From Ricky Gervais to Baz Luhrmannlinkonline.com.au/.../blog/32/link_december_-2013_sml.pdf ·...

DECEMBER 2013 | Volume 22 Issue 5

KIRUNA STAMELL MIXES IT WITH THE BEST

From Ricky Gervais to Baz Luhrmann

HOLLY VALANCE ON BEING A DISABILITY RIGHTS AMBASSADOR

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

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Editorial Editor Carla Caruso [email protected]

Graphic designer Rachel Tortorella

Contact us P 08 8201 3223 F 08 8201 3238 PO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001 Contributions welcome

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Michelle Stevens [email protected]

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inside

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Cover story

18 From the big screen to the small screen, Kiruna Stamell is proving she’s a

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December 2013 — Vol 22/5 linkmagazine 3December 2013 — Vol 22/5 linkmagazine 3

34

24

4238

4 Ed’s letter

5 Your letters

7 Q&A with International Day of People with

Disability patron Ron McCallum

9 News

11 Why I work in disability: Barossa Enterprises’

Nicole Stephens

12 New products and social snaps

14 Holly Valance on her new ambassador role

22 Isabella Fels on her famous dad, former ACCC

head Allan Fels

24 National Disability Award winners

26 Pack your suitcase – it’s summer holiday time!

32 10 questions with Arts Access Australia chief

Emma Bennison

34 Raising a child with Primary Language Disorder

36 A Flower Between the Cracks review

38 Different beats with Anthea Skinner

42 Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent’s column

44 Workability International champions the right to

work

46 Book reviews

49 Breakthroughs

50 The musings of Peter Coulter

51 LINKConnect Gold

52 Subscribe to LINK

14

4 linkonline.com.au December 2013 — Vol 22/5

LINK loves…

Resounding applause for Second Skin

NSW’s Accessible Arts presented Second Skin, the product of its 2013 Catalyst dance masterclass series, at Bangarra Dance Theatre in September. The dance series saw participants from across Oz, with and without disability, take part in three progressive weekend workshops, culminating in a public performance. Choreographers Sue Healey, Dean Walsh and Philip Channells facilitated the project. Accessible Arts plans to take Catalyst into a third year, where the focus will be on artistic development for dancers with disabilities.

Fur-tastic!

Guide Dogs SA/NT has been chosen as a partner for the SA Ambulance Service’s corporate social responsibility program. Recently, Guide Dogs held a training session for SA Ambulance staff who were to be sighted guides in Adelaide’s City-Bay Fun Run. Guide Dogs and SA Ambulance are also now considering how they can integrate working-dog safety restraints in emergency service vehicles.

Golden opportunity

Paralympian Libby Kosmala has been announced as the patron for Technical Aid to the Disabled SA (TADSA), the state-wide charity which aims to help people with disability overcome problems by designing and building or modifying devices where there is no other solution readily available. “I had a table made by TADSA to assist me in my shooting competitions,” says Libby, who has paraplegia and won nine gold medals at the Games. “It was made over 30 years ago and has been with me at international competitions, including most of the Paralympics I’ve competed in.”

from the editor

December 3 marks the International Day of People with Disability, now in its 21st year. That’s 21 years of “breaking down the barriers” for the disability community as this year’s patron Professor Ron McCallum nicely puts it on page 7.

Recently, I saw the �lm, The Butler, inspired by the true story of Eugene Allen, one of the �rst black men to serve in America’s White House. Along with featuring a host of stars – think

Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker – the movie showcased the �ght for racial equality by African-Americans over the years. The attacks and negativity the mostly young men and women put up with in their endeavours to bring about change made them heroes.

Similarly, if it weren’t for the disability advocates prepared to stick their necks out over the past two decades, the community wouldn’t enjoy some of the improvements it does today. Here’s to another 21 years of breaking down the barriers!

Speaking of stars, we also have a swarm of them this issue – from actress-cum-disability-rights-campaigner Holly Valance to our cover girl, Kiruna Stamell, who you might recognise from starring in Ricky Gervais’ Life’s Too Short.

We also take you travelling. Enjoy the summer!

