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Disability Education and Employment News: Vol 1 No 9 - Tuesday, 20 September 2005 |
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Enhancing post secondary education, training and |
Compiled by Timothy Hart DCO for Northern, Central and Southern Sydney |
To return to the DCO Disability Newsletter Archive Page go to http://www.cdds.med.usyd.edu.au/dco/newsletter or click here
Conferences:
The Global Access Project (GAP) Inaugural International Forum ‘Sharing the Knowledge’
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION EXTENSION
(plus new concession rates now available!)
Macquarie University September 29 & 30, 2005
The Inaugural International Forum of the Global Access Project is designed to bring Education and Industry together to share knowledge, experience and technologies on accessibility across the globe.
The closing date for Early Bird registration to the Global Access Project’s Inaugural International Forum has been extended to
Friday September 9, 2005.
The Early Bird rate of $680 includes both days of the Forum programme, notes, lunch, morning and afternoon tea and the Forum dinner at Luna Park.
The Day rate for Early Bird registration is $270 (Forum dinner not included).
Student and concession rates of $75 are also now available.
For further information on the exciting line up of international and local speakers go to www.cfl.mq.edu.au/mcas/gap
To register by phone contact Phoebe Dangerfield on 61 2 9850 7570
To register by mail download the registration form here (word format) complete and post it with your cheque to:
The Global Access Project Forum Registration
Attention: Phoebe Dangerfield
c/- Centre for Flexible Learning
Macquarie University
Sydney 2109
New South Wales
Cheques are to be made payable to Macquarie University
http://www.cfl.mq.edu.au/mcas/gap/
Transforming Disability Conference - November 2005
The Centre for Public Policy at the University of Melbourne invites you to a conference titled Transforming Disability: community inclusion, employment and innovative reform. This one day conference will be held on Wednesday 9th November, 2005 at the University of Melbourne, Australia. The Centre for Public Policy is strongly committed to supporting sustained improvement in the public sector and boasts a strong reputation for teaching, research and our regular program of highly successful events - most recently a three-day international conference titled Transitions and Risk: New Directions in Social Policy which drew together 400 people from all over the world.
For more information about this exciting conference, please visit the dedicated webpage:
http://www.public-policy.unimelb.edu.au/events/transforming_disability.html
The Victorian Higher Education and Disability Network (VicHEDN)
invites you to attend a seminar on
Learning Disability
What is it?
How does it impact on learning?
How can people who have a learning disability succeed in the educational environment?
*********************************************************************
The seminar will begin with the much lauded "Building Bridges" video produced by Wodonga TAFE and introduced by Julie Fry followed by a dynamic presentation led by Peggy Dalton from the USA. Peggy will talk about how LD came to be recognised, accommodated and the teaching methods used by educational institutes in the USA. She will then give a demonstration on the power of technology - the latest version of WYNN screen reading software technology developed by Freedom Scientific
Where: Rm G13 Economics & Commerce Building University of Melbourne
http://www.pb.unimelb.edu.au/CampusMaps/Parkville.pdf Ref G13
When: 12 noon - 2pm 7 October 2005
Working in the West 2005: "Uncapping our Capacities!"
21- 22 November 2005
University Club, University of Western Australia,
Hackett Drive, Crawley
http://www.acenational.org.au/upcoming_events/items/2005/08/00027.shtml
Contact Name: Trevor Paterson
Contact Phone: 08 9286 6600
Contact Email: trevor.paterson@edge.org.au
Education:
Joyce in revolt on voluntary uni fees
Samantha Maiden
September 19, 2005
BARNABY Joyce has declared war on Liberal Party "zealotry" over its voluntary student unionism push, warning that he has the backing of Nationals grassroots members to cross the floor to block the changes.
Speaking after the Nationals federal council yesterday endorsed an "alternative funding mechanism" to compensate universities for the loss of compulsory student union fees, Senator Joyce warned that the planned reforms were dead unless they were altered. Nationals leader Mark Vaile suggested the VSU reforms might be delayed while the Government concentrated on its workplace relations changes.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16646803%255E2702,00.html
Schools to lure students
September 16, 2005
EARLY school-leavers will beencouraged back into the education system under a new youth training guarantee announced by the Victorian Government.
