration and Young Americans

In partnership with Murmuration, The Young Americans (YA's) will facilitate a week-long Summer School designed for participants with disability. Open to all people with disability, no previous experience required, age range 16 + Limited places.

Register and pay by Tuesday 20 December 2016 to save $50
30 January - 4 February 2017 - Glebe Town Hall and Marrickville Town Hall (accessible venues)

Having a Say Conference 2017

The Having A Say Conference has been going since 2000, it's not like any other conference as it is designed for people with disabilities and their supporters, not for service providers. 

8 - 10 February 2017 - Deakin University Waterfront Campus, Geelong (Vic)

Aladdin - the Musical: special performance

Disney and Autism Awareness Australia are partnering to present an autism friendly performance of Aladdin - The Musical. This specially adapted performance is suitable for all individuals on the autism spectrum, their family and friends. Slight adjustments to the production will include removal of strobe lighting and pyrotechnics, reduction of any jarring sounds and lights focused into the audience, house lights being left slightly up and relaxed exit and entry to the theatre.

Tickets go on sale: 9 am Wednesday 9 November 2016 through www.aladdinthemusical.com.au

Performance: 1.30 pm Saturday 4th March 2017 -  Capitol Theatre, Sydney

 Caring into the Future: the new world?
4 - 6 October 2017 - Adelaide

Abstract submissions must be made electronically via Carers Australia’s online abstract submission system. Abstracts must be received by 10 February 2017. Notification of Abstract acceptance will be sent on 31 March 2017.    

Right Relationship: How to create a partnerships between families and services that really works

Resourcing Families - presented by Margaret and Jeremy Ward. A free workshop for people with disability, family members and their friends; $50.00 for professionals

Tuesday 28 February 2017 - Albury

Wednesday 1 March 2017 - Deniliquin 

Thursday 2 March 2017 - Griffith 

www.focusonability.com.au

Australian Human Rights Awards 2016

The Human Rights Awards is the pinnacle of human rights recognition in Australia. 2016 is the 30th anniversary since the establishment of the Australian Human Rights Commission, provided an excellent opportunity to celebrate the significant milestones in human rights advancements made over the past 30 years. The Awards ceremony was held in Sydney on Friday 9 December.

Several people with disability and organisations serving them won awards and were finalists. The full list of award winners is here:

Community Organisations Award - Bus Stop Films. For approximately 8 years, Bus Stop Films has provided film studies and film-making opportunities for people with disabilities, as well as advocating for inclusion in the film industry.

• Bus Stop Films takes out Human Rights Award, Inside Film, 14 December 2016

Business Award: Joint winners - Lendlease, Westpac, and the Australian Network on Disability,  a collaboration that led to the Design for Dignity guidelines which incorporate accessibility and were implemented at Barangaroo Tower Two.

Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Community Individual Award, for an individual with a proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in the Australian community - Jane Rosengrave, a proud Yorta Yorta woman with intellectual disability and a passionate advocate for people with disability. She has worked in Disability Support for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, speaking up at the Royal Commission. Jane recently appeared on Lateline (ABC TV).

NSW Council on Intellectual Disability posted a photo of Jane with her award today, commenting:

With this year’s Human Rights Day theme of “stand up for someone’s rights today” we couldn’t think of anyone more deserving to win the 2016 Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Community Individual Award as Jane Rosengrave! 

Jane has raised awareness of the abuse and discrimination people with disability face by sharing her own story and we say a big congratulations to Jane for winning this award and for her dedication to human rights at the community level!

Catia Malaquias, a disability advocate, lawyer, mum of three and a director of Down Syndrome Australia and the Attitude Foundation was a finalist for the Tony Fitzgerald award. She founded the Starting with Julius project which aims to transform cultural attitudes towards people with disability, by promoting disability inclusion in mainstream media, advertising and education.

10th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations General Assembly

Next week marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations General Assembly. The ground-breaking convention set basic norms, frameworks for measuring progress, and reporting requirements for the political, social, and economic inclusion of the 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide — and has now been ratified by 170 countries. 

The past decade has seen real achievements in disability inclusion, with the incorporation of disability rights into the Sustainable Development Goals and other international accords, the creation of national action plans for disability inclusion, the adoption of dedicated funding streams by numerous donors, and a heightened awareness of the importance of disability inclusion ... Devex, 9 December 2016

• Celebrating 10 Years of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – CRPD10

2015 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers: report

Carers Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics launch crucial survey
Carers Australia, 2 December 2016

Carers Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) officially released the 2015 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) at a press conference at Parliament House during National Carers Week.

Data from the 2015 SDAC showed the weekly median income of primary carers was 42% lower than non-carers. The total number of primary carers (those who provided the majority of assistance with core activities of daily living) had also increased in 2015 to 855,000 – a rise of 11%; and just 56% of primary carers between the ages of 15 and 64 participated in the workforce compared to 80% of non-carers.

To coincide with National Carers Week 2016, the ABS released a one page profile of carers in Australia, as well as a video breakdown of many of the carer-related statistics.