Carla Caruso, LINK editor

Share your views and read about all things disability-related at facebook.com/linkdisabilitymagazine.

loves…

, the Catalyst

from across Oz, with and without disability, take part

Recently, Guide Dogs held a training

December 2013 — Vol 22/5 linkmagazine 5

letters to link

Doing

Investigating

Sensing

Accessing

Bearing

Interpreting

Loving

Inspecting

Touching

Yearning

Planting the seeds

When rallying support, campaigns typically take one of three roads. They can aim to incite sympathy or make people outraged by blaming things like the government. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) campaign, however, held a different philosophy… Head of the campaign [for NSW, ACT and SA] Daniel Kyriacou wanted to instead spread a positive campaign. “We wanted to create a broad community message that focused on equality.”

From this stemmed the campaign’s slogan, ‘Every Australian Counts.’ Inclusive, simple and positive, the slogan was plastered across placards

Send your letter to the editor:Link, Inprint Design, 1B Laffer Drive, Bedford Park SA 5042 or email it to [email protected] Please include your postal address (not for publication). The best letter wins $50

and slipped into press releases… It budded in small towns, in halls and shop windows and was supported by backbenchers. Members of parliament would be photographed holding a sign with the campaign’s slogan…

It was a mundane weeknight when Daniel realised [momentum had gathered]. “On a random Wednesday night in Wagga Wagga, we held a town hall meeting about the NDIS. In other places, handfuls of people had attended – sometimes just five or six… but here, suddenly 700 people showed up. That was the moment for me”. The town meeting in Wagga Wagga would prove emblematic of the road to the NDIS; earnest, surprising and inspiring. Isabel Baker, Pearce, ACT

Shopping centre upgrade not so accessible

Hi, Westfield West Lakes Shopping Centre in SA just had a $95 million upgrade, but they still forgot people with disabilities! For one, I could not grab a ticket to get a car park inside. I have cerebral palsy and my hands can be difficult to move. The ticket was too hard to grab from the driver’s seat, so I had to park over the road. The other thing is its huge accessible toilet. The automatic door opens wide but doesn’t lock when being used!Jacy Arthur, Adelaide

Cancel tremors to bring joy to dining

In an earlier article in LINK on eating out, I wrote about how it could be a good idea to take your own useful eating implements. A friend has just sent me a link to a device which could be very handy for steadying your spoon – especially if you have Parkinson’s or, like me, MS or any other condition causing tremors in your hands. Details are at vimeo.com/74643550. [The link is for the Liftware spoon, an actively stabilised spoon, liftlabsdesign.com.]Bruce Mumford, Moss Vale, NSW

You have won a copy of Dragon by subscribing.Thanks to our friends at Nuance, we have a copy of Dragon speech recognition software to give away to a lucky new subscriber. The next winner will be drawn at the end of March and announced in the April issue of Link. www.linkonline.com.au/subscribe

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December 2013 — Vol 22/5

copy of Dragon speech recognition software to give away to a lucky new subscriber. The next winner will be drawn at the end of March and announced in the April issue of www.linkonline.com.

Windows, Microsoft Office 2013, Australian residents only, online and magazine subscriptions,

Win!!

By contributing a letter you authorise Link to publish it in the magazine or www.linkonline.com.au. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. All published contributions earn the author a free copy of the magazine, containing the letter (or current subscribers may specify that they would prefer their free magazine as an extension of their current subscription), provided a postal address is included with the original letter. Your name, suburb and state will be published with your letter unless you specify otherwise.

For my sons, Travis and Samuel, my nephew, Matthew Harriss, and my brother, Neil Matthews, with love.

Shirley Digance, SA

Winning letter: Poem on disabilityA person of fewer abilities, I surely am one,And I try very hard for acceptance by some.True, disability does apply to me,But I’m really no different, I want to be free.Free to discover the things I can do,Free to love others – perhaps even you!

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Professor Ron McCallum AO has been appointed by the government as this year’s patron of the International Day of People with Disability, in its 21st year. LINK spoke to him.Why do you think an event like the International Day of People with Disability is still needed? I am honoured and excited to be this year’s patron… To me, this year is very special because we are celebrating 21 years of breaking down barriers and building a more inclusive society for people with disability. The global reach of celebrations on this day is significant because the actions and resolutions each and every one of us can make in our daily lives can have a positive impact around the world.

You had a fairly tough start to life, including losing your sight through treatment when born prematurely, and later as a child, losing your father to post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite these challenges, what drove

you to go on to be the first totally blind person appointed to a full professorship in any field at any university in Australia or New Zealand? I did have a complex beginning to my life and there were some obstacles and challenges to overcome. Having been born totally blind, I have had to fight fairly hard to get a career as a lawyer and a university professor. I think that it may have been my stubbornness, which, in part, led me to become Australia’s first totally blind appointed full professor. However, my mother [and] several important teachers, both in Australia and in Canada, gave me such enormous help and helped turn my dreams and goals into reality.