A new regulatory authority will be set up to register government and private schools, and the compulsory schooling age will be raised to 16 under major changes outlined in a government white paper yesterday. The new Education and Training Reform Act would be the first complete rewrite of the state's education legislation since its inception in 1873, Premier Steve Bracks said. The youth training guarantee would encourage more students to stay in education and training for longer, Mr Bracks said. The Government will guarantee students a place to complete Year 12 at a government school, or a place to study an equivalent qualification at a TAFE institute up until the age of 20.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16619578%255E13881,00.html
Students protest union changes
September 15, 2005
STUDENTS have continued their campaign against plans to abolish compulsory student unionism with a protest outside the University of Sydney today.
The university's Student Representative Council (SRC) organised the one hour "sit-in" on busy City Rd, outside the inner-city Camperdown campus.SRC spokesman Paddy Gibson said the students wanted the Howard government to abandon plans to introduce voluntary student unionism (VSU).Students say VSU will destroy a range of university services, including sports clubs and health care, as they will no longer be funded by compulsory union fees.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16611917%255E1702,00.html
Unis to shrink in 15 years: Nelson
Samantha Maiden
September 15, 2005
UNIVERSITIES are unlikely to grow over the next 15 years, and federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson has warned they should allocate new taxpayer-funded places for nursing, teaching and engineering.
As Labor MP Craig Emerson unveiled plans to get banks and superannuation funds to fund courses, Dr Nelson rubbished suggestions that university places should be doubled by 2020. Predicting that demand would decline in the next 15 years, Dr Nelson signalled that the Howard Government may move to concentrate growth in university places on areas of skills shortages. "It is absolute nonsense to suggest we will have a doubling of our university population, and if we were to do that we would be scouring nursing homes, we would be going to kindergartens and saying 'Look, we will send you straight from there to university'," he told The Australian.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16608644%5E12332,00.html
Student 'stocks' to bolster unis
Samantha Maiden
September 14, 2005
BANKS and superannuation funds would be called on to help students through university by offering "education stocks" under radical proposals to double the number of university places by 2020.
Calling for the next "great leap forward" in higher education funding since the introduction of the HECS reforms in the late 1980s, Labor MP Craig Emerson has urged the ALP to debate proposals to encourage private sector investment in Australia's universities. Unlike a HECS debt or loan, the education stocks, or "human capital contracts" as Dr Emerson calls them, would embrace equity financing and require students to pay a percentage of their future income to super funds and banks. Students who landed highly paid jobs would repay more to their investor, with the Government policing the contracts. Living expenses could also be covered by the contracts, to provide students with the option not to rely entirely on part-time work to supplement their studies.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16598168%5E12332,00.html
Joyce demands changes to govt uni plans
September 14, 2005 - 7:19PM
Maverick Queensland Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce has demanded major changes to government plans to introduce a user pays system for university services.Senator Joyce is worried regional universities will suffer when the government ends compulsory student unionism because union fees subsidise a range of sporting and student services.He said he would vote against the Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) bill unless Education Minister Brendan Nelson changes it.The Nationals see voluntary student unionism (VSU) and the maintenance of student services as two separate issues.Senator Joyce says while he wants an end to compulsory student unionism, he will withhold his vote unless there are guarantees that other university facilities will not suffer."If they don't change it I will vote against it," he said.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Joyce-demands-changes-to-govt-uni-plans/2005/09/14/1126377369083.html
No longer any degrees of equality
September 9, 2005
Chris Summers provides the second of the winning entries in the Whitlam Institute's "What Matters" writing competition.IN 1974, the Whitlam Labor government abolished all fees for university tuition, strengthening the international perception that Australia's higher education system was one of the most diverse and enviable in the world. Our universities were a source of free-flowing knowledge, of information and inspiration, available for every Australian citizen.Now we are confronted with the consumeristic reality that universities are operating not as educational institutions, but as businesses. A two-tiered system is in place, students are struggling to make ends meet, and a series of reforms by the federal Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, will soon see universities unable to provide essential services. It is apparent, more than ever, that the higher education system of today is a bleak place.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/no-longer-any-degrees-of-equality/2005/09/08/1125772637253.html
HECS debts unlikely to be paid back: ALP
September 7, 2005 - 10:00AM
The government's higher education fees are so high that almost a third of HECS-paying students will die before they can pay their debt off, Labor says.Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says massive increases in HECS fees by the federal government have created $2.9 billion in HECS debts that are unlikely to ever be paid back.She says the government must introduce a more affordable Higher Education Contribution Scheme for students to give them a hope of being able to pay their debts back.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/HECS-debts-unlikely-to-be-paid-back-ALP/2005/09/07/1125772555384.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/dubious-hecs-debt-rises-to-29m/2005/09/06/1125772522491.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/university-students-face-life-of-debt/2005/09/07/1125772584479.html
HECS doubled over last nine years, Opposition says
The Federal Opposition has accused the Government of doubling HECS fees for university students over the past nine years.Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says $10 billion is owed in HECS fees and about $3 billion of that will never be repaid.For the rest of the article go tohttp://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1454906.htm Fears over cuts to special needs classesBy Justin Norrie Education Reporter
September 6, 2005The safety of staff and students in public schools could be jeopardised by plans to slash more than a quarter of classes for children with some learning and behaviour problems, teachers have warned.A leaked document has revealed that from next year the Department of Education will axe 111 out of 422 classes for children in primary and high schools classified as having "mild" learning difficulties. And it will cut a further 72 classes for students with "moderate" learning problems, and physical and hearing disabilities.For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fears-over-cuts-to-special-needs-classes/2005/09/05/1125772465508.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1453942.htm
School leavers shun uni
Samantha Maiden
September 05, 2005
A SHRINKING proportion Year 12 students is heading to the nation's universities and TAFE colleges, despite warnings of a looming skills crisis.
