Link Disability Magazine August-September 2022

August/September 2022 | Volume 32 Issue 4 linkonline.com.au $9.95AUD / $11.50NZ

Exclusive In this issue:

Professor Linda Graham calls for a national inclusive education policy

Back to the Future for the NDIS / Coles launches shopping concept for disability suppor t ser vices / Unique AT showroom opens in Adelaide / Cancer sur vivor Nicholas Howard on the impor tance of family and friends / What makes Chau Chak Wing Museum so accessible / Happenings & More /

Inside

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From the Editor

08-10

Cover Story - Leading academic calls for a national inclusive education policy

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16-17

The future of the NDIS under a Labor Government

24

Coles launches shopping concept for disability support services

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44

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Unique Assistive Technology showroom opens in Adelaide

54-55

Cancer survivor Nicholas Howard and the importance of family and friends

66-67

Chau Chak Wing Museum gets 5-stars for accessibility

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68-69 Happenings

www.mable.co m.au

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Simon Cooper

Editor

Kymberly Martin kymberly@intermedia.com.au

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Caitlin Maynard maynardcaitlin@gmail.com

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From the Editor

O

ur lives have changed dramatically due to the global covid pandemic.

People are spending more time at home, and less time working at the office, our holidays and travel plans have been interrupted and changed, but school days have returned to normal. And it is here we need to see more change.

Which brings me to our cover story on inclusive education and my interview with Professor Linda Graham. For readers who want to build their knowledge on this contentious issue this article is a ‘must read’. Where to from here you might ask?

While some states seem to be taking a lead*, these changes are not nationally consistent, or built on a consensus of what inclusion really means. Without a collective view of inclusion, we cannot make inclusive education a reality.

There are over four million students enrolled in 9,581 schools in Australia and 300,000 full-time teaching staff. In 2020 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that the number of children and young people with disability in Australia was: 3.7 per cent aged between 0 and 4 years; 7.6 per cent aged between 5 and 14 years and 9.3 per cent aged between 15 and 24 years. We do not know precisely the proportion of students with disability attending mainstream schools or those who attend special or segregated units, but it is estimated that 21 per cent of students with disability are attending special classes.

Hopefully, we are heading towards a more inclusive society that values all.

In another article Nicholas Howard tells Link about his battle with cancer and how family, friends and Ronald McDonald House helped with his recovery.

Also in this issue is a report from ATSA that recently held a special dinner that included the inaugural ‘Acknowledgement of Industry Service Awards’ presented to a motivated and forward-thinking group of men who were determined to make life easier for people with disability.

Our journalist Alex Oswald chronicles the trevails of the NDIS and the direction the scheme is finally heading under a new Labor Government. *As this issue of Link went to press, the NSW Government announced that 800 selective high schools will give disadvantaged students, including those with disability, access to greater learning opportunities. The new plan is intended to reserve 20 per cent of class placements for these students.

Kymberly Martin | Editor kymberly@intermedia.com.au

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August/September 2022

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Link to...Cover Story - Exclusive

Inclusive teachers benefit every student: How do we realise policy in the classroom?

Professor Linda Graham is director of the QUT Centre for Inclusive Education. She is currently leading two projects investigating learning and behavioural difficulties and spoke to Kymberly Martin.

I

nclusive education in Australia has a long way to go, with each state responding through its own policy and practice, Linda Graham told Link.

In 2018, Queensland state schools developed an inclusive education policy referring to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD).

This international human rights instrument provides governments with an outline of their obligations to deliver quality inclusive education for people with disability.

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“But Queensland did more than just refer to the CRPD, they adopted the definition of inclusive education, as it is defined in General Comment No. 4 to the CRPD. GC4 not only defines ‘inclusion’ but also what it is not.

Queensland is the only state so far to have done this.

“For example, NSW came out with an inclusive education policy statement recently but did not follow what was done in Queensland. Yes, NSW cited the CRPD but they omitted General Comment 4”. Graham suggests that this may be because NSW has committed to

maintaining the more than 100 special schools and the 2000 segregated support classes, as well as increasing the number of support classes in line with enrolment growth. “This practice fundamentally contradicts the right to inclusive education”.

One of the reasons Australia has not progressed with inclusive education in the past 30-plus years is because of the absence of a clear definition of what inclusion means, resulting in a lot of misappropriation of inclusive education by advocates of segregation like special school principals and educators.

COVER STORY

“Inclusive education scholars used to say that inclusion is a process, not a place. But that phrase was appropriated to make the case that special schools can be inclusive. They can’t. The original phrase was intended to warn against mainstreaming (or what has also been called ‘main dumping’).

This is simply bringing children with disability into a mainstream setting which is just a change of scenery. It doesn’t change how that education is delivered and that is what inclusive education is all about.

"The GC4 definition of inclusive education adopted by the CRPD recognises this. The definition, which is not “new” and is informed by decades of research in inclusive education, explains that inclusion is a systemic reform process that changes how, who, what and where we teach. It’s calling out the idea that we can somehow maintain schools as they have always been and just fiddle around the edges.

More government action needed “What we desperately need from the government now is to take some leadership because it is the government that was responsible for signing and ratifying the CRPD. The Australian Government needs to do more to ensure that the states uphold this commitment. Currently, that is a challenge. For example, Victoria has more special schools than anyone else but in terms of transparency it is difficult to find data on what they are actually doing, so there is more scrutiny of states like NSW and Queensland, where there is more transparency.

We really need to be looking at each state’s and sector’s contribution to the national picture and holding every single one accountable.

“I would like to hear the new Labor Government commit to a national inclusive education policy.” She said while the Coalition and Labor have committed to a National Autism Strategy she asks: “Why are we picking winners? Why only students with autism?

“Prior to the election there was nothing from either side about disability rights to education. There have been policy announcements about the NDIS and

is inclusive. This is currently impossible to do because while you might find pockets of brilliant practice and a teacher doing outstanding things, running a very inclusive classroom, teaching exceptionally well but this is not uniform across the school. This is playing out in schools and across the states.”

the autism strategy, but there are far more students with disability struggling with education than just students with autism.”

According to Graham, instead of selecting winners there should be an education system for all and this can only be achieved with a national inclusive education strategy, which is what the Australian Coalition for Inclusive Education collection, CYDA, Queensland Collective for Inclusive Education, PWDA, Queensland Advocacy for Inclusive, and a lot of big organisations are calling for.

However, Graham is concerned about Labor government’s heavy dependence and reliance on unions, “The education unions are no friend of inclusive education or students with disability.

Unions talk a lot about funding and students with disability are referred to for funding campaigns. But unions never talk about what they are planning to do with that funding. It is not about improving the quality of teaching but about employing more teachers, more teacher aids, more counsellors, which in itself is not a problem if those people know what they are doing and are doing it, but the other thing they want is more special schools and more segregated places.

“At the end of day, we keep teaching to the middle of mainstream schools because we have this other system where we can send these children to.

However, the problem over time is that the other system becomes much bigger and leads to a segregated life.

“I often get asked about where this is working, to name a state or system that

Graham said one of the biggest issues is the inconsistency of practice and the inability of the system to allow school leaders to address this with a protection system in place where good practice is not rewarded, and poor practice is protected.

“Teachers not doing great things can hide away in their classroom and therein lies the problem where we have this clear knowledge that underperformance is happening, but anyone who tries to raise the issue is called a ‘teacher-basher.’

“While there are teachers out there who definitely do need to lift their game or consider a different career, we are not going to be able to address this when the culture is that teachers don’t have to engage but can opt out of professional learning or refuse to participate in what the school is trying to do, and unions protect them.

“It’s a long journey and I sometimes wonder if we are ever going to get to the end of it.”

There are countries delivering inclusive education systems. In the early 90s the province of New Brunswick in Canada developed an inclusive education policy that was legislated and while not perfect in the beginning, it was a great start. “You cannot flip the switch and think everything is going to be great."

We have to deal with an education system in Australia where principals and teachers keep retiring, and new teachers and principals start, so there is always going to be a need for professional learning.”

Where these systems are in place there are always going to be detractors, which was the case in New Brunswick linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Cover Story

where people were against it for a long time. Portugal too recently implemented a policy for inclusive education in response to CRPD and General Comment 4.

“Australia needs a Federal Government that will stand up and implement a national inclusive education plan.

Fundamental to that is changing the Disability Discrimination Act and Disability Standards for Education because these are inadequate to the task. We also need a national, independent statutory body to oversee effective, accessible, transparent, safe and enforceable complaints and appeals processes. Our current systems are not ensuring that the entitlements of students with disability, such as consultation and reasonable adjustments, are being met.

“My current work is focused on how we can teach in more accessible ways so teachers accurately interpret where their students are coming from and where the breakdown might be happening and change the way they communicate in a more universal sense, so students don’t get locked out of learning.”

In making adjustments, it is critical to consult with the student and not make assumptions about what might be going on. An example of this is where a student with ADHD is perceived to not be following instructions. A teacher may decide that this is happening due to distraction, and they may move the student to sit alone at the front of the class. This could be correct but it may also be that the student is not comprehending the instructions.

The best remedy she said, and one that is also an obligation under the Disability Standards for Education 2005, is for the teacher to “Talk to the student, maybe the teacher is giving out too many instructions too fast, and not providing a written resource, so those instructions go in one ear and out the other. What is happening?

Is that the student is trying to figure out what they are meant to be doing and talking to others, and getting distracted as a result?”

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When it comes to professional collaboration, one of the things that should be encouraged is the need for expertise and support of other professionals such as speech pathologists. Many of the children Graham works with have attention deficit disorder, development language disorder, and autism.

“What this country needs to recognise is that accessible quality teaching lifts everyone. If we did this for everyone, it would be a game changer for students with disability, but it would make life easier for all, including teachers.”

“How can teachers learn this in the limited space and limited time of initial teacher education? They can’t, so how can we draw on professional collaborators like occupational therapists, speech pathologists, school counsellors or anyone else that comes into the school, or is part of the school?

How can teachers talk to them to enhance their own ability and work out what is going on with the student and what to do about it?

“It sounds complicated but is not. What we need to commit to is that this is everyone business, not just a teacher’s job. It must be a national priority.”

Graham said what is in place are conceptions of quality teaching that are more focused on the mainstream, not the 20-30 per cent of children in mainstream schools that have a disability. She described this as a spectacular fail for frustrated, disengaged and disruptive students because they are not being taught in the way they need to be.

"This does not mean they need to be in different schools, rather that we need to remember that all means all. Not the narrow range people think are in the classroom… you know that mythical “average” student, but the range that is actually there."

Hard science shows that we all learn better when teaching is clear and explicit, when predictable routines are employed, when there is structure and purpose in a lesson, and when teachers explain concepts and deliver instructions at a pace and in words that students can understand. Doing this reduces extraneous cognitive load, freeing students’ up to work with what they are learning, as opposed to struggling simply to process what they are hearing or reading.

ADD THIS TO YOUR BOOK LIST: Inclusive Education Theory, Policy and Practice by Linda Graham.

This book is compelling reading for those interested in what inclusive education means in our current education system. It explores evidencebased strategies to support diverse learners, including specific changes in curriculum, pedagogy and assessment practices and the use of data.

It addresses the needs of children with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities, as well as those with complex learning profiles, including mental health issues.

The book is designed to assist educators understand what is required to make inclusive education a reality in all schools.

Available from selected bookstores, Amazon and Booktopia.

Link to...News

Heartache and Birdsong: The inspiring story of 2022 Sydney Disability Expo ambassador Sam Bloom The FREE, Covid-safe My Future, My Choice Sydney Disability Expo on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 August 2022, features 200+ service and product providers from a variety of categories, including: • Government and advocacy organisation • Aids and equipment providers • Financial and legal services • Education, training and employment providers • Social and leisure options • Transport and vehicles • Health and medical products and services • Allied health professionals • Support services including in home care providers

‘W

e are all stronger, braver and more capable than we realise’. This is Sam’s powerful message for the My Future, My Choice Sydney Disability Expo at Sydney Olympic Park in August.

Through a visually immersive and intimate conversation, Sam will share her experience of a dream life instantly turned into a nightmare when she suffered a freak accident on holiday in Thailand that left her paralysed from the chest down.

Leading us through the extraordinary highs and painful lows of life before, during and after the near-fatal accident in 2013, Sam will share how family, love, and a unique connection with the natural world supported her from deep physical suffering and depression to becoming a bestselling author, twotimes World Para Surfing champion,

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and inspiration behind the international hit movie Penguin Bloom, starring Naomi Watts.

“You really are braver than you think. There really is hope, so don’t give up” - SAM BLOOM

Sam is a mum to three boys, and a former adventure traveller and neurology nurse. She works with numerous spinal cord injury charities around the world in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injury, including as a global ambassador for Wings For Life.

Her true story holds a poignant message for all of us as we navigate our own challenges, inspiring us to become the best version of ourselves, live our lives to the fullest, and be grateful for each day.

Presenters will answer your questions as you get to road test equipment and discuss details of products and services. Navigate exactly where you want to go next using the wayfinding app, BindiMaps, who will map the whole event that includes live, all-ability performances.

The Expo Guide is available now.

Register early at: sydneydisabilityexpo.com.au

ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE BIG My Future, My Choice 2022 Expo Program, presented by Impact Institute As restrictions lift and we get our first taste of real freedom, everyone is excited about the possibilities. The My Future, My Choice Expo’s are happening down the East Coast of Australia until the end of the year, with our Sydney Disability Expo up next on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 August at Sydney Olympic Park. It’s a great place to choose your next adventure and get back on the path to living life to the max.