"We are celebrating 21 years of breaking down barriers."

Your proudest professional achievement? The most important achievement of my professional life has been to teach law students for 41 years. After spending a semester in my classroom, I hope that my students do not think the same way about we persons with disabilities. This is because I hope

their perception changes and there is [an] understanding that people with disability are just the same as people who don’t have a disability. We want people to treat us the same as they treat everyone else. We want the same opportunities

– in education, employment and access as everyone else.

What do you consider the most pressing issues for people with disability today? I want all people with disability to have the opportunity to fulfil their dreams and goals. This means breaking down the barriers that confront people with disabilities so we can all be on a level playing field. There are different issues that face those with mobility issues – such as access to transport and buildings. The problems that confront people with cognitive or psychosocial disabilities are issues with communication, and for me, it is access to the printed word, because I have a sensory disability. The biggest issue that faces us all, however, are social barriers. What we seek everyone to think about on the International Day of People with Disability on December 3 this year is treating us the same as they treat everyone else.

Celebrating

21 years

international day | ron mccallum


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On display will be the latest in aids, equipment and assistive technology, as well as options for mobility, services and lifestyles. The event is open to visitors of all ages, including those with a disability and their family, friends and carers.

In what areas do you think things have most improved for people with disability? We have come a long way over the last 21 years. And as we celebrate our coming of age this year on December 3, it is important to reflect on the major milestones that have led to major changes in Australian society. We have had the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992, which protected us from discriminative behaviour. We saw the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008 and the push [for change] in the last few years through the national disability insurance scheme. There is a long way to go, but these have been huge advances and made people stop and think about those of us with mental, physical or sensory disabilities.

I would like on December 3 for people to take a number of actions and make a number of resolutions. First and foremost, go out and meet a person with a disability. Find out that they are just the same as you and me. Think about people with disability in your workplace – do they get the right sort of treatment? Think about people with a disability when getting on the train – can they access the train? If we all become more aware, we will become a better community.

International Day of People with Disability is a United Nations-sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and wellbeing. idpwd.com.au

http://www.dailylivingexpo.com.au/


news

pay grade, do not have their wages assessed by reference to ‘irrelevant competencies’.”

Following the court decision, the Federal Government asked the Australian Human Rights Commission in September to make BSWAT exempt from the Act for three years to allow time for changes to be made. The application is currently being dealt with by the Commission, effectively leaving all ADEs in ‘limbo’. A decision is expected to be made early in the new year.

Ken Baker, the chief executive of National Disability Services – Australia’s peak body for non-government disability service organisations – says: “The Federal Court BSWAT decision has far-reaching implications for supported employment which will require time to work through... It is crucial that the exemption is granted to enable government and the sector to achieve an outcome that complies with the Disability Discrimination Act, is fair to supported employees, and does not undermine the financial viability of ADEs.”

Baker adds: “Some advocates argue that the Supported Wage System should replace the BSWAT immediately. This would not only be impractical (there aren’t enough qualified SWS assessors), it would substantially increase wage costs for

A court decision, involving wage discrimination, is said to have put Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) everywhere in a ‘precarious’ situation.

Under the Supported Employment Services Award, there are about 30 tools an ADE can use to calculate wages for employees with disability. Two of these are government-designed tools – the Supported Wage System (SWS), which assesses employees solely on productivity, and the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT), which assesses staff on both productivity and competency.

Last year, supported employees Michael Nojin and Gordon Prior claimed the use of BSWAT by the ADEs they worked for contravened the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. While a first court case found there was no discrimination, an appeal against the ADEs – and the Commonwealth – to the Full Federal Court found there was. The Commonwealth sought to appeal this decision to the High Court, but it wasn’t granted.

According to a report by the Australian Civil Society Parallel Report Group, Disability Rights Now: “It was found that the BSWAT included an assessment of a person’s competencies, which were irrelevant to the requirements of the job. This put employees with intellectual disability at a disadvantage in scoring well in the assessment, thus leading to a reduction in their rate of pay. Workers in open employment, who do the same job at the same

ADES VULNERABLE FOLLOWING COURT DECISION OVER WAGE DISCRIMINATION

ADEs, which most could not afford. The result would be the loss of jobs of thousands of supported employees. Our goal must be to expand employment opportunities for people with disability, not reduce them.”