New figures provided by the Department of Education and Training reveal that the percentage of young Australians who complete Year 12 and go straight to university has fallen 20 per cent since the Howard Government was elected. And while more university and TAFE places are available to students, the proportion of Year 12 leavers going to TAFE has also dropped by 11 per cent since 1996. Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin seized on the figures yesterday as new evidence that the Howard Government was "driving Australia down the low-skill, low-growth road". For the rest of the article go tohttp://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16492815%255E2702,00.html Govt defends plunging uni enrolmentsSeptember 5, 2005 - 3:45PMThe steep decline in the number of students going from school to university in the past decade can be attributed to greater choice, the federal government says.Figures obtained through Senate estimates hearings show a 20 per cent decline between 1996 and 2004 in the proportion of students who complete Year 12 and go on to higher education studies.Last year, 27.5 per cent of Year 12 students went on to university, while 34.4 per cent enrolled in 1996, according to the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Govt-defends-plunging-uni-enrolments/2005/09/05/1125772453082.html
Don't turn unis into shopping centres
By Ross Gittins
September 5, 2005Brendan Nelson's desire to change university student unionism from compulsory to voluntary is rightly seen as largely politically motivated, but let's explore the underlying economic considerations.The primary motivation seems clear: the former Liberal student politicians in the Cabinet want to settle old scores with the Trots, Marxists and Maoists of the Labour Club who used to control the student representative councils' purse-strings and vote themselves trips to North Vietnam.Cabinet could ban SRCs from spending compulsory fee money on external political activities or it could make membership of the SRC voluntary, but it's insisting on going a lot further and disturbing all student union activity - sporting, cultural and welfare - along with the political.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/dont-turn-unis-into-shopping-centres/2005/09/04/1125772407237.html
Private unis get big boost
By David Rood
Higher Education Reporter
September 5, 2005AUSTRALIAN students are flocking to private tertiary institutions, taking advantage of the new deferred loans scheme for full-fee students.The number of full-time students enrolled in private higher education has jumped from 20,000 in 1999 to more than 50,000 this year — from 3.5 to 7.5 per cent of all full-time tertiary students.Of these, more than 45,000 get the Federal Government FEE-HELP loan. They are a student body bigger than any single university.Melbourne University vice-chancellor Glyn Davis said the increasing popularity of private higher education served as a warning that there was a large group of students who felt they had no role in public education.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/private-unis-get-big-boost/2005/09/04/1125772409417.html
$500,000 to fight deaf boy in the courts
By Claire Miller
September 4, 2005THE Education Department will spend up to $500,000 on legal fees fighting a discrimination case brought by a deaf boy denied a classroom interpreter.The boy's mother, Robyn Beasley, believes an interpreter would cost about $35,000, but says the department would rather spend hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting her son Dylan in court.The case is one of several disability discrimination cases pending against the department, which has prompted a scathing attack on the troubled program by Deaf Children Australia.The organisation's chief executive officer, Damian Lacey, said the Government was dragging its heels on long-overdue reforms, forcing parents to resort to legal action.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/500000-to-fight-deaf-boy-in-the-courts/2005/09/03/1125302782301.html
Employment:
Access program denies program access
By Liz Gooch
Social Affairs Reporter
September 20, 2005A BLIND woman claims she was discriminated against by a State Government department that employed her to improve access for people with disabilities.Beth Johnston, whose job was to help local councils support people with disabilities, said the Department of Human Services failed to supply the computer software she needed to do her job. "I was quite staggered at the level of ignorance and misunderstanding and stereotypical ideas about people with disabilities," she said. Ms Johnston, 29, no longer works for the department, after it failed to renew her contract in June.She has been blind since she was a baby and relies on a screen-reading program to read emails out to her. The program is incompatible with the software used by the department.Ms Johnston said that when she discovered this, she made repeated requests to her manager, her IT department and head office to discuss ways of resolving the problem. She suggested installing Microsoft Outlook on her computer, which would enable her to read emails completely.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/access-program-denies-program-access/2005/09/19/1126982001997.html
Jobs shrink for unskilled workers
David Uren, Economics correspondent
September 19, 2005UNSKILLED workers are being left behind in the nation's record growth in employment, with almost every position created in the past year going to people with university or TAFE education.