2022 EXPO CALENDER Entry is FREE for all attendees!

Register via the Expo websites

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Link to...NDIS

The Future of the NDIS Under Labor With NDIS participants expected to grow to 670,400 by 2025 there are many aspects of the NDIS which need reform. Talking to the key people, parties and organisations who will help shape the future of the NDIS under Labor, Link found some of the issues and potential solutions that the Albanese government will be grappling with over the next three years.

Alex Oswald reports. disability, said “when it comes to fixing the scheme our starting point should be what the disability community needs.” Advocates for disability across Australia are calling for a deeper commitment to the principles of co-design following the logic of ‘nothing about us without us.’ Labor has said that it will work to increase the representation of people with disability across all levels of the NDIA. Beyond restoring trust, Dr Bruce Bonyhady from the Melbourne Disability Institute is calling for greater collaboration between non-government researchers and government. Speaking to Link, Bonyhady believes, by sharing data “we can democratise the process and introduce contestability” in the types of solutions produced to evolve the NDIS. Minister for the NDIS Bill Shorten was one of the loudest advocates for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (Photo: The Australian)

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n 2013, one of Bill Shorten’s last actions as Disability Minister was to help pass the legislation that would launch the NDIS. Now, nine years later, Shorten and Labor won an election promising to ‘Save Our NDIS.’ According to Labor, the scheme has suffered nearly a decade of “mismanagement and chaos” under successive Liberal Governments. This has been supported by many from the disability community who are calling for the scheme to be ‘reset.’ Now, with a majority in the lower house and a progressive Senate with the Greens and David Pocock in the balance of power, it seems Labor has the political mandate to ‘save’ the NDIS.

the recent history of the NDIS has been marred by several governmental and agency interventions which have ‘broken’ their trust. These include independent assessments, expanding the powers of the National Disability Insurance Agency CEO as well as a lack of NDIA data sharing and transparency.

Concurrently, the ongoing Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of people with disability has continued the work of highlighting ableism in Australian society. The stories from the commission suggest that both the government and the agency need to expand their efforts to promote inclusion of people with disability.

Restoring Trust For many in the disability community

In response Senator Jordan SteeleJohn, the Greens spokesperson for

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Workforce shortages According to the NDIS Workforce Strategy the disability sector currently faces an 83,000-worker shortage.

Researcher Dr Georgia van Toom cites high rates of casualisation, poor renumeration and unclear career progression pathways as crucial contributing causes. This has led to a quarter of disability support workers saying they won’t be working in the industry in five years’ time.

Although Labor’s workforce plan has not been announced in detail, structural changes are needed to make support work more competitive with similar industries, such as aged care, and attractive as a career.

These changes include strong investment in worker training, better wages, and conditions as well as clearer pathways from other sectors into support work. Additionally,

NDIS

creativity is needed to ensure that recruiting for disability doesn’t result in a workforce shortage in aged care.

Long-time disability support worker and advocate Danny McCormick said retail and hospitality workers “make great support workers because of their communications skills which are really hard to teach.”

Rural and Regional Access Issues Currently, the experience of living with a disability in regional and rural Australia is typically marred by a lack of access to the services and opportunities PwD. The ‘market based’ approach to funding means there is often little incentive for organisations to expand into regional areas where the potential client pool isn’t as big.

This creates a phenomenon known as a ‘thin market.’ According to the NDIA’s ‘Regions and the NDIS Report’ a thin market limits choice because there are “greater shortages and less competition” leading to poorer participant outcomes.

One of Labor’s commitments is appointing a NDIA board member to oversee service delivery in the regions.

This will help put the interests and needs of rural Australia at the forefront of any planning or decision making in the NDIS. In conjunction with this, Bonyhady said that another potential solution exists in taking local area coordination (LAC) “back to its original design.” Citing the original example of LACs in regional Western Australia he said that the initial purpose was to “identify and build local service responses.” Finding, for example, the “local farmers wife who trained as an OT or families who have similar needs to create enough critical mass to allow services to develop.”

Making the NDIS ‘sustainable’ Towards the end of her ministership, the previous NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds said the NDIS was on track to surpass Medicare in terms of costs.

These comments around scheme sustainability have been labelled by disability advocate Samantha Conner as a “political narrative” designed to justify decreasing participants plans.

Despite this, issues around scheme costs remain.

Making disability support work a more attractive career for people will be crucial to addressing the worker shortage (Photo: Mable)

As such, one of the key target areas that Labor will focus on is the money spent on expensive and drawn-out legal battles in the Administrative Appeals Trial. A claim is typically brought to the tribunal when a scheme participant believes their funding has been excessively cut. According to the Guardian Australia, the previous government was on track to spend $50 million on legal fees.

Whilst Labor acknowledges that “sometimes plan budgets will decrease” it is wanting to minimise cases where this happens unfairly.

As a result, Labor will create an ‘Expert Review,’ an alternative dispute resolution mechanism that “flags any decision to reduce a plan by more than 20 per cent per year allowing it to be referred to an expert review.

Additionally Shorten has said “the Labor Government will be focussed on the quality of the spend.” A contrast he said from his predecessors who held a “narrow focus” by only looking at “budget bottom lines.” He said Labor recognises that the NDIS is a long-term social investment which “reduces future costs on social security, housing and

justice.” Savings which are not always clear in the immediate yearly budgets.

During his speech at Disability Service’s Consulting conference ‘Where to From Here?’ Shorten emphasised that Labor’s plan for the NDIS would be built on pillars of effectiveness, empathy, and re-building trust. In terms of passing legislation, Jordan Steele-John has said the Greens will be supportive so long as Labor upholds its commitment to work with the disability community.

Although trust, workforce shortages, regional access issues and scheme costs amongst others are formidable obstacles, there is no doubt Shorten has popularity amongst the disability community.

Corroborating this Bonyhady said that “if the Coalition had been elected, we would have had an ongoing war of attrition…now we have the real prospect of an evidenced based approach and real co-design.” One indicator of this is Labor’s decision to bring the 2023 review of the NDIS forward to this year.

This conveys a sense of urgency to begin implementing the solutions the NDIS needs to fulfill its vision of closing the gap between the lives of those with and without disability. linkonline.com.au

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Link to...News

International manufacturers attend APEXPO-2022 Australian importer of Assistive Technology APEX Mobility recently hosted their annual dealer conference, with suppliers of AT converging on Melbourne to pick up hands-on training on new equipment.

New technology and models released at APEXPO-2022 included the new Klaxon TWIST, a power assist device, the Schuchmann TILL stander, new strollers in the Ormesa range, new car-seats from Thomashilfen, the Timo Ode high-low feeding and activity chair, sleep and positioning systems from StabiloBed, and updates from wheelchair manufacturer Motion Composites.

A range of awards were issued for dealers that had gone above-andbeyond in FY2022, with Professional Assistance for Living in Adelaide taking out the Dealer of the Financial Year award, Wicked Wheelchairs on the Gold Coast taking out the Wheelchair Dealer of the Year award, and AC Mobility taking out the Most Improved Dealer award.

L

ast year APEX Mobility had to take their dealer conference online, using a web-conferencing platform that enabled them to hold equipment training for their staff, therapists and dealers. The online platform was an excellent substitute for face-to-face training, and the best option during the Covid lockdown.

Lessons from this event have been carried past lockdown, and certain elements of web-training (and Telehealth) continue today.

The APEX Mobility annual dealer conference, this year titled APEXPO2022, has been set on to ensure that the Assistive Technology Professionals (ATP’s) working for APEX Mobility dealers are aware of the latest

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August/September 2022

innovation and equipment available, but have also had the opportunity for training. APEXPO-2022 took on an extra layer of success this year, with guest presenters from a number of leading international manufacturers, including Schuchmann in Germany, Klaxon from Austria, Ormesa from Italy and Timo from Finland To host the event, the APEX Mobility distribution centre in the Melbourne suburb of Truganina was converted to a giant training venue, with multiple zones set up where attendees could attend workshops reviewing new equipment, learning about the benefits and applications of it and reviewing case studies of successful applications.

APEX Mobility sales manager Michael Gage told Link, “We greatly enjoy helping the dealer network achieve the best outcome for each of their clients.

APEX Mobility have set ourselves to provide buying power, inventory and technical support for what is arguably Australia’s leading range of scripted equipment for long term users of mobility equipment”.

Attendees were well cared for, with a wide range of catering during the day, including wood-fired pizza at lunchtime and a cheese tasting event at the end of the day. Next year, APEXPO-2023 is currently scheduled for Friday May 19, 2023, and is open to dealers of APEX Mobility. Interested businesses should contact their APEX Mobility account manager for further information.

Contact: www.apexmobility.com.au or PH: 1300 212 192 and E: enquiry@apexmobility.com.au

Disability, Ageing and Lifestyle Expo – bigger than ever!

T

he 2022 #MyLifeChoices Disability, Ageing & Lifestyle Expo at the Adelaide Showground will be bigger than ever with 220 exhibitors ready to showcase their services, products and information to South Australians living with a disability and the ageing community.

The DAL Expo will be on for two days - Friday 28th and Saturday 29th October - allowing more time options for carers, families and supporters to attend.

The doors open at 10am until 4pm, with a ‘quiet hour’ on both days between 3-4pm. Entry to the expo is free.

There will be many new products on show. See what’s new, try some out, speak to service information providers to find answers to your questions, sit back and listen to a performance by Rachel Leahcar and enjoy a great day out at the showgrounds.

NEWS

Entry to the Expo is via the Enhanced Lifestyles Welcome zone where you can collect the Expo Event bag and a copy of the Expo Program Guide which includes a floor plan and list of exhibitors to guide you around the event.

and adjust to the vibrancy, sounds and lights of the Expo.

To enable visitors to plan ahead for their visit to the Expo, the floor plan will also be available from August via the Expo website: www.dalexpo.com. au, in the October edition of The Senior newspaper and Link magazine.

Interested in adding a new activity to your life, make new contacts and expand your community connections? Head to the Xlent Inclusive Sports Zone to watch demonstrations of adaptive and inclusive sports.

The Chooze Shop is the Event Partner for the biggest annual gathering of representatives within the disability and ageing sector in SA - the Exhibitors Networking Breakfast.

There is also the 8m hydraulically controlled rock wall by RockAbout for some extra fun time.

The Autism SA Sensory Zone is located near the entrance and is an area for visitors to take time to chill out

Go to the Link Assistive/Link Sensory Zone to see how Sensory, Interactive and Assistive Technologies can help you or your loved ones in their daily lives.

Booths are still available - call the DAL Expo office on: (08) 8168 8702.

Tickets to the exhibitors networking breakfast will be available shortly via Eventbrite.

www.dalexpo.com.au linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Employment

First Ethiopia…now for the rest of the world

I

n 2009 the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival began. This festival asked film makers to "Focus on the Ability" of people with a disability and tell a story on film for the world to view. The festival founder was NOVA Employment CEO Martin Wren.

Initially just for Sydney schools, the festival continues to grow annually with participants coming from more than 50 countries.

2021 saw the inaugural partnership with Focus on Ability Short Film Festival Ethiopia, that was a significant success. The FOA Ethiopia team led

by Mikias Mulugeta managed to generate 33 film entries including the 2021 Best International Short Film winner.

FOA Ethiopia director Mulugeta spoke about what the partnership means for the people of Ethiopia, an East African nation of more than 115 million people.

“The partnership means so much for the Ethiopian community. It provides filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their creative projects and

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share knowledge with other countries.

This initiative will also bring more international cooperation in the future, cooperation that will ultimately benefit the people of Ethiopia. By showcasing Ethiopian talent, we promote diversity and inclusion in filmmaking and empower young people with disability with the tools they need to create films of great quality.

“Focus on Ability Ethiopia is the first of its kind in the country, to focus on artists with disability and their creative rights. Through this project, they got the chance to contribute to a movement that takes away the stigma surrounding disability. The FOA Ethiopia project played a big role in raising awareness of the importance of disability and art culture, increasing access to art, and building stronger communities by supporting and engaging with one another,” Mulugeta said.

To celebrate the 2021 achievements, The Vamdas Cinema in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia played host to a two-day Focus on Ability festival. The events included a disability led bazaar, panel discussions and film screenings, that

culminated in a red-carpet awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency hotel.

The partnership between the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival and FOA Ethiopia has continued in 2022.

FOA creative director Ryan Goodwin discussed future plans for the festival with Link.

“The focus on ability message has been truly embraced world-wide and partnerships such as our newly formed FOA Ethiopia will enable us to reach more pockets of the globe. What once started out as a short film festival trying to influence the minds of young people in Sydney schools, now has global goals.

“We are happy to announce that the festival is returning to live events in 2022 across Australia in September and a few international dates to follow.

Keep an eye on our social media for full details.”

NOVA Employment is the major sponsor of the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival and FOA Ethiopia.

For more details on the festival go to: www.focusonability.com.au

www.novaemployment.com.au

Link to...Employment

A life-changing accident has not stopped Forrest’s career “I put in a resume there when I first came to Australia and didn’t hear anything. Six months after I started the casual job, they contacted me and said they had a role.

"I started as the business development executive and have now moved into Client Solutions. I’m enjoying it; it’s very fulfilling and I’m living vicariously through the technicians out in the field. It’s faster moving and my days fly by now.”