Maree Hollard, the human services manager of the non-profit SA Group Enterprises, which publishes LINK, says the court decision has made ADEs, such as her workplace, vulnerable. BSWAT is the tool SA Group used for its supported employees until its use was put ‘on hold’.

“We chose to use BSWAT as we assumed because the government had designed it and the government pays for the assessments, it would be the safest tool for us,” Hollard says. “We’re now sitting in a situation where we’re taking on new

“This can’t happen again.”


supported employees and we can’t have wage assessments done. We have other workers who have come up for their three-yearly reviews that we can’t review because BSWAT has been stopped. So we’re in a really, really difficult situation.”

While the court findings surrounded BSWAT, Hollard says: “The concern for all ADEs which use anything other than Supported Wage System is that they have competency built into their tools as well. And if these men have taken on the biggest player, which is the government, then all the services using these other tools may be in the same situation. It is very scary.”

Hollard says if a temporary exemption of BSWAT was passed

by the Commission it would “take the pressure off” ADEs. “The longer the situation continues the more vulnerable ADEs are if current wages are found to be inaccurate.”

The government has since established a BSWAT Taskforce to identify and implement an alternative wage assessment tool.

“Whatever they do in the future,” Hollard stresses, “it’s really important that the government puts some processes in place that ensures this can’t happen again.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services said an information line – 1800 880 052 – has been established for people with

disability, their parents and carers to answer questions about the issue: “The Australian Government is committed to making sure the 20,000 people with disability working in 192 Australian Disability Enterprises across Australia can keep their jobs.“

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes spoke about the issue at a National Disability Services conference and said the court findings were “probably the most significant decisions to employees with disability in Australian Disability Enterprises – and to ADEs – since the passage of the Disability Discrimination Act more than 20 years ago".

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employment | barossa enterprises

often than not support workers are shift workers. So depending on when you work affects your salary.

What does your average workday involve? I visit four to five people at their homes in a day. I would spend two to three hours with each person. In that time, we do shopping, budgeting, cleaning, run errands, pay bills, do some cooking, and plan social activities and events.

We hear Barossa Enterprises recently won a regional award. Tell us more! BE won the SA Regional Award for the Barossa region for ‘community group’. At BE, we get involved in a lot of local and community events. We won the award for participating in the Barossa Vintage Festival. BE make wine boxes and do labelling and packaging for the wine industry. We also received the award for an article series called Disability News that goes in our local paper.

Why I work in the disability sectorDescribe your career background. Before working at Barossa Enterprises, I worked for SCOSA [Spastic Centres of SA]. I then volunteered and worked for CARA [Community Accommodation & Respite Agency]. I have always worked as a support worker as I grew up playing in the halls at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre. My uncle had Muscular Dystrophy and I spent a lot of my childhood there. I wanted to be a support worker.

Tell us about your role at Barossa Enterprises. I work in an area called Community Lifestyle Connexions. The section I work in is called Tenancy. Tenancy helps people with day-to-day tasks for a few hours per shift. The idea is that people with disability get the support they need, but can live independent lives.

What is the salary range for that type of position generally? More

LINK put Barossa Enterprises support worker Nicole Stephens

under the microscope to find out why she loves her job so much.

Your favourite part of the job? Definitely the people I work with. Everyone is so friendly and happy and a pleasure to work with and for.

What are you up to for the summer hols? I’ll be spending Christmas with family and friends and going to the beach!

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link | new products

Rea Azalea

Invacare Australia has launched its latest European-designed-and-made wheelchair – the Rea – featuring easy driving characteristics and multiple seat and back positions. The range includes both the self-propelling Rea Azalea with large rear wheels, plus an alternative transit version, the Rea Azalea Assist, with small rear wheels. invacare.com.au

Free iPhone app to get Melbournites out and about

Victorian not-for-profit organisation Villa Maria has launched an innovative iPhone app to help make a difference in the way people with disability

or mobility issues and their carers access Melbourne venues and events. The free Out & About – Accessing Your Community app is a location-based tool featuring venues and events throughout metropolitan Melbourne based on their accessibility features. Users can filter their desired criteria including location, distance and accessibility options and also write reviews of venues they’ve visited. outandaboutapp.com.au

What's hot

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Super Discount at Sydney Theatre CompanyAccessible Arts celebrated Back to Back Theatre’s season of Super Discount at Sydney Theatre Company in October. The evening’s performance was a model of accessibility with both closed captioning and audio description provided.