While the booming jobs market created almost 40,000 management roles in the past year, a similar number of jobs were stripped from the unskilled manufacturing workforce. Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show 97.5per cent of the 236,000 jobs created last year went to people with skills and a university degree, a TAFE diploma or equivalent work experience. But the market for unskilled labour shrank by 5.4per cent. Two-thirds of the new jobs went to managers, professionals and semi-professionals, such as nurses, librarians and finance brokers.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16646814%255E2702,00.html
Blokes return to the jobs hunt
David Uren and Patricia Karvelas
September 09, 2005RECORD job creation over the past 12 months has brought an end to a 30-year slide in the participation of men in the workforce.
The number of men either in work or actively looking for a job rose to 72.4 per cent last month, the highest level in five years. But the number of women in the labour force, which has been steadily rising in response to the increased availability of part-time work, reached a new high of 57.4 per cent. John Howard yesterday hailed the result, saying it showed there were greater opportunities for work than ever. "This is a workers' market the likes of which this country has not seen since the end of World War II," the Prime Minister said. Higher participation rates meant people were more confident about getting a job.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16541640%255E2702,00.html
Welfare:
Welfare plan a trap, say church groups
By Stephanie Peatling
September 16, 2005
Church-based employment organisations have warned senior federal ministers the planned shake-up of the welfare system is so harsh it will be hard to find work for the increased number of people looking for jobs.Representatives from the churches and other welfare groups have lobbied against the changes since they were announced in the May budget, fearing more single parents and people with disabilities will be pushed into poverty."The vast majority of jobseekers want desperately to move from welfare to work and want to enjoy all the benefits that brings for them and their families," the executive director of Catholic Welfare Australia, Frank Quinlan, said yesterday."What the package needs is greater investment in job creation, skills creation and an all-out attack on the poverty traps that currently keep low-income earners poor."Church and welfare groups yesterday met about 40 Coalition and Labor members to brief them on what they believe will happen if the welfare-to-work changes go ahead.For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/welfare-plan-a-trap-say-church-groups/2005/09/15/1126750082596.html
Welfare-to-work 'a poverty trap'
By Misha Schubert
Political Correspondent, Canberra
September 14, 2005DISABLED people who get a part-time job under the Howard Government's welfare-to-work plan could be just $2.25 an hour better off than if they sat at home.And future generations of people with disabilities who cannot find a job will be forced to live on as little as $208 a week.In a damning assessment of the welfare changes, the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) reveals that some of the nation's poorest people will be paying a bigger share of their income in tax than top earners.The research, commissioned by the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW), also confirms the changes will offer less financial incentive for disabled people to work.For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/welfaretowork-a-poverty-trap/2005/09/13/1126377315102.html http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/disabled-to-earn-2-an-hour-after-welfare-overhaul/2005/09/13/1126377316866.html http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2005/s1459523.htm
Disabled face 75pc tax rate: report
By Saffron Howden
September 13, 2005DISABLED people will be up to $122 a week worse off and could earn just $2.27 an hour under the Government's welfare-to-work regime, new figures have shown.