Forrest at his desk

I

n 2015, Forrest had a skiing accident that left him a quadriplegic. The accident permanently changed Forrest’s life, yet the Canadian-born electrician was determined to return to the work he loved.

With a passion for renewable energies, Forrest pivoted his career by qualifying as a solar designer and technical sales consultant. This gave him the knowledge needed to establish his own Solar Design company in the Columbia Valley in 2017. However, demand for services in this emerging industry was slow.

A fresh start With his Australian-born wife and children, Forrest made the decision to relocate to Sydney in September 2019. The 46 year-old started searching for jobs in Solar Design, with support from MatchWorks Disability Employment Services (DES) along the way.

“Solar will diminish our environmental impact on the planet so I’m passionate about convincing people about it’s incredible process,” Forrest said.

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Once he found part-time casual work at a small residential solar company, Job Access funding was arranged to enable Forrest to successfully work from home.

“MatchWorks helped me get set up with an Adaptive desk and a wireless Bluetooth headset which was amazing,” he said.

“It’s the ability to adapt that makes you survive.”

MatchWorks also helped him access funding to complete an online accredited course through Global Sustainable Energy Solutions.

Accessing work tools for success Job Access funding was once again coordinated by MatchWorks so Forrest had the tools for the job at the new company. Following a workplace assessment, an electric standing desk, headsets, a keyboard, wireless mouse and mouse wrist rest were all provided.

MatchWorks is also assisting with additional modifications to make the workplace accessible. Soon, the office will have an automated door, a lift and kitchenette.

Finding the right balance Forrest now balances his week by working two days from home and three in the office. He feels well supported and loves the social interaction on his office days. Even when workplace modifications were delayed due to changes in business ownership, he remained positive and grateful.

“I had completed the exact same course in North America, which was a Clean Energy Council certificate, but it wasn’t recognised here in Australia.

So I qualified to design solar arrays in Australia,” Forrest said.

“It’s been a long time coming, and the folks at MatchWorks have been amazing. They have been incredibly patient and very good to work with,” Forrest said. My CEO has also gone into bat for me many times when the process of workplace modifications was delayed.

A new opportunity Six months later, Forrest was approached by a leading solar and energy solutions company who offered him a permanent full-time role.

“Getting back to work may look challenging but it’s absolutely doable.

Having support from my employer, MatchWorks and Job Access has made a big difference.”

We help you prepare, find and keep a job

Your journey to employme nt

1300 13 23 63 matchworks.com.au

Link to...Employment

Coles launches smart shopping concept Helping disability support services save time and money. orders over $250, so you get what you want when you need it.

As well as offering competitive prices, Coles for Business partners closely with its customers to help businesses spend smart and save more. Organisations can access monthly reporting intended to assist with purchasing habits, budgeting, reducing waste and product choice, while interest-free credit terms and consolidated invoicing is available to simplify finances. Flybuys points can also be collected with every shop, allowing businesses to earn rewards or even more savings.

The online shopping experience offers plenty of intuitive features, tailor-made for business shoppers. Customers can set up unique order and spend approvals to easily manage shopping policies and budgets, share shopping lists with recommended items for their teams and even restrict which product categories are available to shop from.

Want to reach out to the Coles for Business team to learn more?

Simply call 1800 455 400 or email BusinessOrders@coles.com.au and their dedicated team will be happy to help.

Disability support services and all other Australian workplaces can sign up to Coles for Business and start shopping smarter at coles.com.au/business

C

oles Group has launched a unique shopping solution for businesses across Australia, including disability support services.

Called ‘Coles for Business’ the shopping service offers a wide range of supplies and smart online features, which could help your disability support service save time and money.

And for a limited time, Coles for Business will offer Link readers $20 off their first shop. Simply spend $150 or more by September 1, 2022

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August/September 2022

and use the promo code SUPPORT at checkout.* With an extensive delivery network across Australia, Coles for Business is ready to service workplaces of any size, nationwide.

Customers can shop from over 22,000 quality products for all their business needs, from fresh produce to stationary, cleaning supplies and more. All with flexible delivery windows 7-days a week, and free delivery for

www.coles.com.au/business

Link to...Employment

Brilliant minds find room to thrive – through a new approach to hiring

By Ralph Johnstone, in collaboration with the Telstra Sustainability team. and recruit autistic and other neurodiverse employees.

Marcus Helvig, Dave Morrisey and Cassandra Lutzko - Telstra employee’s recruited through the program.

W

hen Telstra’s Network and Service Orchestration team was looking for a new software developer, 34-year-old Dave Morrissey was the perfect fit.

As well as being a highly qualified programmer with a deep knowledge of APIs, operating systems, and all manner of code, he came with a list of “passion projects” that impressed the recruiters, developing remote access protocols for a multitude of apps, maintaining a diagramming system with a programmer in South Korea, even teaching himself to speak Japanese and Chinese through his own handwriting-recognition software.

The only challenge? Dave had done all these tasks on his home PC, because he’d never been able to secure a fulltime job.

Around 20 years ago, Dave might have been stuck at home forever, the fruits of his ingenious mind never shared beyond family and close friends.

But today, thanks to progressive recruitment practices that specifically target neurodiverse recruits, companies like Telstra are increasingly connecting with people like Dave and creating the conditions to provide work that is suitable, comfortable and incredibly fruitful.

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August/September 2022

“In the year that Dave’s worked for us, he’s done everything from reviewing and cleaning code, to documenting processes, creating dashboards, and building a retrieval tool that’s revolutionised transcript searches in our contact centres,” Network and Service Orchestration chapter lead Sharon Kavanagh said. “Dave’s easy to get along with, his attention to detail is amazing, and his knowledge of technology blows my mind. It’s really astonishing that he’s never worked before.”

People with autism are often credited with prodigious skills in mathematics, memory, and complex problem solving.

What’s usually less celebrated is a list of attributes that reads like a checklist for the perfect employee: phenomenal loyalty, sure-fire reliability, meticulous attention to detail, and extraordinary creativity.

A promising pilot Dave was among six recruits who joined Telstra last year through a pilot recruitment program that uses non-traditional approaches to find

“I’m extremely proud of what this program has achieved,” program manager Serap Potocki said. “We’ve found there’s an extraordinary breadth [in neurodiverse people], and you shouldn’t just limit yourself to hiring people into tech and maths roles – because there are others who are quite brilliant in creative roles or design or marketing roles.”

Avoiding small talk Cassandra Lutzko, a product management specialist who joined Telstra through the program, said the extensive support offered to recruits with belonging to a community and not being judged, made her feel immediately welcome.

“From the outset, I didn’t have to worry about whether or not to disclose my autism, which has been a challenge in the past,” she said. “Better still, I knew my manager and their boss also knew, which opened the doors to many constructive conversations.

“Most importantly, I knew that I had a community of fellow neurodiverse people around me, who were just like me, but in different ways. Being openly neurodiverse meant I was introduced to fellow colleagues who were neurodiverse or had strong ties to the neurodiverse community.”

Although an estimated one in 59 people is on the autism spectrum, some 34 per cent of working age Australians with autism are unemployed, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This means they are three times more likely to be unemployed than people with disability and almost eight times more likely than people without disabilities.

Design by example.

Designed by us.

Strong, passionate individuals, united in a socially inclusive workplace to deliver unique design solutions.

blendcreative.com.au

Link to...Employment

Increasing employment inclusivity

By Ron Maxwell, VERTO CEO

In any job seeker pool, some candidates are suited to physical work, others to desk-based roles, some are good at customer service, others are better behind the scenes and so on. And this is no different for candidates with disability. The skills, abilities and aptitude of people with disability are just as broad and diverse. However, there is often a misconception that people with disability are best suited to unskilled roles, and that is another stereotype.

T

he pandemic disproportionately impacted people with disability when it came to employment opportunities, which only heightened existing barriers. So as the pandemic recedes, I want to discuss a critical topic: how can we level the playing field as a business community?

As with any social change, education is a powerful tool. As both employers and community members, we must understand the facts and dispel the myths. And with disability employment, there are many misconceptions.

The biggest misconception, in my mind, is that people with disability are a single group with shared characteristics. Unfortunately, this belief is often the driver behind stereotypes, unconscious bias and discrimination. Disability takes many forms, and it’s important not to jump to conclusions, particularly when it comes to what someone can or can’t do. As with any other candidate, a person with disability will bring their own unique attributes, skills and experience to your organisation.

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In reality, the representation of people with disability in management roles is the same as for people without disability. According to ABS Workforce Data 2018/19, managerial roles were held by 10.9 per cent of people in the wider workforce and 10.8 per cent of employees with disability.

And for clerical and administrative roles, the figures were also similar, tracking at 11.3 per cent across the entire workforce and 13.2 per cent for employees with disability.

Cost is not a genuine barrier Another common misconception is that hiring someone with disability is expensive. This is another broad typecast that can become an employment barrier for the one million Australians with disability who are working or looking for work.

Sometimes hiring a person with disability will involve minor modifications to either the physical workplace or things like hours and duties. Sometimes it may involve a small investment in assistive technology. And sometimes, there will be no changes required at all. In fact, employment costs for people with disability can be as low as 13 per cent of employment costs for other employees. In addition, there is government support available to eligible employers if modifications are required.

Whether or not changes are required, the focus should be on the value your new hire can add to your

organisation. And the business benefits of hiring someone with disability are many. According to the Australian Government’s Job Access initiative, these include: • Boosting team morale and enhancing the sense of teamwork across the organisation; • Reducing absenteeism as studies show people with disability take less sick leave and stay in jobs longer, and; • Enhancing the organisation’s image in the community and building strong connections with customers.

Most organisations have inclusive hiring policies, but it’s also essential that these are lived behaviours and values too. It’s important to make sure you aren’t inadvertently excluding people with disability through your recruitment practices. Some areas to consider are: • The job advertisement: Language is important, so it’s worth asking whether you are accidentally excluding people with disability by your word choice.

• The application process: Make sure your application process is accessible and inclusive. The seemingly minor details, such as type font and sizing, can make a massive difference to someone using assistive technologies or devices to complete the process.

• The interview and selection process: When interviewing a person with disability, it’s important to understand how and when to ask questions.

VERTO focus on making the right match between employer and job seeker, providing pre-and postplacement support to ensure the opportunity works for everyone.

If you want to widen your talent pool and explore opportunities to hire job seekers with disability: PH: 1300 483 786. VERTO has 40 locations across the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.

Apprenticeship & TRAINEESHIPS Disability Services Employment Services Financial Counselling INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS Tenancy Services VOCATIONAL TRAINING

CONNECT WITH VERTO

1300 4 VERTO (1300 483 786) verto.org.au

info@verto.org.au

Link to...News

Dancing through the barriers to inclusion

By Dr Olivia Karaolis

A

mici Dance Theatre is celebrating its 40th birthday this year. Unless you are planning a trip to the UK soon, seeing one of their performances or attending their workshops will only be possible online. It is worth it?

I was introduced to Amici Dance Theatre at an Orff Schulwerk Conference over 20 years ago.

Wolfgang Stange, the artistic director led several workshops, that for my thinking, teaching and creativity were transformational.

attempted to correct their deficits while being blind to their strengths.

Wolfgang Stange introduced me to teaching strategies that removed the greatest barrier to my students learning - words. His approach, and that of Amici Dance draws on movement, dance, drama, and other forms of expression. Their performances and workshops are inclusive, bringing dancers with and without disabilities together to create.

“Without hope we would be lost indeed. Amici shows that sharing and celebrating each other’s difference is the only way forward”

A sweeping statement, absolutely, and one that can cannot capture the shift in my practice and understanding of the possibilities of the creative arts.

I had just started teaching a class of five- to seven-year-old children with disabilities. The program aimed to support the students by “getting them ready” for mainstream school. As I look back, I wonder why they “had to get ready” and question schools that should “be ready” for every student.

The company is artist-in-residence at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith and is now internationally recognised for its voice in changing the perception of disability and the arts.

I was not ready, teaching in a way that was not suited to my students, that

At Amici, everyone is welcome to attend the weekly workshops. I ask

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- WOLFGANG STANGE

myself the same about our schools.

Can we look to Amici and see the possibilities for a truly inclusive school, one in which everyone is welcome? My classroom grew to one that supported children to share their talents, interests, and themselves. We were a place where everyone belonged. www.amicidance.org Dr Olivia Karaolis teaches at Sydney University Faculty of Education & Social Work

There are disability service providers and there’s Aruma

I

t’s easy to see why Aruma is one of Australia’s leading disability service providers. But what makes them like no other is that they live by the words ‘You. First’. It’s a simple, and powerful, philosophy. No matter what, their customers always come first.

Aruma is one of Australia’s leading NDIS service providers, the trusted partner and mentor to over 5000 adults and children with a disability throughout the east coast of Australia.

When it comes to accommodation, whether moving out, need a change of scenery, want a bit of extra support, or are ready to try something new, Aruma has many choices for you! From Supported Independent Living, (SIL) Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Individualised Living Options and more.

ww

w. ar

um a.c

NEWS

A home is more than just bricks and mortar. It can also mean independence and finding confidence. And that’s where Aruma comes in. They have a range of options to help people with a disability find their ideal living arrangements. One of these options is SDA. All SDA homes have been carefully designed with a range of accessibility, comfort and care requirements. This includes accessible features to help someone live more independently with better access to supports in their own home. In some cases, customers can even use their SDA funding to purchase a new home.

delivered in collaboration with local disability organisation 5Star.

