The Scene

Issue 11, 18 June 2007

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Feature

Research Information Sessions
What research is going on at The Spastic Centre? If you are interested in finding out, these information sessions will cover the CP Foundation’s Innovative Research Grants, the outcomes of the Delphi Survey to identify cerebral palsy research priorities, current CP Institute research projects and the International Cerebral Palsy Conference in 2009.

The sessions are being held at three locations:
- RYDE, Tuesday 10 July, 10am - 12noon, 3a Smalls Road, Ryde (next to Dept of Education & Training)
- PRAIRIEWOOD, Thursday 19 July, 10am - 12noon, 224-244 Restwell Road, Prairiewood
- ALLAMBIE HEIGHTS, Tuesday 24 July, 7pm - 9pm 189 Allambie Road, Allambie Heights (Head Office Boardroom)

Bookings are essential – contact Penny Clarke on 02 9975 8227 or pclarke@tscnsw.org.au
More information about The Spastic Centre's Information Sessions.

Holidays

Freemasons Queensland Holiday Units
The Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland leases three accessible units in Labrador on the Queensland’s Gold Coast, 1km from the Broadwater’s waterfront parklands and walkways. The Harbourtown shopping and cinema complex is less than five minutes drive and the main theme parks are a 15 minutes drive away. The complex is set in a quiet residential area adjoining a park and has solar heated swimming pool, barbecues and covered pergola. Each unit accommodates up to six guests, is fully self-contained and includes modern facilities designed to be accessible to people who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. A wheelchair accessible vehicle, beach wheelchair and electric hoists (personal sling required) are also available for hire.

Prices start from $85/night/unit. To book or for more information, call the Booking Officer on 07 5532 2088 or visit www.cplqld.org.au/services/labrador

Education

Thinking About Going to University?
An accessing university information session will be offered for Year 12 students with a disability, including those with learning disabilities, at St Ives High School on 31 July 2007. Timothy Hart, Disability Coordination Officer Northern, Central and Southern Sydney will be discussing issues such as preparation, campuses, which courses, enrolment procedures, getting university support and student responsibilities. For more information view the flyer and registration form or contact Eileen Lyons on 02 9416 1087 Eileen.Lyons@det.nsw.edu.au

Parents

Learning Links Group Programs
Learning Links is an Australian charity and non-profit organisation formed to help children who have learning disabilities, difficulties and developmental delays and their families. It offers many services including intervention, assessments, specialized help, therapy, counselling and training programs.

Some of the current group programs for Term Three of this year are:
- PECA: a support group for parents of children with autism (childcare and interpreters available)
- Triple P: a positive parenting program targeting parents of children aged 2-12 (childcare available)
- Cool Kids: a cognitive behaviour therapy program to reduce anxiety in children aged 9-11 attending mainstream school where anxiety is their main disorder.

All group programs are held at the Learning Links head office in Peakhurst, NSW and are usually cheaper if you are a member. To find out more about the groups program at Learning Links go to www.learninglinks.org.au and click on ‘What’s New’.

Out & About

Sydney Rail and Ferry Network
For a long time, the only way for wheelchair users to move around Sydney was in taxis. Now a network of public transport has been developed with buses, trains and ferries being adapted so that they can accommodate people with mobility disabilities. Accessible buses run on most routes, and many train stations and ferry wharves are wheelchair accessible. Spinal Cord Injuries Australia has created a map of the network that opens in Google Earth and shows the exact location of Cityrail fully accessible stations and Sydney Ferries accessible wharves.

The Cityrail network stretches into country areas as far as Bathurst in the west, north to Muswellbrook, Bowral in the Southern Highlands and Bomaderry in the south. With Google Earth's tools it is possible to measure exactly how far the station is to your destination and see what is nearby, so it is easy to plan your appointment or organise a holiday or day trip.

To download Google earth and the transport overlay go to www.scia.org.au/news/Accessible_transport_Google_Earth_map

[ Source: Spinal Cord Injury Australia]

Arts

Disability Programs at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of NSW has developed new programs that cater for people with disabilities. The Gallery will offer several access programs, including the Da Vinci Program, providing special art-making workshops for children with intellectual disability and intellectually gifted children. Also available, are touch tours for visitors who are blind or partially sighted. Auslan-interpreted events are offered for visitors who are deaf, including Gallery's Art after Hours program every Wednesday evening. The Sunday Gallery Kids program will now feature a regular program of Auslan-interpreted celebrity talks and guided tours.

For more information, call Susanne Briggs on 02 9225 1791 or read the media release at www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/media/current/access

Applications for ART.BOXX 2007 are Now Open
AART.BOXX is an Accessible Arts initiative that showcases the creative drive of young Australian artists under 25 with a disability. This year, artists are encouraged to consider themes on perception and disability. The works need to have been created in 2006 and can be in any medium including sculpture, zines, mixed media, animation, drawing, painting and multi media. Selected works for AART.BOXX will be exhibited at the Sydney Opera House in November. More information about AART.BOXX

Aids

Government Continence Aids Assistance Scheme (CAAS)
The CAAS is an Australian government Assistance program that assists eligible people who have permanent and severe incontinence to meet the cost of continence products. If you are eligible you can receive up to $470 a year on continence products ordered through Intouch. Currently applicants have to be aged 16–64, with incontinence caused by a neurological condition. From 1 July, eligibility will be expanded to include people aged 5-15 years and 65 and over. In addition to the age expansion, the assistance will also be available to anyone with a pensioner concession card and who have a non-neurological condition such as autism, cancer, prostate disease and dementia.