1. NSW Minister for Ageing and Disability Services John Ajaka talks to Accessible Arts chairperson Professor Sharman Pretty.

2. Accessible Arts chairperson Professor Sharman Pretty.

3. Cecilia Calimbas and Mark Spruhan from Family and Community Services, Accessible Arts chief executive Sancha Donald, and Australian Broadcasting Corporation diversity manager Chrissie Tucker.

4. Back-to-Back Theatre’s David Woods, Mark Deans, Simon Laherty and Sarah Mainwaring with Sally Basser (centre), First Assistant Secretary, Office for the Arts.


1

2 3 4

Leisure Options wins top tourism awardDisability travel provider Leisure Options was awarded top honours in this year’s RACV Victorian Tourism Awards. The family-owned-and-operated business took out first place in the specialised tourism services category.

Leisure Options has offered premium, boutique holidays and travel experiences for people with disability since 1994, with more than 75 getaways a year to destinations in Victoria, Australia and overseas. Managing director Gary Elliott was thrilled with the win. “I am surprised, humbled and overwhelmingly excited.” leisureoptions.com.au

Leisure Options’ Catherine Boyce and Gary Elliott with Deputy Lord Mayor Susan Riley of the City of Melbourne.


celebrity | interview

Can you share with us what you have been up to since leaving Australia? Wow, that’s 13 years of stuff! I first moved to the UK and released two albums, which was brilliant, but I quickly realised how much I missed acting. So after two years, I moved over to LA [aged] 20 to pursue that. I’ve been there for the last decade doing film and TV and am probably based pretty equally now between London and LA these days. Nick, my husband [billionaire property entrepreneur], is British, so he stole me back about three-and-a-half years ago. I’m going to be a mum soon, which will probably be my greatest achievement yet. So I’m happy to put work on the backburner for a little while and just spend my time mashing banana and watching Peppa Pig. Yikes, how things have changed. Oh, the glamour!

You’ve said you enjoyed your music career but found it a hard way to make a living. Have you ruled out making another album? I made a very good living. I just wasn’t passionate about it enough to give

Holly Candy, known professionally as Holly Valance, once graced Aussie TV screens on the popular, long-running show, Neighbours. In 2002, she released her first album, Footprints. This was followed up by an international acting and modelling career, which now sees her time split between homes in Los Angeles and London. Marlena Katene chatted with Holly about her involvement with Disability Rights International and the star’s most exciting role yet – as a mother.

it 100 per cent, and if you don’t give 100 per cent at something, what’s the point? It wasn’t feeding my soul anymore, so I just quietly got on with things that did, and pretty seamlessly. I haven’t made an album in 10 years and don’t think I would make another to be honest. But I love writing very much and I’m happier now if another artist takes one of my tracks for their album. The artistic side feeds me, not the touring and stage stuff. I’m happy being in the background. It’s more rewarding for me.

We all watched you grow up as ‘Flick’ on Neighbours. Do you have fond memories of those days? Well, I’m still so close with a lot of the cast and crew from those three years as a teenager when I played Flick. I talk to them regularly. I don’t think it’ll ever be any different. You gain a wonderful family when you work on such a fast, high-intensity program like Neighbours and I’m really proud of my time on the show… [It] trained me to have a great work ethic and to be a real team player. When you walk onto an

American set and something needs moving and I just do it myself to help the grip or whoever, they have a heart attack [because] that’s not my job. I liked that, with Aussie sets, everyone helps each other to get the job done.

You split your time between living in London and LA. Those cities are very different. What is it you enjoy most about each? You’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s their complete differences that makes me need both, and equally. One gives me something the other can’t. So I’ll always duck between both. Life is all about balance – and I have the air miles to prove it! The rich history and culture in London, the arts, the fashion, the architecture – it’s superb. LA is an outdoor, healthy lifestyle, where I can really look after myself very well, and where my best friends were made.

How did your role as an ambassador for the US-based Disability Rights International [DRI] come about? I approached DRI about seven years ago after watching

Sweet as candy


Holly Candy – with her husband, Nick – was the host of an elegant dinner, Summer in the City, at her panoramic London apartment in June, raising awareness of Disability Rights International. The Duchess of York was among the prestigious guests. Sweet as candy

a story it was part of on NBC with Ann Curry about [a Serbian] institution. [Holly’s father is Serbian.] I was so devastated by what I saw and the treatment of those [institutionalised] people, I wrote to DRI and offered up my services – wherever they could use me – to shed a spotlight on what was going on... I now support [the organisation] through basic awareness, fundraising and trips to institutions...