Aruma will be delivering SIL services in Sale Victoria soon, partnering with Community Housing Limited. CHL has developed new, state-of-the-art SDA dwellings which are about to open its doors to tenants. The project has been

•

These dwellings are designed to allow improved independence with assistive technology, including: • • • • •

Adjustable height kitchen benches A super clever bath in one of the shared bathrooms where you can vary its height 2-hour battery back-up A Delos filtered water and air system throughout the main house and front units Automated windows in independent villas and Provisions for automation of blinds and doors.

For more information PH: 1300 538 746 or enquiries@aruma.com.au or visit: www.aruma.com.au/home+living

om

.au

linkonline.com.au

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Link to...NDIS

Waking up to a new reality

B

rian, who has a spinal cord injury, shares his story with us on incontinence and working with Coloplast.

When you meet Brian, your first impression is: what a strong and positive man. It is almost unimaginable that back in 1996, he spent his most difficult months in the hospital, where he struggled to adapt to his new reality: life in a wheelchair.

Due to a spinal cord injury, he also lost his bladder control and needed to start using a catheter. For Brian, this was the hardest part. I remember thinking “I usually wear shorts and I couldn’t imagine a life wearing leg bags.”

Helpful advice was hard to come by and “after seven years of catheterising with an uncoated, cheap catheter, it had become hard to insert and was causing blood and pain.”

Brian required surgery to fix the issue.

“I would have liked to have had the

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support Coloplast provides as soon as the shock of my injury wore off”, he said.

“I didn’t realise until speaking to Coloplast that I could get funding support from the NDIS. Coloplast Care supported me through the process, and I had no issues getting funding” - BRIAN The Coloplast Care team made my transition onto the NDIS quick and easy, and it’s quite surprising to hear how so many people have difficulties getting approved”, he said.

With the NDIS, the act of balancing between what is right and what you can afford shouldn’t need to happen anymore.

“Having SpeediCath Flex means I don’t need to carry around so many

products, since it’s already ready to use there is no risk of contamination.”

With the support of Coloplast Care, Brian has better control of his bladder health and now has the confidence to do what he loved doing prior to his accident.

The impact of bladder or bowel issues on an individual can be devastating.

It not only has a massive impact on one’s health and the back pocket, but confidence and family life too.

So, for anyone with continence issues, talk to the team at Coloplast Care.

They can support you onto the NDIS, assist your preparation for your next NDIS review meeting or guide you to other funding options where necessary – the Consumer Care team can help.

Get NDIS support and try free samples today! www.coloplast.to/AU-TalkNDIS 1800 315 650

Your current to your new ordering experience

New

Plain to deliciously toasty

Direct It’s the little things we do that make all the difference.

Order your Coloplast continence products direct through us and discover all the little things we do to make you all round better off.

To order your Coloplast continence products: coloplastcaredirect.com.au 1800 316 651

Coloplast Pty Ltd, PO Box 240, Mount Waverley, VIC 3149 Australia www.coloplast.com.au The Coloplast logo is a registered trademark of Coloplast A/S. ©2021-10 CEX116a. All rights reserved Coloplast A/S

Link to...News

A journey in self-discovery through support “I first came across Mable through an ad I saw. I’ve been an NDIS participant for two years and had challenging experiences with support workers in the past, so I love that I can handpick them through Mable.”

A

ngela was diagnosed with Neutral Lipid Storage Disease with Myopathy, rare condition and an invisible disability, when she was 30. Before becoming an NDIS participant, life for Angela was devoid of any kind of serious illness.

“When I was first diagnosed, it was a quiet, scary place for me to be, because I didn't understand illness or disability,” Angela said.

One day, she decided she “didn’t want that life”, and started to push the boundaries of her new body with an exercise physiologist. “When I started to achieve physical goals, it led me to want to explore what else I could achieve if I put my mind to it.

My world started to come together again when I changed my perception of what disability meant to me.”

This change in her outlook led to Angela creating an animation film.

“It was during Covid and the lockdown, I had a lot of time on my hands, as we all did, and I started thinking of ways I could get creative,” she said. Through the animation, she wanted to share her life as a single mother living with

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disability. The idea was to educate the community about disability.

“We’re having a conversation about a hard topic, but through a medium that is easier to digest.”

And that’s how she met Damien, an independent support worker registered on Mable. “I wanted to learn how to make an animation, and Damien's profile said he was an animator, so I connected with him.” Damien had professional experience in producing animation shows. “When I shared my concept with Damien, he expressed an interest in working with me to produce the film. He saw that the film had positive benefits to our community,” she said.

The first episode about the character Angela is about her diagnosis, the challenges she faced, and accepting and “settling down into the diagnosis”.

The second part is about how she regains ownership of her life, and the third episode is about how she uses that ownership to advocate for the disability community. Without Mable she did not think she would have had the opportunity to cross paths with Damien.

Angela found her team of four support workers on Mable, and they support her with everything from meal preparation, laundry and linen changing, cleaning and gardening.

She has had this team for 18 months and said they are “the most beautiful bunch of people who are an extension of me and who love my kids as well”.

For Angela, it’s important to connect with support workers on a personal level. “When I look for a support worker, I am also looking to understand their hobbies and interests. “Having things in common makes the process more comfortable for both of us.”

Angela said she also takes comfort in Mable’s process of approving support workers, who undergo police checks and Working with Children’s Check.

“It gives me peace of mind that whoever's coming to my home is going to be able to work with me and my family. My support workers have essentially become an extension of my family. I definitely recommend Mable to everyone. Looking for ratings is easy, you have pictures, bios and contacting people is also easy.

“I think that’s the best thing about it: it’s just easy.”

Find Angela on Instagram @angela_bonus and her film on angelabonus.com.au

Choice and control for people to do their own laundry

A

chieving goals and feeling proud of our accomplishments are important to everyone.

For people living with disability, goals are often set around acquiring or maintaining independent living skills.

That’s why there are so many daily living aids available that give people choice and control about the tasks they wish to do for themselves or their families.

Mrs Pegg’s products was the first to manufacture a portable clothesline that would hold bed sheets and the first piece of equipment made especially for people living with disability. If you are a wheelchair user, have restricted movement or reduced mobility due to injury or illness, you will find it easy to use the Mrs Pegg’s Handy Line. If you regularly do lots of laundry, you will benefit from having a Mrs Pegg’s Handy Line.

They offer a range of quality laundry daily living aids for you to choose from, in different heights to suit your requirements, including the popular Easy 8 Handy Line, a 110cm high model specially designed for those who have difficulty standing or have a limited range of arm movement. Its most popular accessory is the Handy Peg, also called an ‘arthritic’ peg because occupational therapists recommend them to improve fine motor skills.

HOUSEHOLD AND PERSONAL AIDS

inform your support coordinator or occupational therapist. Categorised as low-cost consumables, you can order the complete range of Mrs Pegg’s products without the need for preapproval or reporting, so it couldn’t be easier.

Simply put, it’s a chunky, soft grip peg that requires no ‘squeeze’ making it easy for anyone with arthritis to use. It also allows you to get the most out of your handy line, enabling you to fit up to three full wash loads on.

Mrs Pegg’s products are NDIS and MyAgedCare approved and DVA registered, highly recommended by OTs and trusted by the care community.

Importantly, Mrs Pegg’s Handy Lines are safe, stable, fit for purpose, built to last and come with a 10-year warranty.

You can easily order direct from the manufacturer, Mrs Pegg’s Products, or from our national network of assistive technology providers.

NDIS registered for easy ordering If your goal is to be able to perform laundry tasks yourself, simply

For more information visit: www.mrspeggshandyline.com.au or free call: 1800 111 811

www.mrspeggs.co m.au

linkonline.com.au

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Adapting service to your cultural background Approximately 25 per cent of Australians comes from culturally and linguistically diverse background (CALD) while only 8 per cent of NDIS participants are identified as CALD background. This reflects that there are many CALD people with disability unable to access NDIS and support services they need, mostly due to language barriers.

U

nderstanding this issue, Rosie’s Love and Care, was established to provide services tailored to participant’s cultural background. A leading service provider in the Vietnamese community it has helped many CALD participants gaining access to the NDIS to provide the services they need.

J. Nguyen* mother of a participant with down syndrome shared her journey with Link about finding a service provider for her daughter.

“I have been using many service providers, but my English communication is limited, and an interpreter was not always available. It was very difficult for me to communicate what I wanted for my daughter.

Also, there were some minor conflicts due to cultural differences that sometime made me very stressed.

“I heard about Rosie’s through a friend and started with a few hours trial. It’s been three years now and I don’t think of changing. My daughter was a shy girl with limited verbal communication, but she participates in most of Rosie’s program such as excursions, cooking, dancing, etc. She is now able to use public transport, introduce herself and make her own meals.

“Whenever Rosie launches a new program or excursion, I always book without any doubts. It’s just peace of mind that my daughter is in good hands and is improving every day.”

Rosie’s Love and Care director, Rosie Nguyen said: “We believe support workers should play a meaningful part in the participant’s journey, not just in a professional aspect, but more about meaningful connections and love” *Name has been changed.

For more information PH: 0492 668 668.

Email: info@rosielovecare.com.au

www.rosielovecare.com.au

info@rosielovecare.com.au

Link to...Assistive Technology

Negotiate tight turns effortlessly with the Zero Turn Series from Pride For indoors and out. shroud options, set the unit apart from the competition.

Search for hidden treasure deep inside the corner bookstore again, get reacquainted with your favourite café nook, and scoot into the supermarket with confidence that no aisle or produce display will throw you off course.

The Zero Turn 8 puts you closer to the things you care about.

A feature-packed scooter package The larger Zero Turn 10 takes personal mobility to a new and exciting level.

Imagine your perfect scooter.

A sleek, contemporary design that can traverse the most beautiful, out-of-reach places. Imagine that same scooter in your home, moving seamlessly from room to room.

M

obility has turned a corner with the Zero Turn Series from Pride Mobility, an innovative line of electric scooters built for indoors and out.

“Products with iTurn technology offer superior turning abilities than comparable units.”

Formerly known as the Jazzy Zero Turn and ZT10, the Zero Turn 8 and Zero Turn 10 can negotiate tight turns effortlessly thanks to Pride’s patented iTurn technology.

“In addition, the dual motors found on the Zero Turn 8 and 10 work together to offer a substantial amount of power and traction over a typical scooter,” he said.

Similar to the technology found on some ride-on lawn mowers, iTurn technology provides four-wheel stability with a three-wheel turning radius, enabling for turn-on-a-dime action in tights areas – like lifts and hallways.

The compact Zero Turn 8 benefits from a 97.2 centimetre turning radius, bright LED lighting, feather-touch disassembly for easy storage, and CTS suspension ensuring a smooth and comfortable drive.

“We’re immensely proud of the gamechanging Zero Turn Series,” Linds managing director, Warren Tripp said.

Added conveniences, like a USB charging port built into the tiller, under-seat storage and three colour

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August/September 2022

Combining the aforementioned dual motors and revolutionary turning technology with a full LED lighting package, CTS suspension, and a builtin USB charger for easy smart device charging, the Zero Turn 10 will carry you to places unknown.

The Zero Turn Series is an integral member of the Pride Mobility family of brands.

This includes the iconic Jazzy brand of power chairs, Go-GoTravel Mobility, Pride Mobility Scooters and Pride Power Lift Recliners.

For more information about the Zero Turn Series and other consumerinspired products, download Pride’s new PQ-365 app from the App Store or Google Play.

Alternatively, you can visit their website: www.pridemobility.com.au.

Visit pridemobility.com.au for more information

Link to...Assistive Technology

The TILL standing TALL Andrea Espei, head of training at Schuchmann GmbH & Co, delivered seminar sessions at the Brisbane and Sydney ATSA expos in May. Espei spoke to Kymberly Martin about the therapeutic benefits of the TILL Stander. body’s centre of mass which allows the back, shoulders and head to lean gently against the TILL. This prevents the head banging forward in the vertical position which you see often in supine standers."

Many users are always head banging, with a slight push forward, which often ends up trying to fix the shoulders, the chest and the trunk. This can end with a slight inclination backwards which leaves the child looking at the ceiling and not looking at what is around them.

Using the TILL, head control and with this interaction and participation, are made easier.

Andrea Espei with Apex Mobility director, Michael Cage

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he TILL paediatric adaptive standing frame moves easily from a lying to a standing position with precision adjustment to suit specific body shapes, from head to toe. The TILL is height adjustable in either position making it easier for an occupational therapist, carer and parents.

According to Espei it brings children into a vertical position that gives them eye-to-eye contact. “We are able to do this for a child from 75cm in height because it is important that small children have that vertical elevation,” she said. “The necessary things are participation, eye-to-eye contact and of course good positioning of the hip,

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the knees, and the angles which are important body structures, so head control is made easier.

“The hardest part is in the construction to allow the eye-to-eye position with other people for little children at 75cm and adolescents at 175cm. Bringing them up to standing is best for bone density and other physiological functions,” Espei said. The TILL can follow any deformity from 45-degree density in the knee to 30-degree in the hip.

“With the TILL we do supine position standing (the support is at the persons back) in a position we call ‘tuber stand’ with the heels slightly in front of the

“With the TILL Stander you can accommodate children and adults mostly standing with support from the back and the front and press exactly where it is needed for the bone structure, where you want to give support, for example against the knee.