To see the full details and to determine if you are eligible visit the website of the Department of Health and Ageing.

Home Modifications

NSW Home Modification and Maintenance Services (HMMS)
The NSW HMMS State Council, part of Home and Community Care (HACC) have just developed a new website. The site is a practical source of information and a communication channel for home modification and maintenance service clients and their carers.

It also provides assistance and resources for service providers and other stakeholders such as affordable and cost effective environmental modifications and some home and yard maintenance work to clients who are frail aged, people with disabilities of all ages and the carers for these two groups.

To view their website click on www.nswhmms.org

Ageing

Aged Care Website
The Australian Government has developed a new website that includes almost everything you need to know about aged care. If you need help to stay in your own home longer, or help with knowing how to be placed on the waiting list for an aged care place, you will find it at this site. There is also information on the costs of getting into aged care, on health and on supports available for carers. Some of the major features include:

- Aged Care Home Finder - For the first time ever, consumers can search online for aged care homes in their local area. This interactive tool can provide them with details on the home and even photographs. Consumers can also compare several homes against each other.
- Community Care Service Finder - For those needing help staying at home, this interactive tool allows consumers to search for care services in their local area.

The website is located at www.agedcareaustralia.gov.au

Money

Carer Adjustment Payment
The federal government has established a Carer Adjustment Payment (CAP) to provide financial assistance to families in exceptional circumstances who have a child, up to six years, with a disability or illness. The CAP is a one off, non - taxable payment of up to $10 000 and each case will be considered by an independent panel of experts. Applications are not yet open but you can register your interest in applying for the CAP, or find out more about eligibility by visiting your local Centrelink office or phone 13 27 17.

For more information, see the guide on the Working Carers Support Gateway.

Health

EPlive Online
EPlive Online offer the chance for you to tune in and listen online to seminars and topics. They are currently running a six part series for health professionals on the ‘Evaluation and management of health conditions often encountered in persons with cerebral palsy’. The next talk, the third in the series is ‘New innovative treatments for spasticity encountered in peoples with cerebral palsy’ will be aired on 11 July at 9am Australian Eastern Standard Time. Also of interest is a seminar on the ‘Need for a seizure preparedness plan: contempary issues in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy in children in adults’ which will air on 27 June at 9am.

To join EPlive online and sign up to hear these seminars go to www.epliveonline.org/eplive-prglist3.html
and click on ‘How to attend’.

Media

Words Matter
The Physical Disability Council of NSW has developed a language guide as words and images have power to reflect and shape community perceptions of people with a disability. Appropriate descriptive language and the avoidance of stereotypes will help foster positive social change. For example using person with a disability rather than a disabled person shifts the focus away from the disability to the person. The guide includes myths and facts, conducting an interview, fast facts, examples and tables of correct terminology.

It is an important responsibility for all, especially people in public communications such as journalists and reporters as well as those who work in any disability service to use the appropriate language to create a positive point of view in the general public that won’t hurt anyone’s self esteem. View Words Matter.

Books

Guide to Mental Health for Families and Carers of People with Intellectual Disabilities
A practical and comprehensive introduction to mental health problems for carers. This accessible guide outlines a range of signs and symptoms of mental health conditions that can affect people with intellectual disability. It also explains why mental health issues develop, and advises on what can be done to help. With chapters on specific disabilities such as autism and epilepsy, the authors cover topics such as: treatment and interventions, getting the best services, understanding policy, legal issues and support for carers. Written with advice from carers and people with intellectual disability who use mental health services, this book is an essential resource for all those who care for, and with, people with learning disabilities.

It can be purchased from Dymocks, Collins and Angus & Robertson bookshops as well as online at Seekbooks and Amazon for around $43.

[Source: The Worker Carers Support Gateway]

Conferences... Workshops... Seminars

Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA NSW Chapter) 22nd Annual Conference
5 - 6 November 2007

The 22nd Annual ECIA conference theme is ‘Navigating Diversity in Early Childhood Intervention’ and will be held at the Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh, Sydney.

The call for papers is now open. For more information, see the EICA NSW website.

Federal Election Forum – Disability Issues
As part of its ongoing campaign to ensure that the rights of people with disability are part of the political debate, People With Disabilities will be hosting an election forum on disability issues. The aim of the forum will be for representatives of Australian political parties to present their strategies on disability issues and respond to questions from forum participants. Invitations have been extended to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, The Hon Mal Brough; Senator Jan McLucas, Shadow Minister for Ageing, Disabilities and Carers, Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens Spokesperson for Family and Community Services and Disabilities, and Democrat Spokesperson for Family and Community Services, Senator Andrew Bartlett. Senators Jan McLucas and Rachel Siewert have already confirmed their attendance.

The forum will be held on 28 June in the Central room of the Mercure Hotel, 818-820 George Street, Sydney City from 6pm–8pm. For more information contact Digby Hughes at dhughes@pwd.org.au

Classifieds

Blue Leather Recliner Lounge Chair For Sale
This dark blue leather reclining chair has a remote controlled positioning system and braking wheels that can be locked into place.

Bought only 2 years ago the chair has hardly been used and is in very good condition.

Originally purchased for $2000, it is now being sold for $750 or nearest offer. The chair is available to be picked up from Beacon Hill.

For more information and any enquiries contact Zell at zgoldman@tscnsw.org.au or zgoldman@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.