In a report prepared for the National Foundation for Australian Women, an economic modelling centre has found people with disabilities who do not work will be $46 a week worse off.Under the current system, a jobless single disability pensioner has a $254 disposable weekly income, according to the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM).In the new regime, they would receive just $208.Meanwhile, disabled people who work the minimum 15 hours on the minimum wage will take home just $80 of the $191 they earn.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16593082%255E29277,00.html
User-friendly ATMs for the blind
Andrew Colley
SEPTEMBER 13, 2005
PEOPLE with poor vision will have better access to automatic teller machines following technology upgrades at three of Australia's major banks.
ANZ Bank, St George Bank and the Commonwealth Bank are in the midst of autoteller upgrades that will make the machines easier to use for blind and visually impaired people. Following the upgrades, a larger number of autotellers will be fitted with audio features that convert text into speech, making them easier for those with visual handicaps to use.
For the rest of the article go to
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,16580225%5E15321%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html
Howard to soften stand on welfare
Patricia Karvelas
September 12, 2005A GROWING number of single parents - including foster carers, home-schoolers, mothers with more than four children and victims of domestic violence - would be exempt from the tough new welfare regime under changes being considered by John Howard.
The softened model, devised by senior cabinet ministers on Friday, would significantly cut the number of single parents forced to look for work under the Government's welfare-to-work package. The changes would also exempt single parents of disabled children from being forced on to the dole when their child turns six. The Australian has learned that under the revised plan these parents will instead be put on the higher carer payment. The parents of children with disabilities including autism, cystic fibrosis, uncontrolled epilepsy and schizophrenia, are not now eligible for the carer payment because these are not considered severe enough disabilities to qualify.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16570772%5E2702,00.html
Church lobby to get way on dole
Patricia Karvelas
September 05, 2005
FEDERAL cabinet will consider softening the harsh rules on the unemployed at the heart of its welfare crackdown after sustained pressure from church-based welfare groups.
Church-based Job Network agencies had threatened to pull out of the privatised system if the rules, first outlined in the May budget, were not changed. Catholic Welfare Australia, Uniting Care, Anglicare and the Salvation Army, who together hold 20per cent of Job Network services, formed an alliance after the budget to oppose the changes.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16493022%255E2702,00.html
Welfare groups make push for improvement
September 4, 2005 - 12:54PM
Welfare advocates are making a last ditch push for changes to the government's welfare-to-work package, which they say punishes the disabled and sole parents in its current form.Speaking ahead of expected cabinet talks on the issues this week, National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN) president Michael Raper said the current proposals were also a disincentive to work."They're saying for (disabled) people coming into the system we want to put you to work, but to do that we're going to cut your payment by $38 a week (and) $29 a week for parents," Mr Raper told the Ten network.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Welfare-groups-make-push-for-improvement/2005/09/04/1125772396751.html
Welfare policy retained
By Jewel Topsfield
September 1, 2005
EMPLOYMENT and Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews yesterday ruled out changes to the Government's controversial welfare-to-work package, which critics claim would leave single parents and disabled pensioners worse off.Speculation has been mounting that the legislation, soon to be introduced to Parliament, would be watered down following a report that found that single parents could lose almost $100 a week under the changes. But Mr Andrews said any claims of a backdown were "nonsense".
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/welfare-policy-retained/2005/08/31/1125302632697.html
Media Releases:
ACOSS Media Release For Immediate Release
Thursday 15 September 2005.
ACOSS, welfare groups & charities issue joint call to change Welfare to Work PackageACOSS, its members and supporters call upon the Government to: not put people on lower payments, increase investment in employment assistance, guarantee activity requirements are reasonable and legislate to protect people against harsh penalties.
Over 50 leaders of the community and welfare sector descended on Canberra for a day of lobbying in Parliament House. The National Groups met over 40 parliamentarians to put their case for amendments to the Welfare to Work package.Agencies that represent and deliver services to over 3 million Australian doing it tough, agree with the Government's goal to support social security recipients into jobs but question the need to cut payments and to introduce unreasonable requirements and harsh penalties. These organisations know from experience that people are ready to work but need assistance to be ready for work. "If Parliament passes the proposed Budget changes to welfare, ACOSS estimates at least 320,000 Australians - 176,000 adults and 130,000 children - could be worse off after July 2006 because instead of receiving pensions they could be put onto lower allowance payments," said ACOSS President Andrew McCallum.