The stander takes a lot of weight, for example to the ankle with weight on the toes, the weight will be shifted, and it will be a lot easier for the patient as it allows for more time standing.”

She referred to Ginny Paleg a US paediatric physiotherapist who specialises in posture and mobility assessment who said it was necessary that children and adults stand 90 minutes a day to achieve any effects on bone density. “A surgeon doing hip reconstruction will decide where to operate and what is needed to hold the bones together, but if the bone is weak, surgery is impossible, and the future for young people will be unsuccessful without good results from surgery.

“We have to take care of bone density and pay attention to bone density from an early age. Even if someone is not able to be in upright position and we are able to give them 90 minutes in a vertical position is good, but walking is better for bone density,” Espei said.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

A small car with a ‘whole lotta Freedom’

W

ell, it has happened.

Freedom Motors has finally unveiled the newest member of the Freedom family.

The new Kia Seltos has joined the company’s ever-growing family of high-quality vehicles that are modified with what is said to be one of the best wheelchair accessible modifications on the market.

This newest member is modified with a self-drive transfer/ family member design and is ready to get out and about and show users what it can do.

This vehicle is perfect for smaller statured people who only want a small car that will give them independence.

With the push of a button the auto entry tailgate and ramp is lowered, allowing for entry to the Dahl docking system, said to be the safest docking

system on the market. By closing the ramp and tailgate, again with the press of a button all integrated into the original vehicle key fob, users are now a small transfer away into the six-way power seat, moving into the driving position and set to go.

Hand controls can be fitted to suit individual driving requirements with a large selection of hand control options available.

modifying vehicles to wheelchair access vehicles, Freedom Motors is a leading modifier in Australia so users can be assured if it’s a Freedom modification you are in safe hands.

Give Freedom Motors Australia a call on: 1800 672 437 for more information on this new option or one of our other modifications. We deliver Freedom you choose the destination.

If driving isn’t your plan and you just want to be a passenger that is an option as well. The front passenger and drivers’ seats can remain unmodified with space for a passenger in the rear, which is perfect for small families.

Kia Seltos is one of the smallest vehicles Freedom Motors has undertaken to modify with a lowered floor modification. With nearly 25 years

FREE CALL 1800 672 437 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.FREEDOMMOTORSAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

NEW

INTRODUCING OUR

H YU N DA I STAR IA CONVERSION!

WE DELIVER FREEDOM YOU CHOOSE THE DESTINATION

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Link to...News

Duolingo and other learning apps

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ink contributor Caitlin Maynard writes about preparing to move overseas.

“After spending a little over four years in Australia, my fiancé and I are moving back to Europe and one of the ways I am preparing for this is learning French on the app Duolingo.

I have been on the app and practicing for over 130 days in a row. Duolingo takes me through different lessons from beginners to more complex ones.

It has a tracker and leaderboard to keep me accountable and connected to friends and other people. It is helpful to have apps like this, as not only do they make learning fun, but also accessible.

With this app I am able to practice listening, reading, speaking and writing in French from home.

Duolingo and other learning apps provide new hobbies and simpler ways to learn and have fun. As a wheelchair user it is nice to be able to learn something new and connect with other people doing the same thing without having to get ready and make my way to a language class.

In the past I have avoided signing up for classes or activities because of worries about access or interacting with new people. Living with a chronic condition also means I don’t know how I will feel each day. I might be having a great day and be able to do several activities with ease or I might have a flare-up day, rest and do low impact activities.

This can make it hard to commit going to a regularly scheduled class, however, with this app I have none of these concerns and am able to practice as much, or as little as I feel, on any given day.

I am pleased I started Duolingo because it makes me more confident to go out and use my French.”

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www.linds

rehab.com .au

Link to...Assistive Technology

A unique Assistive Technology experience opens in Adelaide people living with disability to gain the skills they need to enter the workforce.

The NovitaTech store experience for clients and families is also enhanced by the availability of individual and private therapy and consultation rooms, enabling both Novita and external therapists to meet with their clients to discuss the AT they need.

Inclusion and accessibility for its clients and families through AT is a major focus for Novita and NovitaTech, and among its clients achieving their communication goals with the support of AT and the NovitaTech team is Lyla. The 10-year-old has important communication goals, including being able to ask and answer questions, use switches to initiate communication and reading more independently.

One of AT tools that Lyla and her therapists have been using to work towards achieving those goals is Clicker - software that allows Lyla to engage with literacy and school-based activities at her own pace. The software enables Lyla to form sentences and write out what she wants to ask or tell people.

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ssistive Technology (AT) can support you to lead a fulfilling and independent life and delivering AT support for people living with disability is one of the key foundations on which Novita is built.

For more than 50 years, Novita’s Assistive Technology business NovitaTech has been working with clients and families to find the most appropriate AT solutions in the home, at school, in the workplace and in the community.

NovitaTech has recently underpinned its commitment to innovation and positive outcomes for clients by opening Australia’s largest and most comprehensive AT retail experience.

The NovitaTech store is a new concept

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in AT, mobility, and independent living solutions – not only for people living with disability, but also for people in the aged care sector and those rehabilitating from injury or surgery.

With a large range of AT products on display and private spaces to try, discuss and learn about all types of AT, the NovitaTech store provides direct access to the devices and equipment people need to achieve their independence goals.

This unique facility, just minutes from the Adelaide CBD, is more than a retail experience. The store includes a wheelchair sports court and a fullycatered café, operated by participants in Novita’s successful Transition to Work – a program supporting young

The Clicker software is an excellent example of AT available for people with complex communication needs.

For kids like Lyla, this technology is showing them they have the same opportunities to engage in reading and writing as their peers who may be able to use a pencil.

The new NovitaTech store is a complete AT solutions destination offering everything from everyday consumables and off-the-shelf products to complex and scripted disability and aged care products.

The NovitaTech store is located at 31 Manton St, Hindmarsh, South Australia. You can also access its range of products and equipment at: novitatech.com.au

The chair that changed everything

Australia’s largest assistive tech experience.

Now open at Hindmarsh, South Australia, or shop online at novitatech.com.au

Link to...International News

FDA approves new autism detection device

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he US Food and Drug Administration has authorised a new device aimed at helping doctors decide whether or not children as young as 16 months have autism.

showing social interactions between kids. Data is then cross-referenced with age-expected metrics to determine if a child is missing out on significant social learning.

The FDA granted clearance to EarliTec Diagnostics for its EarliPoint System, a prescription device that is “intended to aid in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.” The move allows the tool to be marketed and used in children ages 16 to 30 months.

In addition to helping clinicians determine whether children have autism, the system includes the EarliPoint Severity Indices which provides information about a child’s level of social disability as well as verbal and nonverbal ability.

The device, which the company is calling the EarliPoint Evaluation for ASD, uses eye-tracking technology to analyse visual behaviour that is imperceptible to the human eye and assess focus and responsiveness while a child watches a series of short videos

The FDA approval comes a year after the agency granted its first authorisation to aid in the diagnosis of autism. Cognoa ASD Diagnosis Aid, branded as Canvas Dx uses an algorithm to analyse information submitted by parents and health care

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providers and videos of the child in order to return a “positive for ASD” or “negative for ASD” response.

The Cognoa aid is approved for use in children ages 18 months to 5 years. The addition of the EarliPoint device, which the FDA determined is “substantially equivalent” to the one from Cognoa, gives clinicians a tool they can use with younger children, starting at 16 months.

EarliPoint was developed by researchers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine and Yale University.

The FDA based its clearance of the EarliPoint device on results from two studies, collectively involving 550 children.

Australia’s foremost assistive technology event

MELBOURNE

BY THE INDUSTRY FOR THE INDUSTRY

24-25 MAY 2023

MELBOURNE SHOWGROUNDS Ascot Vale VIC 3032

PERTH

31 MAY - 1 JUN 2023

CLAREMONT SHOWGROUND Claremont WA 6010

CANBERRA

7-8 NOV 2023

STANDS

ON SALE NOW

EXHIBITION PARK (EPIC) Mitchell ACT 2911

1300 789 845 www.atsaindependentlivingexpo.com.au Organised by

Media Partners

Link to...ATSA

ATSA celebrates 22 years Everything ATSA has achieved as an industry association comes back to the early vision and efforts of a remarkable group of people. Tony Mason, Greg Kline and Iain Hogg founded the association that became ATSA. That was 22 years ago, something we celebrated in May at our first ever gala dinner.

On the night, we recognised the achievements of our members, and we acknowledged the dedication and hard work of many people.

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long with our former EO, Chris Sparks OAM, Tony, Greg and Iain were awarded the first ever Acknowledgement of Industry Service awards.

None of them were aware they were going to receive an award for helping to give ATSA the strong voice that it does. That voice has led directly and indirectly to improvements in the lives of everyone who relies on assistive technology.

Shaping ATSA is just one achievement on a list that might exhaust someone else. Chris played wheelchair basketball for Australia at the 1988 Paralympics, and he’s a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to people with disability. And he achieved all that he has for people with disability while forging a 20-year career putting together and leading high-performing teams in Australia and Asia.

Many people who may never know Chris have benefited from his willingness to accept opportunities without reference to a life plan. That’s only happened when Chris said yes when encouraged to breathe new life into the Independent Rehabilitation

AT Product Consultant of the Year 2022 – Sentheesh Thiruchelvam, GTK

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Suppliers Association of NSW. That was the beginning of nine years spent shaping what became ATSA into the peak body for assistive technology businesses. As the peak body for the industry, ATSA has pushed hard for high standards and other improvements that have made life easier for AT consumers.

Chris says, “About the only thing I think I do really well is building incredibly committed teams. My basketball days helped a lot with that, I had a brilliant coach and mentor. And I think being able to build teams is a huge asset to have in business. When you have a great team, good people don’t leave, and they get things done.”

Wendy, Chris’ wife, worked tirelessly alongside Chris for all his years with ATSA and continued to handle accounts and assisted the ATSA team as it grew in 2021. Wendy has still been assisting the ATSA team much of the first half of 2022 as we have implemented new software and accounts team. Chris and Wendy are a seamless partnership.

In the case of ATSA, the team that Chris helped to build continues to grow the profile and influence of a vital industry. That legacy is why Chris was the obvious choice for one of our first Acknowledgement of Industry Service awards.

Important life lessons were shared from Chris’ Dad, “Dad told us that we should always try to leave something better than when we found it. He said we should respect everyone, regardless of their station in life, but that we should never put anyone on a pedestal.

The only measure of what’s important, he said, is an honest estimation of yourself in the mirror. Can you say you’re putting in more than you’re taking out?”

Commitment to Excellence – Amin Akbarian, Mobility Engineering

Thank you, Chris, with the unwavering support of Wendy, for everything you have both done for the AT industry.

The ATSA team wish Chris and Wendy a happy retirement with lots of adventures.

With more than 400 people attending the first gala dinner ATSA also acknowledged Founding Member companies – Dejay Medical, Disability Hire Vehicles, GTK, Invacare Australia, Otto Bock Australia, Peak Care Equipment, Pegasus Healthcare, Seating Dynamics/Permobil,

Industry person of the Year 2022 – Monika Saller, GTK

Australian Innovation of the Year 2022 – BathCheck Gena Boult, Showerbuddy

ATSA

Dealer of the Year Award 2022 – Jack O’Keeffe & Peter Kerkhof - Wild West Wheelchairs

Founding Member Award – Sankesh Chetty - Invacare APAC, Cliff Bunten Peak Care Equipment, George Ajaka - GTK, Iain and Rhonda Hogg - Specialised Wheelchair Company, Jacinta Maurin - Otto Bock Australia, Justin Wanschers Sunrise Medical APAC, Tim Mason - Dejay Medical Not pictured: Disability Hire Vehicles, Seating Dynamics/Permobil and Vital Living

Acknowledgement of Industry Service – Chris and Wendy Sparks

Acknowledgement of Industry Service – Tony Mason - Dejay Medical, Marguerite Kline - TK, Iain Hogg - Specialised Wheelchair Company

Specialised Wheelchair Company and Sunrise Medical.

AT Product Consultant of the Year - Sentheesh Thiruchelvam, GTK

There were a number of new ATSA awards presented for the first time at the event including: Dealer of the Year - Wild West Wheelchairs

Industry Person of the Year - Monika Saller, GTK

Supplier/Manufacturer of the Year - TabTimer Pty Ltd

We also wish to mention an existing award. Submissions are now open to exhibitors at ATSA Independent Living Expo, as voted by the public.

Australian Innovative Product of the Year - BathCheck – Showerbuddy

Commitment to Excellence - Amin Akbarian, Mobility Engineering

Supplier/Manufacturer of the Year 2022 & Best New Product 2022 Droplet Intelligent Hydration System – Jonathan Allot, TabTimer

Best New Product of the Year Droplet Intelligent Hydration System – TabTimer Pty Ltd Congratulations to all finalists and winners. Thank you to all that attended and supported the night.

Interested in nominating for 2023 or learning more about ATSA and what we offer? Call us on (02) 8006 7357 or visit www.atsa.org.au and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Linkedin. linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Assistive Technology

Need help to understand the NDIS and assistive technology?

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T Chat is here to help you make assistive technology (AT) decisions through accessing peer support and peer-led information.

The AT Navigator program, which connects people with disability with expert AT users with specialised training has been such a success that it will be expanded into a formalised AT Mentor service.

