The Scene

Issue 2, 3 March 2008

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Features

Sydney Royal Easter Show
People with a disability can save 20% ($17.20) by pre-purchasing ShowLink discount tickets. Simply call the Sydney Royal Easter Show booking line on1300 730 631, before 5 March 2008. Alternatively a discounted ticket can be purchased at the Show entry gates on the day of arrival ($21.50) Carers entry is free.

Discounted tickets are not available to people with a disability through the public transport system. People with a disability and their carers must have a valid train, bus or ferry ticket if travelling to the Show by public transport. If tickets are purchased in advance, the carer’s ticket will automatically include public transport.

For more information visit the website of the Royal Easter Show.

Stories

Free Studio Program for Visual Arts
Accessible Arts and Pine Street Creative Arts Centre Sydney has funding from the Sydney Myer Foundation for visual artists (post school to adult education level) with a disability to expand their artistic discipline and technical skills through a series of 18 workshops. The Studio Project Program includes: Painting and Drawing, Elective 1: Digital dimensions, Elective 2: Printmaking, Elective 3: Studio practice.

Applicants must complete the registration form and selection will be based upon samples of work submitted by the artist. All workshops will be held at the Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, 64 Pine Street, Chippendale. The studio is accessible to people in a wheelchair and those with limited mobility. The workshops will be held from 9.30am – 4.30pm on Fridays 2 May to 19 September with a two-week break mid-semester. Registrations and work need to be submitted by Friday 28 March. Phone 02 9251 6499 ext 8 for information about enrolments (Sancha Donald CEO) or media (Jacqui O’Reilly info@aarts.net.au) or visit the Accessible Arts website.

Entertainment

Quikflix
Is your local video store hard to access? Quickflix is an online video library with over 30,000 DVDs from which to choose. You simply create a wish-list of DVDs that you would like to see and they will then start sending them to you with free delivery and a pre-paid return delivery envelope. You can keep each DVD as long as you like and simple return one to get the next on your list.

The basic package is $9.95 a month for 2 DVDs - up to $56.95 a month for unlimited DVDs.

Go to www.quickflix.com.au. A free trial is available.

 

Sports

Soccer Programs for Children with Special Needs
Since 2004, St Ives Football has offered a sports program for children of all ages with intellectual disabilities (autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome etc) who cannot join more structured mainstream teams. Participants play a modified form of soccer that allows a ‘chaperone’, usually a parent or sibling, to guide them until they can play independently.

Games are always at the same time and location. Cost for the season is the same as for mainstream players ($175). Kickoff is in April. Players can sign up anytime.

For details visit the St Ives web site www.stivesfootball.com.au and click on ‘Special Needs‘ or contact David Howard on 02 9402 5317 or email dwhoward@optusnet.com.au See a New Zealand television program about the team on YouTube.

Out & About

National Toilet Finder!
Going away this Easter? An Australian website tells you the location of all of the nation’s public toilets are and which are accessible. You can locate toilets closest to an area of interest or even plan a route based upon accessible toilets. So never be stuck again!

Visit www.toiletmap.gov.au

Resources

AboutMe.org.au
The 'What I'd like you to know about me!' resource - created by Life's for Living Inc.(a not for profit disability support service in South Australia), allows children and their families to share their child's story in a way that has never been possible before. These unique stories created on the www.aboutme.org.au website are then provided to carers, family members or other health and education professionals to give an insight into the best way to support the child. Entries are made under page topics such as My World, Skills and Abilities, and This is What You Need to Know to Support Me. These pages then become a printable book of their own stories, revealing likes, dreams, milestones and abilities.

Life's for Living can offer email/phone support for families and training sessions can be arranged for both families and services. The cost of the resource (for families) is a once off fee of $50 (including GST). This allows families to use the resource for up to two children. Visit the website to find out more and sign up.

Service Providers

Respite for Ageing Parent Carers Programs
Under the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth and the State, DADHC is providing additional respite and access to services for ageing parents (65+) who care for sons and daughters with a disability. The four options that will be available include: Flexible Respite Packages; Flexible Day Options; Centre Based Respite; and Support Co-ordination Program.

For more details and a list of providers across NSW, visit the DADHC website.

The Home Modification: Information Clearinghouse Project
The University of Sydney has concluded a literature study into designing home environments for people who experience problems with cognition and who display aggressive or self-injurious behaviour. It found that there are nine design guidelines that are most likely to assist: reduction of known stressors:

- keeping the environment simple
- providing a balance between over-stimulation and under-stimulation
- facilitating use of preventive and reactive support strategies
- being flexible and affording opportunities for choice and control
- being physically safe
- features with a history of being damaged being made durable or removed
- accommodating family/staff support, and
- external design blending in with the community.

The study found that there is not a great deal of literature pertaining to physical home design for people who experience problems with cognition exists, particularly pertaining to those who display self-injurious behaviour. Further research in the home environment is clearly needed, particularly in Australia.

See the full report on the Home Modification Clearinghouse website.

[Source: CommunityNet]

Release of Transition to Work Program Guidelines 2008
Transition to Work (TTW) is a time-limited program to support and improve employment outcomes for school leavers with a disability. The program assists them to develop skills that help them move into employment, vocational education and training or higher education to transition to work within 1-2 years. The TTW Program Guidelines (January 2008) set out the policy and operating requirements, and have been prepared by DADHC to support non-government providers in delivering these services. Providers must comply with all aspects of the Guidelines as a condition of their TTW Program funding.

The Guidelines are structured around four parts (A to D): overview, operating policies and service delivery strategies, funding framework, contract management of providers. Providers can also use the feedback form (see section 1.3 of the Guidelines) to make suggestions for improvements at any time. Download the Transition to Work Pilot Report, Guidelines, the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework from the DADHC website.

Conferences.. Workshops.. Forums..

Parents, Families and Carers National Conference
17–18 March 2008, Camperdown, NSW

The inaugural conference of the National Federation of Parents, Families and Carers will explore the place of families in the human services and social policy, and develop a national agenda for change. It will bring together parents, families and carers and their advocacy, self-help and support groups, with service providers, governments and researchers who support an agenda of empowerment and person and family-centred practice.

The conference will explore innovative developments in Australia and overseas, and develop an agenda for policy change, system re-design, and empowerment in fields including: early childhood development; child care; education; disability; mental illness; learning, developmental and behavioural challenges; chronic and acute illness; aged care; parental learning and empowerment; and family support.

Registrations are now open at www.civilsociety.org.au/PFCNationalConference.htm

ARATA 2008 Biennial Conference - Assistive Technology: Creating Value Through Participation
22 – 24 September 2008, Adelaide, SA

ARATA’s biennial conference provides a forum for exploring issues in and the value of assistive technology for people with disabilities and the ageing. This year’s conference will focus on enhancing and recognising the value of participation, through technology, of people with disabilities and those who are ageing. In keeping with world trends, all aspects of human activity will be considered - home, education, work and leisure. Participants will be able to experience the creativity that is possible through the effective use of technology. The experience of older people and those with disabilities themselves will be a valuable part of this event.

For more information, visit www.e-bility.com/arata/conf.php

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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.