For the rest of this Media Release go to
http://chirs.infoxchange.net.au/news/items/2005/09/01277.shtml
Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
MEDIA RELEASE13/9/05
Disabled to Work for $2.27 an Hour – Howard’s Shame
NATSEM modelling, released today, confirms that the Federal Government’s “Welfare to Work” package will leave vulnerable Australians with disability in poverty.The study, funded by the National Foundation for Australian Women and the University of Canberra, shows that single people with disability will lose up to $122 a week in 2006-07 as a result of the Federal Government’s proposed welfare to work reforms.
Maryanne Diamond, CEO, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, said the study showed that the impact of the Government decision to push people with disability onto lower payments was harsher than expected.“The problem is more complex than we first thought. Not only will people get less money each week, they'll also keep less if they work, and will be forced to run down their assets,” Ms Diamond said.
People working in minimum wage jobs for 15 hours per week will be effectively working for $2.27 an hour as a result of effective marginal tax rates.“No-one wants to work for $2.27 an hour, but it’s even worse for people with disability who have higher costs in the workforce because of their disability,” Ms Diamond said.
Tighter rules about income and assets on Newstart will also force people with disability to run down their assets before receiving payments, leaving them without the funds they need in emergencies and to meet the extra costs of their disability.
Ms Diamond said, “These changes will just leave people with disability poorer and more vulnerable."
Ms Diamond can be contacted on 0419 312 129
http://www.afdo.org.au/
http://www.natsem.canberra.edu.au/
Howard Government Says: People With A Disability Should Work For $2.27 An Hour
Penny Wong
Media Statement - 13th September 2005
The Howard Government's welfare changes have lost all credibility, with new research showing that people with a disability will have an effective return from work of $2.27 an hour and be up to $122 a week worse off.These are the findings of a new study, released today, by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM), an organisation the Prime Minister has described as "independent", "objective", and "respected."The Howard Government will claw back up to 75 cents of every dollar earned by people with a disability, making work far less financially rewarding than it is now.
For the rest of this Media Release go to
http://www.alp.org.au/media/0905/msewp131.php
Release of the Interim Report for the National Inquiry into Employment and Disability
I am pleased to announce the release of the Interim Report of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's National Inquiry into Employment and Disability. The Inquiry was launched on 4 March 2005 and is due to be completed by the end of this year. The purpose of the Interim Report is to:(a) summarise the concerns and suggestions contained in the submissions made to the Inquiry to date;(b) make Interim Recommendations on the basis of those submissions; (c) propose a platform for action in the remaining months of the Inquiry. The Executive Summary, Interim Recommendations and Next Steps for the Inquiry have been collated into Issues Paper 6 (Interim Report). You can find a copy of that Issues Paper at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/employment_inquiry/docs/Issue6_Interim_Report.doc.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded from http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/employment_inquiry/index.htm.
For all other information about the Inquiry, including Terms of Reference, previous Issues Papers and the submissions received to date, please visit the Inquiry website at: www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/employment_inquiry/index.htm. The Commission is strongly committed to a cooperative and responsive approach to developing solutions to the issue of employment opportunities for people with disability in the open workplace. We are therefore eager to hear your comments about the Interim Report and Interim Recommendations. Please feel free to distribute this email to any person or organisation you think may be interested in reading the Interim Report or making a submission to the Inquiry. The deadline for comments and submissions is Friday 30 September 2005.
All comments and submissions should ideally be sent by email to employmentinquiry@humanrights.gov.au
Alternatively, submissions may be sent in hard copy to:
Employment Inquiry
Disability Rights Unit
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
Questions can be directed to Cristina Ricci (Inquiry Officer) or Vanessa Lesnie (Secretary to the Inquiry) at employmentinquiry@humanrights.gov.au, (02) 9284 9600 or 1800 620 241 (TTY).
The Disability standards for education are now in force
The Standards require all education providers in Australia to consult students/associates about whether students have a disability which will affect their education, and about whether proposed adjustments will give students with disabilities an education on the same basis as students without disabilities. Once the Standards are proclaimed, Education Providers will be required to take the views of students and their associates into account, when making adjustments in the areas of enrollment, participation, curriculum, and support services, and they will have to take steps to prevent harrassment and victimisation.