AT Chat is currently developing Australia’s first dedicated AT Mentoring service that will provide AT advice to people with disability and those who support them to make informed choices about their AT needs.

The NDIS released new guidelines stating that you no longer need quotes for AT items under $15,000, but you will still require written evidence, such as a letter of support.

Delivering quality assistive technology (AT) peer support to help you reach your goals. Your AT Chat team will do the research for you and provide you with impartial information to support your choice.

Together we can find the right AT for you w

atchat.com.au

e at.chat@ilaustralia.org.au t (08) 6202 4700

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This is where AT Mentors come in.

They will work with you to discuss your needs and situation to provide AT advice and evidence for the appropriate AT item that is right for you.

AT Mentor Jason has a Certificate IV in Assistive Technology Mentoring and lived experience with disability. He is excited by the opportunity to help his peers understand their NDIS funding and reach their goals.

“I chose to become a mentor to be able to help others in their AT journey and to share my knowledge that I have gained over the years navigating the AT information sourcing process and funding application process.”

Email: at.chat@ilaustralia.org.au or call: (08) 6202 4700 to find out how an AT Mentor will be able to help you.

VIP: When accessibility is the solution

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he bathroom is an essential part of any home, let alone a universally designed home to cater for all people, regardless of physical ability. In addition to designing bathrooms, VIP Access transforms bathrooms to be fully accessible to suit people’s individual needs.

VIP create solutions that not only comply, but often surpass the access standards and regulations, and work closely with the client and occupational therapists to ensure all needs are met.

When modifying your home, it is essential to create a solution that creates a safer environment where the occupants can perform everyday tasks independently regardless of physical ability.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The first step is to look at accessibility issues, whether there is sufficient space to access the different areas and turning areas as well as removing all obstacles.

As a registered builder, paraplegic and wheelchair user, Scott owner of VIP Access is able to notice all the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities, note areas of improvement and recommend innovative solutions that are practical while at the same time aesthetically pleasing.

He has the knowledge and experience to create practical and innovative solutions for all users by providing level access showers, using nonslip tiles, ample circulation space and ensuring structural support is framed in walls for grabrails to be installed now, or at a later date, when client’s needs change.

www.vipaccess.net.au

linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Assistive Technology

Being blind should not be a deterrent to work opportunities

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aren Knight is blind but that has not stopped her from leading a national workforce.

Vision Australia client services general manager Karen Knight is an MBA graduate and parent, and proof of what can happen when an employer sees what is possible.

Her career started as a volunteer with the Victims of Crime Association. “I wanted to prove to the world and myself that I could do whatever I wanted. The people I helped felt they could relate to me and could tell I had also gone through tough times.

She did not gain any paid work of significance until she was 24-years old.

After graduating as a psychologist, she applied for 200 jobs and got 10 interviews. “Eventually, I secured work in a mental health hospital. My

employer knew I had the skills, training, and technologies to be an efficient employee, like my sighted peers.”

As for blind employees being a safety and productivity business risk to many employers what is the reality?

According to Knight, staff who are blind or with low vision have fewer injuries than sighted staff at Vision Australia, which is significant, considering they make up 15 per cent of the workforce.

“The reality is people with a vision condition who apply for work have spent years developing a range of skills to be competitive candidates.

If the person doesn’t have these skills, the task of finding employment will be a lot longer and a lot more challenging. People who are blind or have low vision can participate in the workplace just like anyone else.”

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August/September 2022

Her role at Vision Australia involves travel, usually alone and often working remotely where she uses a white cane and other assistive technologies. “If I’m visiting a work site, someone will greet me and show me around so that I can familiarise myself and I imagine that’s the same for anyone visiting a new environment.”

As for common misconceptions about employees who are blind or have low vision, she said it would probably come as a surprise to a lot of employers to know that people who are blind are employed as physiotherapists, teachers, psychologists, company directors, bankers, chefs, musicians and much more. “Being open to candidates with lived experience could lead you to the right candidate that you have never considered.”

Visit: visionaustralia.org/ seewhatspossible

New AT information service for people with disability

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he Accessible Telecoms project is Australia’s first independent and up-to-date guide to mainstream and assistive telecommunication products suitable for seniors and people with disability.

This is a free service that can be used by anyone, including seniors, people with disability, their families and carers, service providers and advocates.

The website provides information about the useful features of phones, tablets, accessories, and apps that may assist people in using their devices.

Some examples of what you can find at Accessible Telecoms include: • Phones with volume control or big buttons suitable for seniors • Simple mobile phones that are easy to use • Hearing aid compatible mobile phones

ACCESSIBLE

• • •

• • •

Emergency pendants Wheelchair mounts for mobile phones and tablets Eye gaze accessories, switch buttons, prosthetic equipment, and other alternative controls to phones and tablets Captioning apps, screen zoom apps, augmentative and alternative communication apps User manuals of phones and tablets Training organisations that can teach you how to use your phone or tablet, and much more.

The Accessible Telecoms Project is supervised by ACCAN’S inclusion team and has been developed with the input of an advisory committee formed by experts on senior and disability matters. The input of this committee is reflected on the types of products listed on the website, the accessibility features included for each device

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

and the accessibility of the webpage among other topics.

This service is an initiative of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) to address the lack of consolidated, independent and up-to-date information about accessibility features of telecommunications equipment available in Australia.

TELECOMS

People with Disabilities & Seniors find

Phones

Tablets

Accessories

Apps

that match your needs

Phone: 1800 442 300 SMS: 0438 454 413 accessible.telecoms@accan.org.au accessibletelecoms.org.au

linkonline.com.au

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Link to...News

Making it through cancer Nicholas Howard had his life pretty well mapped out when he was diagnosed with cancer.

He revealed to Kymberly Martin that what matters is family, friends, love and a little bit of community help.

As bad as it was, missing out on so many things and falling behind at school were still hard to deal with at the time.”

Two years after his initial cancer diagnosis, cancer returned in his other leg, also requiring chemotherapy and major surgery with a total knee replacement. Again, he missed school but during his rehabilitation The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne set up an education service and when he was feeling well a teacher helped with his homework.

He returned to Ronald McDonald House and resumed schooling although initially quite sick, playing catchup when possible. He finished his schooling in Bendigo and moved to Melbourne to attend university at the end of 2006.

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here is surely no-one on the planet unaware of McDonald’s but what about Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC)?

A Melbourne family knows it well.

Nicholas Howard was 12-years old when he developed the bone cancer osteosarcoma. He was living in Bendigo with his family at the time.

Nicholas had to visit Melbourne for treatment that involved 8-10 months of chemotherapy and ultimately an amputation of his left leg. Ronald McDonald House became his “home away from home”.

Because the travel time from Bendigo was a two-hour drive and his treatment regime could be a week or two-week block, his parents and younger siblings stayed at Ronald McDonald House, 200 metres from the hospital, where they could be with him for most of the day while he was receiving treatment and when his prosthetic leg was being made.

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“It was an intensive time physically with treatment and rehab therapy, but there were other kids and families in the house going through similar experiences which we could share, and it was nice to have home-cooked meals and a comfortable bed,” Nicholas said.

“I had to put my trust in the doctors and my parents who were looking after me.”

But despite this there were challenges and the biggest was coming to terms about losing his leg. “I was very active, and sport was my main interest to a point where I hoped to play at a professional level. To be told at 12 years old to recalibrate and rethink my priorities at such a young age was the hardest thing,” he said. “The loss of school time and social events with my friends was also difficult, as was the treatment. Feeling sick, losing weight, and not having much energy. But that is what happens.

Nicholas was in remission for nearly 10 years when cancer came back in 2012, this time into his lung and two years later cancer showed up in his right kidney, both requiring surgery to remove the tumours. There has been no further cancer since then with yearly checkups at Peter Mac (MacCallum Cancer Centre).

He does not use a wheelchair or crutches and is independent for most things although showering is tricky. He can drive but wears hearing aids, as a result of hearing loss from chemotherapy as a child.

Don’t underestimate the importance of community support services The Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he has his prosthetic leg made, is looking at switching him and others over to the NDIS as he was diagnosed before the scheme was introduced and covered by the public health system.

“I understand the funding models are

NEWS NEWS

changing so I would not be surprised that within the next year I will be set up on the NDIS.” Now 34 years old, he works as a nurse and researcher at The Royal Melbourne Hospital Urology Department, carrying out clinical coordination for outpatient services.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital was one of the largest centres taking Covid patients and this had a huge effect on services and while his department was able to continue, surgery was often cancelled or delayed. “There was a trickle-on effect but overall, we managed to get through it, but it remains an issue with large public hospitals like ours as Covid has not gone away.”

Outside work he is a keen golfer and played with his father before he was impacted by cancer. Golf is an accessible sport and ideal for people like himself and he is keen on joining the amputee golf tournaments. “Golf remains my main sporting activity along with fishing, I love music and play the guitar and piano so that keeps me busy too.”

In 2016 he married his longtime girlfriend Erin, who works at Melbourne University as a Project Officer for their Pathways to Politics Program for Women. Travel is on the agenda with plans to visit Europe next year.

Asked how he has dealt with the trauma of his early life Nicholas puts it down to the person he was and is, fortunate to grow up in a stable household with a loving, supportive family and a network of friends.

Living in Bendigo at the time he received help from the school and wider community. “In some country towns there are services available which can be vital to recovery. You cannot go through what happened to me without reaching out and asking for support.

Organisations like Challenge and Ronald McDonald House Charities are invaluable in providing guidance through some of the worse moments of your life.

“Anyone recovering from illness due to cancer, or physical disability should

From left: Erin, Nicholas, Gary and Liz Howard.

be aware of these support networks and the more you engage with these valuable opportunities and seek help the greater your chances are to successfully take you beyond whatever difficulties you are facing. Mental wellbeing is critical too and try to maintain a positive attitude because when things get tough there are people you can talk too about whatever you might be feeling up against.”

Link also spoke to his Nick’s father Gary Howard, who was one of 11 volunteers to receive an award during National Volunteer Week. Electronics company LG Australia partners with Ronald McDonald House Charities via its LG Golden Hearts initiative.

Gary has been a volunteer with RMHC for three years, doing gardening and driving duties. The latter mainly transporting mothers and babies to hospitals or shopping and picking up donations. Gary said he was unaware of RMHC until his son was sick. “When Nick was having a bad day, I could be there for him. The house was very comfortable and is run mainly by volunteers although there are staff in management.”

He admitted to being surprised to get the call from LG about his award win and delighted to be offered a choice from a generous package, either TV, computer or laundry, choosing the TV and sound system. His wife Liz also volunteers at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Nicholas is proud that his father was nominated and recognised for his volunteer work. “My parents have retired but are now giving their time to helping other families, going through similar times that we went through. My parents have a lot of life skills and experiences to share.”

LG also donated home appliances, entertainment equipment and air conditioners to refurbish Ronald McDonald Houses across Australia.

Link could not end the interview with Gary without asking: “Did you ever get a hamburger?” It produced laughter from him and this response: “Everyone always asks about hamburgers.” And the answer was no “but there is an annual hamburger fundraising day”. linkonline.com.au

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Link to...News

Blend Creative: Design by Example

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lend Creative began as a design team of seven, operating out of a small office on the campus of Flinders University.

Today Blend Creative is a thriving social enterprise of over 40 staff, of which 32 identify with disability and in July expanded their operation to open a second studio in Ottoway, a northern suburb of Adelaide.

“Everyone has worked so hard to get here and it is great to see the doors open in the north”, Blend Creative account director, Monique Russell said.

“This expansion means that we can offer more opportunities for people who identify with disability to work in the graphic design sector without trying to get to Reynella, where our current office is located.”

Blend Creative has seen the success of their studio go from strength to strength with clients supporting the business and the team through every project undertaken.

Clients include Department of Regional New South Wales, Achieve Australia,

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Department of Premier and Cabinet in South Australia, University of South Australia and Flinders University.

According to Flinders University Professor in Human Development, Dr Phillip Slee, “the services Blend Creative provide, and their means for providing the service, is an asset to the community.”

At a national level, there are significant shifts toward social procurement, where educated buyers and consumers want more. They no longer want just a product or to receive a service.

“Decision makers want to know their spend also makes a difference and creates an impact and that is something that is incredibly powerful and highly visible at Blend Creative”, SA Group Enterprises, executive manager, Andrew Wallace said.

Blend Creative is a certified social enterprise with Social Traders and from October will be supporting their staff to undertake Certificate I in Visual Arts or Certificate II in Creative Design. Training and Development lead who will deliver the training, Andrew

Eldridge said he loves being part of a pioneering business that provides people with disability the unique opportunity to do meaningful, highend work in a professional graphic design studio.

“Seeing people extend themselves and come out of their shell as they work at Blend Creative motivates me to find different ways to engage with our staff and progress them in their professional development journey.”

Thomas Ng who has been with Blend Creative for four years believes it was luck that got him there. “If I didn’t work at Blend Creative, I probably wouldn’t be working”, he said. I am looking forward to challenging myself with Certificate I and seeing where that goes”.

Another employee, Wayne, who has been working at Blend Creative for 20 years was one of the first staff to work at the Ottoway office, is seeing in a new chapter of his career with Blend.

The northern office will have its official opening to celebrate the expansion in September.

Living independently and loving it!

L

ike many young people, moving out of the family home was a goal that Grace wanted to achieve.

When her brother moved out of home she turned to her mum and said, “Well when do I move out?”