You recently went to Eastern Europe and saw some fairly inhumane conditions in such institutions. Can you share any experiences that left an impact? I’ve met hundreds of people now [through DRI] and sadly the story is mostly the same. It’s much easier to lump everyone in together than to address stigma, education [and the] actual social problems that cause these places to be opened in the first place. I was never the same

after seeing [that] piece on a news program. So you can imagine my passion levels now – having stood in these places with these people! It will just become part of my life’s mission to be involved in fighting for the rights of people with disability. It’s black-and-white.

When I was growing up, I was taught to stick up for the weaker person, the person who couldn’t speak up for themself, the person who was shoved to the side. It’s my job to continue doing that.

There are children whose faces I will never forget and who I think about very often. Keeping DRI able to do its job – because it’s the ONLY organisation doing this work – means these kids have someone fighting in their corner, which otherwise wouldn’t happen. In 2013, I find it absurd these institutions even exist. Ninety per cent of the

kids have families – they’re not orphans – and there are families who would want them at home if they had the support to manage.

It’s absolutely heartbreaking stuff, but the more people know what’s going on, the less likely the mistreatment and horrific neglect can go on. It cannot be tolerated. And there are steps on how to do it already… once governments cooperate.

Australia is undergoing a major disability reform in the way of a national disability insurance scheme. However, even in developed nations such as ours, institutions still exist. What are some steps and policy changes that could change mindsets in how we treat and value those with disabilities? Deinstitutionalisation is key. It’s really that simple. Having people at home with their families, carers or in much smaller homes of say three or four [clients] is really the best

solution. It’s also more cost-effective… [People] think the easiest option is just to put everyone in one building, away from everyone and leave them there. It makes my blood boil and my heart break! The places I’ve seen wouldn’t exist now in Oz, thank God, in terms of treatment, but they exist somewhere and that’s not acceptable.

The way we view the disability community I think needs to change... If criminals were treated the way I’ve seen the children holed up in the places I’ve been to, and it made the news, there would be uproar. It would go against [the prisoners’] human rights. However, kids with disability locked away for 30 years until they die doesn’t make the news – what’s up with that? What was their crime?

In your own communities, how are disabilities perceived? Is it different from the UK to the US? I would say that I’m not

impressed by the day-to-day access for the disability community in the UK. Having travelled with a family member, who has physical disabilities here, I know how below-standard they are. Public transport is almost impossible as there are no elevators. The place is so old that ramps and special access barely exist. Making people homebound is terrible and needs to change.

America is so much more advanced and seems to have it down-pat. It helps that they’re so litigious at times… No one wants to upset a person in a wheelchair by not having access to their business for fear of being closed down. And, to be honest, I think a little bit of fear in everyone would be healthy! Do they realise how hard it was to even get to their restaurant/cinema/shop and then arrive at three flights of stairs?

What are some of your goals and desires for the future? I’d love to produce small films I believe in! Give people I believe in a leg-up. A lot of absolute cr** seems to get made and funded, and beautiful pieces I’ve read can’t seem to get green-lit. Welcome to the entertainment biz! I love writing also, so I’m enjoying a project with a director and music friend, penning an

HBO-style series that’s pretty dry and [full of] black humour – my fave.

But I’m also my own worst critic and seem to move at the pace of a sloth. I get spurts of thinking ‘this is genius’ and then go back to ‘this is stupid’. Life of an artist, I guess.

I’m about to be a mum, so I’m going to give that all my time for a little while now and just do ‘passion’ projects, and continue with my DRI work. I also have a fashion show on TLC called Shopaholic Showdown – formerly Ultimate Shopper – which is lighthearted escapism.

I think with my work I need to tick a few boxes at any one time – some heavy meaningful stuff, some serious art, and some mindless fluff, because life is better with variety. And that goes for the people too. We need a nice, big, mixed bag of lollies for it to be just right.

Music journalist Marlena Katene, who has athetoid cerebral palsy and wants to be the “non-verbal equivalent of Molly Meldrum”, is behind the YouTube site, theaacjournalist. Follow her on Twitter at @aacjournalist.

