The Scene

Issue 1, 15 January 2007

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Parents

FamilyCare Workshops
The FamilyCare program involves a series of workshop sessions that provides participants with an understanding of the personal and family challenges typically associated with managing a person’s disability, providing care and living a family life. The Spastic Centre, and a number of other major organisations, support the program.

The workshops aim to increase the participant’s understanding, build knowledge, and improve relationships. The outcomes include identification and management of needs, development of personal skills and understanding, active learning, group and personal interaction.

The program will be held throughout NSW in 2007. Topics covered include: who really cares, making changes, getting through the day, supported living, planning for tomorrow, taking care, brothers and sisters, inclusion, vulnerability, learning to cope and peace of mind.

For further information and to view the workshops dates and locations see the Workshops page on the FamilyCare website.

Parent Factsheets from Novita
Novita Children’s services in South Australia have a series of very useful factsheets for parents of children with disabilities. They include:

- Bedtime Routines - practical suggestions for developing good bedtime routines for children to avoid/resolve sleeping difficulties.
- Buggies and Pushers – Buyers’ Guide - information about the features to consider when purchasing a buggy or pusher for a child with a disability.
- Early Communication Ideas - ideas for how to assist children to reach a range of early communication goals.
- Fluid Requirements For Children - outlines the importance of maintaining fluid levels for children with disability, signs of low fluid levels and good sources of fluids for children.
- Nutrition - High Energy Diets - information for parents and carers regarding children who are at risk of weight loss and who require high energy diets. Practical suggestions for such diets are provided..
- Play - Challenges and Solutions for Children with Physical Disability - describes the various challenges that a child with disability may confront with regard to play and practical suggestions for how these can be overcome.
- Positioning Tips For Wheelchair Users - describes why good positioning of children with disabilities in their wheelchair is important and provides practical suggestions for how to achieve this.
- Siblings - Concerns & How Parents Can Help - outlines some of the common concerns and feelings experienced by siblings of children with disability and how parents and carers can support siblings.
- Sleep Diaries - explains how to create a sleep chart to gain a better understanding of the sleep patterns of a child.

The full list of factsheets can be found on the Novita website.

It's How You Say It

Language Matters
Most Australians disapprove of derogatory terms about people with a disability. However there are still some insidious terms being used in everyday conversations and many people are unaware of the harm they can do to people’s self esteem.

Many of us may not even be aware of the language people with a disability consider to be appropriate. For example, 'people with a disability', or 'person with a disability' are considered much more preferable than 'the disabled' – which ignores the vital reality that we are all people first! For the International Day of People with a Disability, the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC), compiled an A-Z Disability Language Guide, based on a guide developed by the fantastic Link Magazine.

Our thanks to DADHC for allowing us to reproduce the guide from their Connections newsletter, Issue 12, 2006.
View Don't dis me with that language - the disability language A-Z guide.

Out & About

2007 NRMA Insurance Sydney International Wheelchair Tennis Open
The 18th year is hosted by Wheelchair Sports NSW is an ITF Level 1 Tournament on the NEC International Wheelchair Tennis Tour, and has a total prize pool of $25,000. NRMA Insurance is the naming rights sponsor of the event for the 6th consecutive year. Players can enter: Main Draw Men single, Main Draw Women singles, Main Draw Men doubles, Main Draw Women doubles, B Grade and C/D Grade division, Quad, Junior.

The tournament will be held at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, Rod Laver Drive, Sydney Olympic Park starting 9am from Wednesday 31 January to Sunday 4 February 2007.

Total cost for local athletes (no accommodation) is $170. Entry to watch is free.

Payments can be made to Wheelchair Sports NSW by email accounts@wsnsw.org.au or phone 02 9809 5260.
More details at http://www.wsnsw.org.au/sydneyinter.asp

[Source: Warringah Disability Information Service]

Research

Research Project into Depression
You’re invited to take part in an important new research project ‘How Well Do Two Psychological Tests Measure Severity of Depression in Adults with Cerebral Palsy?'