More info from HREOC http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/index.html#new
or direct at http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/agdHome.nsf/AllDocs/1821B1CD1293253DCA2570610014D867?OpenDocument
To view the Disability Standards for Education, and the supporting documents, go to:
http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/programmes_funding/forms_guidelines/disability_standards_for_education.htm
Campaigns:
GetUp is running a campaign against Volunteer Student Unionism (VSU)
In the next two weeks the Howard Government wants to pass a law that will drastically cut services and jobs on university campuses around the country. These services, like childcare, sporting facilities and health services, are used by the whole community. We need to act now to block this radical bill before it becomes law: http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/PutCommunitiesFirst
This bill even prevents universities from collecting an amenities fee to keep these basic community services operating. Liberal Party ideology is being put before common sense and the interests of communities. That's why some Howard Government members are mounting a last minute effort to block this radical bill. These members need to know that they have wide community support. There's still a chance to stop this bill. We need to send these members a letter of support asking them to stick to their convictions and vote against the bill.
Jobs:
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Blind Citizens Australia is the national representative organization of people who are blind or vision impaired. A challenging opportunity exists for a blind or vision impaired person with proven management, strategic and leadership skills to manage our national office in Melbourne and policy, project and administrative staff.You will need high order analytical, verbal and written communications skills as well as the capacity to relate and respond well with all sections of the community including; people with disabilities; staff and volunteers; and the Directors and Members of a dynamic membership driven organization. A competitive salary package is offered. The BCA National Office is in Melbourne and applications are invited from across Australia.Applicants should ensure that they address the selection criteria outlined in the Position Description which can be obtained by telephoning 03 9372 6400 or emailing bca@bca.org.au.
Enquiries and applications (as a Word formatted file) should be directed to: Mr Robert Altamore President Blind Citizens Australia Email: Robert.altamore@ags.gov.au Phone: 02 6253 7206
Applications close at 5.00PM Monday October 10th 2005
Project Officer
A challenging opportunity exists to work in Melbourne in the national office of Australia’s peak body of disability consumer organisations.
Applications are invited for a Project Officer for the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO). The position is available for between 6-8 months, with hours to be negotiated.
Essential prerequisites include: experience in consultation; excellent communication skills; an in-depth understanding of employment services for people with disability; and the ability to work independently within a small team.
A competitive salary package is offered.
All applications must address the selection criteria outlined in the position description, which can be obtained by emailing: office@afdo.org.au
Applications must be provided electronically in a Word formatted file.
Enquiries and applications should be directed to:
Maryanne Diamond, CEO, AFDO
Tel: (03) 9662 3324
Email: maryanne.diamond@afdo.org.au
Applications close COB Friday 23rd September 2005
AFDO is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from people with disability
New Resources:
http://www.australiantechnicalcolleges.gov.au/
‘Do Yourself a Favour – Employ Someone with a Disability!
This guide for employers is MDAA’s latest publication, funded by Parramatta City Council and supported by the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, and provides information and ideas about the benefits for businesses that diversify their employee and customer base. It dispels the misconceptions about employing someone with disability; and explains how employers can get help to recruit, train and support employees. To read or download a copy, see the 5th publication on www.mdaa.org.au/publications/index.html.
Quantum Technology/Freedom Scientific Scholarship Program
Applications for the Quantum Technology/Freedom Scientific Scholarship Program are closing on Friday 30th September 2005! The program is open to Vision Impaired students who are starting full-time TAFE or University studies in 2006. If you know a student getting ready to go onto further studies, tell them it's time to start writing! There are eight scholarships of a copy of JAWS Professional up for grabs. Applications are to be made in writing and tell us in 500 words why they need a scholarship and how it will assist in their Tertiary/TAFE studies. Send applications to info@quantumtechnology.com.au or via post to Scholarship Program, Quantum Technology PO Box 390, Rydalmere NSW 2116 Australia.
Inquiries:
http://www.natsem.canberra.edu.au/
Disability inquiry report points the way forward – Media Release,
NCOSS 31 August 2005
The Council of Social Service of NSW (NCOSS) has welcomed the report of the Legislative Council Inquiry into Post School Programs for Young Adults with A Disability. The report was released yesterday."The report makes it plain that recent changes made to these post school programs by the NSW Government have left young adults, their families and carers worse off," said NCOSS Director, Gary Moore.
For the rest of this Media Release go to
http://www.ncoss.org.au/media/index.html
For the Report:Click here to download “Getting a fair go”: examining changes to post school programs for young adults with a disability.
Vol 1 No 9
Compiled by Timothy Hart DCO for Northern, Central and Southern Sydney
To return to the DCO Disability Newsletter Archive Page go to http://www.cdds.med.usyd.edu.au/dco/newsletter or click here