That’s when Grace, with the support of her parents, started putting a plan in place to secure a future where she can live her best life.

After months of looking, Grace finally found the perfect home, a home with support available when she needs it and close to the community she grew up in.

“My new place is great. I’m able to look after my own garden, do my own washing, go grocery shopping, and do dinner parties with my friends,” Grace said.

ACCOMMODATION & HOME SUPPORTS

At Endeavour Foundation, we believe that living independently can be a haven and a launch pad to a great life.

That’s why we are investing $45m in accessible housing through our My Home, My Life initiative, the biggest investment in our 70-year history. This initiative will provide 600 Queenslanders with disability the option to live independently in a home that meets their needs, now and into the future.

Jane, Grace’s mum, noted that Grace has come into her own since moving into her new home.

“One of the greatest things to happen to Grace when she moved into supported independent living was not only starting her independent life as an adult but also seeing how our relationship has grown as mother and daughter,” Jane said.

For Grace, living independently was one of the best decisions she has ever made. “I love my community, I love having control of my own life,”she said.

If you want to live your life, your way like Grace, Endeavour Foundation can help you get there. Call us on: 1800 112 112 or visit us at: endeavour.com.au.

Just like Tara, you too can live life your way.

Here at Endeavour Foundation, we can help you achieve your goals—whether it is to live independently, learn daily living skills, find a meaningful job or build strong relationships in your community.

Find out how we can make your possibilities a reality.

Call 1800 112 112, visit endeavour.com.au or scan this code to find out more.

EF3010.LM.0722

linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Accommodation & Home Support

Able Digital Wellness An Australian-first innovative digital platform helping people living with disability lead more connected lives. who use a wheelchair or have an intellectual disability.

The platform includes tailored exercise programs, recipes, mental health tools and a portal for bringing disconnected people together digitally to connect with others.

F

ounders of Able Digital Wellness, Gold Coast Queensland based, Scott Chapman, Tyler Murphy and Tim Black created what they claim is a unique subscription-based platform where people with a disability can access new weekly content designed to improve nutrition, exercise and mental health outcomes for people

The programs are accessible and cost $66 a month, and can be covered under the NDIS, with all content prepared by registered allied health professionals.

The Able platform has also been adopted by several supported independent living (SIL) care homes across the country, including Aruma.

The digital platform was designed during Covid, when people, in

particular those who were most vulnerable in the community who could not come together in person but still needed care and connection.

Able was also inspired by CEO Scott Chapman's nephew, who lives with an intellectual disability.

A child protection and disability ambassador and Top 100 entrepreneur, Chapman started developing a platform to help his nephew in his day-to-day life, that led to the Able platform.

In the past year, Able has partnered with Griffith University's School of Health Science, the Hopkins Centre for Research and joined a three-month health tech accelerator with LuminaX and Cohort at its innovation precinct in Southport.

Tutoring with disability during Covid a lot of these changes were hard to deal with. Enter Zoom.

But one thing did change for the better. The lockdown showed society that people can work from home and be productive, Maynard said. “This was a huge plus for the disability community as it demonstrated that people like me can take on roles that we previously would not have been considered for, because of having to go into an office every day.

L

ike so many people, Link contributor Caitlin Maynard noticed during the Covid lockdowns how so much changed and

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“During the lockdown my pre-algebra tutoring business moved to Zoom sessions. It took a bit of working out to learn the technology and change my strategies for teaching. Some of my first sessions were taken up with me trying to show an example over the camera, and students not being able to read it backwards. But after a bit of practice, we made it work.

“I liked being able to see the kids in person and show them exactly what to do, but as a wheelchair user tutoring

over video chat ended up being nice.

Over Zoom a lot of the pressures were taken away.

“I didn’t need to tidy my house or worry about how to answer the door or put together a whole outfit for Zoom. Part of my condition is chronic fatigue, so simple daily tasks like these are often draining for me.

“When I started tutoring in person again one of my students opted to continue online sessions. It meant saving some energy while still being able to teach. Having just one of my sessions stay online means less stress and more comfort,” she said.

When Maynard teaches through her computer or iPad she can stay in a comfortable and safe chair whereas for in-person tutoring it is necessary to be able to move around and physically interact with the student.

“I prefer to see the kids and be able to chat and catch up with them in person but tutoring online has some huge perks.“

ACCOMMODATION & HOME SUPPORTS

Assisting Craig and Jimmy to live their lives, their way. individuals with everything they need to help them live their life, their way.

Their client, Craig, receives social support, community access and transport assistance. Craig’s support worker, John, assists Craig to get out into the community to do the things he loves, such as playing tennis and fishing.

John has been working with Community Support since 1997 and has supported Craig for over 10 years. He enjoys assisting his clients to improve their well-being and life skills. This support allows people like Craig to achieve their goals and daily living activities every day.

C

ommunity Support Inc has been providing home care services for people living with a disability, mental health, or aged care related need for over 31 years.

The organisation offers a range of professional, flexible services for children, young people and adults requiring home or community support across all metropolitan and most regional areas of South Australia. With qualified staff supporting clients across the state, the organisation provides

www.csisa.org.a u

Community Support provides highly personalised and professional services such as support co-ordination, social support and skills development, domestic and transport assistance, personal care, respite, training, and life skills. The organisation works closely with other providers, family members and broader networks to ensure an individual’s goals are achieved and that every client’s support plan is catered specifically to their needs.

To find out more contact Community Support PH: 08 8429 1200 or E: hello@csisa.org.au or visit the website: csisa.org.au

Client Services coordinator, Chantelle and support coordinator, Christine worked together to help another client, Jimmy to access much needed funds to buy items like clothes, shoes and bedding to ensure he was safe for winter. Support worker, David took Jimmy shopping to select the items he needed. Chantelle then picked these up and delivered them to the client.

Jimmy said: “I keep waiting to wake up and it be a dream, I nearly fell down when I was told it was happening. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart to everyone who helped make this possible.”

hello@csisa.org.au

www.csisa.org.au

linkonline.com.au

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Link to...News

Me Before You

By Laura Pettenuzzo

people with disability was forced to hold the grief of people I loved.

I wasn’t old enough or wise enough to challenge my family’s inadvertent ableism as a child, nor did I believe there was anything to challenge.

Now, having lived for nearly three decades and found a proud and thriving disability community, I know better.

“I do not grieve this life.

I love it ” I do, however, mourn the possibility of an inclusive society. If I cry about my disability now, it’s because someone has mocked the way I walk or told me that I need to “try harder” to make my disability less apparent.

I

n April 2022, people with disability and our allies were outraged over then Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s ill-phrased response to a mother of an autistic child. Morrison said that he and his wife Jenny were “blessed” that neither of their children were autistic.

While this notion of being blessed with children who do not have disability is inherently ableist and shocking, it is, unfortunately, by no means uncommon.

My family members have written and spoken of being “robbed” of the life they imagined for themselves when I was born with cerebral palsy.

They speak of having “failed,” the implication being that I am their failure.

The damage this message causes, particularly when it is repeated to an impressionable child, is difficult to articulate. I, along with so many other

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Sometimes it’s because the bookstore nearest my house has two flights of stairs at the entrance, or because some wellmeaning person believes that I couldn’t possibly be as exhausted as I say that I am. In short, I’m upset because I could have been born into a world that catered to my access needs and saw me and people like me as an asset and a gift.

Instead, I have to fight every day for the accommodations I deserve, to be seen as more than my spasming limbs and awkward gait. But there are people who fight alongside me. They are the disability community and with them I rejoice.

How a wheelchair can change a life The disability community has shown me a new way of perceiving my disability.

Through hashtags such as Keah Brown’s #DisabledAndCute or Tara Moss’ #TaraAndWolfie, I learned that my limp and my wheelchair - my very self - could become things of beauty, be visible and wonderful.

I decorated my motorised wheelchair which was a secondhand gift from one

of my dearest friends, with stickers and gave it a name and excitedly introduced it to my friends. Maleena – as it’s known – has changed my life. I can, Covid permitting, travel further with minimal pain and fatigue.

My wheelchair has changed my life, but it’s not the only gift the disability community has given me.

The difference in the attitudes of parents with disability and without disability at the prospect of having a child with disability is telling. In disability musician and writer Eliza Hull’s recent anthology We’ve Got This: Stories by Disabled Parents, several contributors reflect on their parenting experience and having children with disability.

For instance, Sam Drummond wrote that if his daughter has his disability, he will not grieve for the disability but for “the part of her life that will be defined by society’s prejudice and expectations.” If she doesn’t have his disability, he will grieve “the part of her life that will miss out on the wonderful perspective and experiences that disability can bring.”

Reading those stories, I found a new frame of reference for my own existence. My existence was not necessarily a cause for grief, it was a gift. I hope that one day able-bodied people see it that way too.

I’d like to clarify that not every person with disability loves their life, but even if they don’t, they should not have to carry the grief of an able-bodied society. Our relationships with our disabilities are unique and the product of a variety of interrelated factors.

Those relationships are valid, whatever they look like.

When we reject societal attitudes towards disability, we find freedom.

I found that I am nobody’s failure. I am my own ongoing success story, my own joyful triumph.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The ‘eyes’ might have it when it comes to ASD and ADHD

I

n the first study of its kind, university researchers in Adelaide found recordings from the retina could identify distinct signals for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, providing a potential biomarker for each condition.

Using the electroretinogram (ERG), a diagnostic test that measures the electrical activity of the retina in response to a light stimulus, the researchers found that children with ADHD showed higher overall ERG energy, whereas children with ASD showed less ERG energy.

Flinders University research optometrist, Dr Paul Constable said the preliminary findings indicate promising

results for improved diagnoses and treatments in the future.

“ASD and ADHD are the most common neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed in childhood. But as they often share similar traits, making diagnoses for both conditions can be lengthy and complicated,” he said. “Our research aims to improve this. By exploring how signals in the retina react to light stimuli, we hope to develop more accurate and earlier diagnoses for different neurodevelopmental conditions.”

University of South Australia coresearcher in human and artificial cognition, Dr Fernando MarmolejoRamos said the research has the potential to extend across other neurological conditions.

“Ultimately, we are looking at how the eyes can help us understand the brain,” he said.

“While further research is needed to establish abnormalities in retinal signals that are specific to these and other neurodevelopmental disorders, what we’ve observed so far shows that we are on the precipice of something amazing.”

The research was conducted in partnership with McGill University, University College London and the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

According to the World Health Organization, one in 100 children has ASD, with 5-8 per cent of children diagnosed with ADHD. linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Travel & Leisure

Travelling? The Luggie makes it easy

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etting from point A to point B isn't always simple. When point B is a table at a charming cafe by the water, or a shopping centre, or even a plaza in Milan, a car can only get you so far.

Enter the Luggie mobility scooter.

Lightweight, manoeuvrable, and portable, the Luggie goes where you go, and can even take you further.

Weighing just over 20 kilograms, the Luggie folds into to a flat board that is easily levered into the car boot. It is also fully airline and cruise compliant, opening up a swathe of domestic and international travel options.

Adventurous, Luggie-riding Aussies can be spotted all around the globe, even on the boardwalks of Iceland.

Luggies come in a variety of models: wide track for extra stability or narrow for extra manoeuvrability. Hard tyres can be exchanged for soft tyres and suspension. It all depends on user preference.

So, if you're someone who could do with an extra set of legs, maybe try out the Luggie. It might surprise you how simple things can be.

Unfold & Go 8 models to choose from: • Wide track versions, for greater stability.

• Soft suspension, for a smoother ride.

Makes travel easy.

PREMIUM FOLDING SCOOTERS

Online sales & free delivery*

1300 622 633

www.scootersAus.com.au SCA34714_Unfold-Go-Scooter_79x182mmW_Link.indd 1

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*Conditions apply

1/11/21 9:57 am

Take a break…take a holiday

A

s we look to the future taking a holiday this year is truly integral to helping Australia’s recovery from the pandemic. Tourism has always been one of Australia’s major economies, and it will form an even more crucial part of our post-pandemic economic recovery over the next few years.

There are more than 300,000 businesses in the visitor economy and the sector employs, directly and indirectly, more than one million Australians. Hospitality and tourism are intrinsically connected, with roughly 30 cents of every tourism dollar being spent on food and accommodation services in Australia.

Approximately 44 cents of every tourism dollar goes to regional areas, making tourism an important lifeline for struggling rural communities, data from Torrens University showed.

Australia remains a world-leading destination with some of the world’s most famous attractions,

the best beaches, a huge choice of accommodation and dining options and a culture and lifestyle that is envied world-wide.

Leisure Options makes a conscious effort to support local communities on all their tours. Whether it is eating in a local café, visiting a family-run attraction, buying farm fresh produce or being immersed in an eco-friendly or cultural experience you can be assured that your holiday is providing jobs, strengthening communities and supporting local artisans, musicians and other creative industries.

TRAVEL & LEISURE

experiences and play your part in helping the future of Australia’s economy contact Leisure Options on: 1300 363 713 or email: mail@leisureoptions.com.au and we will help you plan your next, well-deserved holiday.

With upcoming holidays to destinations such as Adelaide and Victor Harbour, The Snowy Mountains, Kakadu, Mildura, The Great Ocean Road and the Sunshine Coast there is something to appeal to every traveller.