This research is being conducted by Ed MacNeeney, who is a psychologists at The Spastic Centre and a University of Western Sydney student undertaking research for a higher degree. Tim Hannan, Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney is his supervisor. The study will focus on how well two widely used tests of severity of depression work when taken by adults with cerebral palsy.

More details are available from the Secretary, Adult Resource Program, The Spastic Centre on 02 9972 8130.

Moving Beyond Crisis Management:
'Creating a Future for People With Disabilities Living with Ageing Parents'

The Centre for Developmental Disability Studies (CDDS) in Sydney is currently conducting a project to develop mechanisms for addressing the pressing national problem of care succession when parents are no longer able to provide the support that their son or daughter with a disability requires.

The investigators are seeking to contact families who have made significant progress in developing succession plans. With their consent, the study will explore the mechanisms families have used to ensure, as far as is possible, the future support needs of their adult son or daughter. The project will develop and trial mechanisms for care succession. In accordance with the choice of families, investigators will determine the financial, personal and other resources which families, community members and organisations are willing to use to support and sustain the future lives of people with disabilities.

If any member organisation would like more details of the project, please contact Professor Trevor Parmenter, Director, CDDS email trevorp@med.usyd.edu.au or phone 02 8878 0500.

View further information in Professor Parmenter’s presentation on this project.

Finance

No Interest Loads for Essential Household Items
St Vincent de Paul Society Northern Beaches Region NILS® are lending up to $1,000 to people who have lived in Sydney’s Northern Beaches area for the last six months, are low income or are eligible to hold a Health Care Card, and have the ability to repay the loan for essential household whitegoods, medical appliances and water savings appliances. Cheques will be made payable to the retailer or supplier of the goods and you will be required to sign a loan agreement which will state the amount and terms of the loan.

St Vincent will not lend money for general living expenses, rent arrears, fines, second hand furniture or goods or payment for other debts and bills.

For further information contact the St Vincent de Paul Society on 02 9905 0424.

Service Providers

New Disability Sports Body for NSW
A new peak organisation for disability sport in NSW has been formed. The NSW Association of Disability Sport Is up and running – and is now the umbrella for 19 organisations servicing athletes with a disability in NSW. Part of the NSW Sports Federation, the new Association will be primarily funded by NSW Sport and Recreation, as well as community and private sponsors. The new Association will be a central point of contact for NSW disability sports organisations, providing coordinated direction, support services and networking opportunities.

For more information, contact Rita Jaber, Disability Liaison Officer, NSW Association of Disability Sport
Phone 02 8116 9737.

Conferences .. Workshops .. Forums (Service Providers)

Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA)
Abstracts and papers from the ARATA 2006 National Conference, ‘Connecting People and Community Through Technology’ are now available at www.e-bility.com/arataconf06/proceedings.html . The conference explored ways in which the application of technology can allow inclusion of all people into everyday activities, home, school, work and leisure.

Audiocasts of key speakers will be published soon.

Classifieds

Second Hand Meyland Miniwalk Needed
A family in Kellyville, Sydney, are keen to purchase or borrow a second hand Meyland Miniwalk, Size 1 or 2.

Please phone Elena or Anthony on 02 9629 5193 M: 0410 729 824 (Elena) or 0404 090 979 (Antony)
or email ant-elle@bigpond.net.au

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What would you like to see in "The Scene"? Email Robyn Cummins Information Manager at The Spastic Centre if you would like to contribute any ideas, advise of any future events or know of any websites that might be of interest to others.

Disclaimer
Opinions expressed in items of The Scene are the individual opinions of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of The Spastic Centre or the editors. Products and companies featured in The Scene are not necessarily endorsed by The Spastic Centre. The Scene is intended to be informative only and should not be relied on as medical or other technical advice on any matter. The Spastic Centre and editor take no responsibility for the information published in this newsletter or any person's actions in reliance on that information.