If you would like to make new friends, learn new skills, enjoy some incredible

ww w.le isur eop tion s.co m.a u We support the

linkonline.com.au

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Link to...What's On

What's On Calendar AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST 15-16 National Disability Summit Crown Melbourne info@inform.com.au

SEPTEMBER 2-3: Canberra Disability Expo Exhibition Park www.canberradisabilityexpo.com.au

AUGUST 17: Specialist Disability Accommodation Conference Intercontinental Hotel Melbourne www.sdaconferences.com

SEPTEMBER 8: RUOK? Day www.ruok.org.au

AUGUST 23-26: LGBTIQA+ Leadership Summit Intercontinental Hotel Double Bay, Sydney info@theleadershipinstitute.com.au/ lgbtiq-leadership-summit-2022/

SEPTEMBER 21: National Virtual Disability Conference www.vdc.delegateconnect.co/contact SEPTEMBER 20-22: Art Reach Accessibility Virtual Conference conference@art-reach.org

All events were correct as this issue went to press. Refer to websites for updates.

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SEPTEMBER 12- OCTOBER 9: Alter State Arts & Disability Festival, Melbourne www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/ festival-and-series/alter-state SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 2: Australasian Frame Running Camp & Cup University of Queensland Sport Athletics Centre www.dejay/events

TRAVEL & LEISURE

New Zealand second time around

N

ew Zealand is a destination so rich in experiences it’s impossible to see it all in one trip. Each return visit offers you a chance to set a different pace and really immerse yourself in a single region’s experiences.

Oamaru boasts one of the oldest city precincts in New Zealand and its distinctive stone architecture has featured in several recent films.

Regular events and activities take place here, including the annual Steam Punk Festival.

Ability Adventures can help you get the most out of your trip with bespoke guided or self- drive tour options designed around each traveller’s interests and specific requirements.

The Catlins is where native bush reaches the sea. The scenery is moulded by the wild weather that sweeps in from the Pacific and Southern Oceans and captured on canvas by local artists.

Here is a taste of what else New Zealand has to offer second time around.

At the opposite end of the country, a few hours’ drive north of Auckland is Northland. It’s main hub of Whangarei is host to the infamous Hundertwasser museum and the world’s southern-most bascule bridge, which raises and lowers at set times each day.

The Far North and South-eastern coastal areas Coastal Otago and the Far North are geographically different destinations.

These opposites attract visitors for a variety of reasons, with both offering their own flavour of historical, cultural and natural attractions.

Dunedin is the Otago region’s largest city and ideally placed as a good base for exploring up and down its wild coastline, from Oamaru in North Otago down to the Catlins.

stretches for miles and the landscape changes again.

Wherever you choose to go, Ability Adventures can make each visit a unique, accessible experience, so you can discover how New Zealand is an even better destination a second – or third – or fourth time around.

Farther north, just beyond the Bay of Islands, is Waitangi, New Zealand’s first capital and the home of the country’s constitutional treaty with Māori.

The Far North’s white sandy beaches and secluded bays are a great place to relax and recharge. Wend your way back down Northland’s west coastline to where the Kaipara Harbour

www.abilityadventures.co.nz linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Travel & Leisure

Chau Chak Wing Museum - a gateway to the University of Sydney The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney opened in November 2020 and is designed to share the university’s vast collections. As Caitlin Maynard discovered, there is something for everyone, from the Nicholson Collection of antiquities and the Macleay Collection of natural history, science and historic photography to art of First Nations people and those who are colour blind.

T

he Chau Chak Wing Museum is the first museum in Australia to offer EnChroma glasses to colour blind visitors. EnChroma eyewear enable those with colour deficiency to see bright and vibrant colours. Having these glasses available is just one way that the museum is proving to be inclusive and accessible to as many people as they can. Visitors are offered a pair of glasses that goes over regular glasses and a pair of traditional ones. It’s another

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good next step forward for Australia to become a more accessible country.

When you enter the museum everything is open and easy to find.

It reflects a calm space with smooth floors and an easy to navigate floor plan and all doorways are wide and easily accessible.

In addition to offering two types of EnChroma eyewear, the museum has

stools and a wheelchair available for use throughout the museum. It is a good idea to call ahead to book the wheelchair to make sure it is available as it is on a ‘first come first serve’ basis.

Raised labelling a game changer for explaining exhibits The labels throughout the museum were a game changer. The labelling was up front on a raised platform below the exhibits. This made it easy to see

TRAVEL & LEISURE

and read without having to look up at the wall behind the artefacts. Easy to read labels makes such a difference when it comes to accessibility.

My favourite part of the tour was the ambassador exhibition boxes placed on each level. These are where people from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities can decide what goes into the exhibit and what should be shown to represent their people and community.

There are accessible toilets on three of the four levels which is wonderful as most places I visit have only one accessible restroom in the entire building, which often leads to long lines and difficulty locating the correct restroom. There are also two accessible parking spots at the entrance to the museum and a few more down the road within the university campus. It was helpful to know that I could easily get into the museum with a few options if the nearest spots were taken.

The museum also has an eating area outside the cafe with a beautiful view.

Everyone working at the museum was helpful, pointing out lifts and signs, but I was lucky enough to have the senior education officer Susan Wrigley show me around. It is more exciting to visit a museum where you get to hear about the classes taught in each room with all the pieces of art. I also got some great information about the different artefacts as well as the building design.

The Chau Chak Wing Museum was a terrific day out. I was grateful to everyone at the museum for making me feel completely comfortable and excited to see and learn all about it.

A current exhibition is the Story-Telling Butterflies that come from ancient Greek and Roman myths.

The museum offers tours for community, special interest groups and school students.

Go to: sydney.edu.au/museum/tours Free entry and open weekdays from 10am – 5pm; Thursdays: 10am – 9pm; and weekends: 12pm – 4pm.

Go to: sydney.edu.au/museum or PH: 02 9351 2812. linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Happenings

Acclaimed play soon to the Opera House

C

oming to the Opera House Drama Theatre from September 6-10, following seasons at the Edinburgh International Festival and London’s Southbank Centre, is actor, writer, daughter and person with Down syndrome Julia Hales (ABC TV’s The Upside) in the play You Know We Belong Together.

lives on stage, showcasing their deeply personal experiences and day-to-day reality of Down syndrome.

Together, they have created a portrait of friendship on a replica set of Home and Away’s famous diner at Summer Bay, so Hales can finally be in the show.

You Know We Belong Together premiered at the Perth Festival in 2018 to rave reviews and audience acclaim, then a return sold-out season in 2019 as part of Black Swan State Theatre Company’s season.

“I want people to see us for who we are and what we do as part of the world. I watched every single episode of Australian soap opera Home and Away since it first aired in 1988, but I’ve never seen another person with Down syndrome in the cast. I used to dream of landing a role in it and finding love, so I created You Know We Belong Together. This is a story for us, by us.” said Hales who is the plays creator, co-writer and lead artist.

The Opera House performance on September 10 will include a post-show Q&A with the cast.

All performances of You Know We Belong Together have integrated Auslan interpretation and captioning is provided during film segments and there is a quiet space in the foyer.

The performance of monologues, video, scenes, dance and song stars Hales and a cast of six Western Australian actors who put their own

Email: bookings@sydneyoperahouse. com or call: 02 9250 7777 to book a seat in view of the interpreter.

Trivida wins GOLD

T

he German Innovation Award Gold 2022 was presented to trivida in the Medical & Health category for ‘medical product of the year’. The award recognised the dividable wheelchair wheel as a novel product as well as the benefit to the user, quality, longevity and use of resources.

P+L Innovations GmbH managing director, Dr Christine Pflaumbaum said: “trivida is certainly an innovation, which increases the quality of life for so many people”.

The detachable wheelchair wheel allows for a much simpler transfer between wheelchair and bed or shower stool, couch, chair star lift or car seat. Innovative triatic technology guarantees complete stability, allowing the user to safely lean on their wheelchair during transfer.

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Dr Christine Pflaumbaum, ambassador and Olympian Kristina Vogel, inventor Christian Czapek and Wolf-Dietrich Pflaumbaum.

HAPPENINGS

Winners of Young Archie

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wo portraits of grandfathers, a painting of a young artist’s nonverbal brother and a self-portrait by a five-year-old are the winners of the 2022 Young Archie competition that invites young artists aged five to 18 to submit a portrait of someone who is special to them.

Kevin Goon

The 2022 winners are: • 5-8 years category: Lev Vishnu Kahn, 5, Dover Heights, NSW for his self-portrait • 9-12 years category: Claudia Quinn Yuen Pruscino, 9, Birchgrove, NSW, for her portrait of her ‘gong-gong’ • 13-15 years category: Nethali Dissanayake, 15, Beaumont Hills, NSW, for her portrait of her grandfather • 16-18 years category: Jasmine Goon, 16, Ballarat, VIC, for her portrait of her brother

Winner: Jasmine Goon aged 16: And who shaped you?

“My younger brother Kevin is nonverbal. His brain has developed differently to a neurotypical person.

Despite my brother not being fully verbally communicative, he constantly inspires me to strengthen my integrity and acceptance of those around me.

He, without words, has taught me how to develop approaches to other people’s lives positively.

Observing and growing up with him has taught me to not pass judgement on anyone, both inside and out.”

The 2022 Young Archie exhibition is free and the winners and finalists from each age category are on display at the NSW Art Gallery until August 28, 2022, and also displayed on the Art Gallery website.

SensesWA hosts 11thNational Deafblind Conference

T

he first National Deafblind Conference in six years was held in Freemantle in July, with conference hubs in Melbourne and the Hunter Valley, NSW. The event theme was ‘Deafblind Keeping Connected through Covid and beyond’ with speakers, presenters and people with lived experience sharing academic views, research outcomes and personal reflections on the impact the global pandemic had on the deafblind community.

It was also an opportunity for a major collaboration, Deafblind Information Australia, a consortium comprising SensesWA, Able Australia and Deafblind Australia. It will showcase the outcomes of the past two and half years work in accessibility, service development and provision, clinical and community-based research, educational and training resource development.

Speaking at the conference Senses WA CEO Dr Sarah Love said:

WA Disability Minister Don Punch with SensesWA CEO Dr Sarah Love

“The learnings shared by our UK and South African speakers will guide further conversation and service development in Australia.”

A senior physiotherapist Rachael said: “I left full of enthusiasm to continue to provide my clients with relevant, evidence-based services.” linkonline.com.au

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Link to...Book List

The Glass Cricket Ball by Jan William Smith Published by Simon & Schuster

T

his book is about the life of the World War 1 serviceman and artist Mervyn Napier Waller and his masterpiece – the Hall of Memory – the spiritual heart of the Australian War Memorial.

in World War I with words that are included at the foot of each of the fifteen windows of the Hall of Memory.

The ‘ancestry’ window includes a sporting image and Waller chose to include a stained-glass cricket ball and stumps, a tradition of the Anzacs of World War I.

Napier Waller was a casualty at the battle of Bullecourt where he was wounded and had his right arm amputated as a result.

Napier Waller Art Prize Retired major, Anneke Jamieson, has won the 2022 Napier Waller Art Prize with her portrait, The Promotion, an acrylic and oil on canvas featuring a servicewoman in uniform breastfeeding her baby. Mrs Jamieson, a mother of three, took inspiration from her experiences when creating the work. The portrait will be added to the Memorial’s National Collection.

During his convalescence, Waller learned to write and draw with his left hand, reflecting, “An artist draws with his head, not his hands.” Waller went on to create the mosaics and stainedglass windows in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial.

He died in 1972 without knowing that 20 years later his work would be the place for a tomb that would be central to Australia’s remembrance of war dead, and the bringing home and re-burial of the remains of an Unknown Australian Soldier from a French World War I battleground cemetery.

Waller and war historian Charles Bean described the quintessential qualities of Australian fighting men and women

The Napier Waller Art Prize is open to all current and former service personnel in the Australian Defence Force, named in honour of Napier Waller.

The exhibition will be held at Parliament House Canberra until November 20, 2022.

Meet Alex and Tom

I

t took 14 years and 14 artists until Tom was published. And who is Tom? He is boy in a wheelchair who is four years old, author, Alex Xeras told Link. “Tom is a puppet, and I wrote the book to promote awareness of living in a wheelchair.”

of writing prevailed. He has a Batchelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and has taught at TAFE NSW and speech recognition companies.

He admits that writing is within him and teaching “goes along with that,” and he will take on any teaching job “to earn a crust.”

The book is the first in the series ‘A World on Wheels’ for children aged 5-8 years.

In 1977 Alex contracted meningitis just after he was born which resulted in cerebral palsy and stigmatism and he is now blind.

“When I was eight years old, I announced to the family that I wanted to become a writer. But before you ask, Tom is not me, he is a conglomeration of people I know.”

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He said some people have thought the book was too long, but it is not meant to be read all at once. “Maybe read five pages and then discuss it…give it time to sink in.”

Despite many challenges he faced at various stages of his education his love

He believes it does not matter what skills you have because “everyone is on a journey and has their own story to tell.”

He has published poetry and short stories and owns a publishing company Fustorica.

Tom’s story is available at: https:// withkoj.com/@A_World_on_Wheelz

So everyone can thrive We want to help every Australian build a connected future, including those who have difficulty using a standard home phone.

Telstra’s Disability Equipment Program offers a range of solutions to support customers who are older or have a disability.

www.telstra.com/disability

Visit telstra.com/disability, or call our Hotline 1800 068 424 (Voice), 133 677 (TTY).

FOCUS ON ABILITY

www.foc u s o n ability.co m.au