Holly recently made a trip to institutions in Eastern Europe with her husband, Nick, on behalf of Disability Rights International. A film was made to capture what the pair saw.

Truly inspiring!Kiruna StamellThis Aussie actress with dwarfism has developed an amazing career internationally in TV, film and theatre.

You learned to dance at age three, doing ballet, contemporary dance and tap. Why so young? Does your family have a performance background? I don’t know. I just always loved dancing. My parents are both teachers and never wanted me to be a performer but they thought dancing would be good for my fitness and self-confidence. I also think they noticed I joined in whenever Young Talent Time was on TV. I very much remember it was my idea to dance.

Are you still based in the UK, and why so? I spend much of my time in the UK because there is a larger arts scene here and more openness to diversity when it comes to casting. Also my husband – stand-up comedian Gareth Berliner – is English and he has a health condition where he relies on home parenteral nutrition, which is paid for by the health system over here. At the moment we are unsure how this would affect us with a move to Australia and if he’d be able to access the Medicare system.

arts | inspiration porn



What has it been like working with people like UK comic Ricky Gervais and Aussie director Baz Luhrmann? Baz Luhrmann was a joy to work with. [Stamell had a role in Moulin Rouge.] He was so open to me and understanding of my age also. I was only 18 at the time and really overwhelmed. Ricky is a clever man. [She starred in his sitcom mockumentary, Life’s Too Short.] You know I would love to see him write a serious drama because he’s a really strong writing talent. Although I really enjoy the comedy, I think there is a bit of depth we sometimes don’t see.

Do you think there has been more acceptance of performers with dwarfism – as in, not just being employed for their ‘novelty’ value? Game of Thrones has really had a positive influence. [Peter Dinklage, who has dwarfism, is one of the show’s main characters.] However, the setting on fire of [dwarf entertainer] Blake Johnston by St Kilda player Clinton Jones and the disgusting media reaction shows how horrific the stigma around dwarfism still is. Unfortunately, the negative ideologies are too prevalent for me to suggest we’ve transcended ‘novelty’ in the mainstream consciousness.

Although, there have been really wonderful moments in my career, like EastEnders and Heart and Soul, where the focus wasn’t height. It was just character and human experience.

Anything else coming up for you LINK should mention? Well, I will be playing Tinker Bell opposite Henry Winkler (the Fonz) in Peter Pan at the Richmond Theatre in London, so that’s exciting. And Gareth and I have written a new stand-up show together that we want to bring to Australia in 2015, called One of Us Will Die, and a children’s theatre piece, The Pirate and The Parrot. People might have also noticed me in The Best Offer [starring alongside Geoffrey Rush]… and um, there is some more stuff, but it’s all on the negotiating table, so I can’t really say anything. So I should probably leave it there!

AsphyxiaMelbourne’s Asphyxia is an artist, author, and the creator of the hit puppet show, The Grimstones. She is also deaf.

What’s the story behind your unusual name? Yes, I know, my name is unusual, but I am an unusual person. I am deaf. Because of my deafness I became quite isolated as a teenager. That is, until I discovered the online community. In order to log on, I needed to provide a user name and my brother chose ‘asphyxia’ out of the dictionary as a joke. Suddenly my world opened up. I was in contact with likeminded people who understood me, who even laughed at my jokes, and suddenly my deafness was no longer a barrier. I liked this new me, so I was happy when the name stuck.

You used to be a circus performer. Why’d you give it up? After I was commissioned by Allen & Unwin to write The Grimstones book series, I discovered that writing as a lifestyle was one I much preferred. I get to stay in bed in my pyjamas and write for hours in my own world. Which is very different from standing onstage and pouring my energy out

"Baz Luhrmann was a joy to work with."

Truly inspiring!We chatted to the stars of the recent Sydney Fringe Festival stage show, Inspiration Porn. Despite its saucy title, no nudity or sexual acts were involved – just inspirational performances.


to an audience, leaving myself so exhausted afterwards I could only go to bed.

Tell us about your chance encounter with a master puppeteer in Guatemala. On the street I saw a dreadlocked man, Sergio Barrios, performing with marionettes. I was captivated. Despite the rough appearance of his puppets, they were so expressive that they seemed to be alive, no lip-reading needed. After the show, I stayed and begged Sergio to share his skills with me. Lucky for me, he did… I spent the next 18 months holed up in my loft studio, creating my family of Grimstone puppets and their miniature home... I wanted every aspect to be lifelike and look as if it had been created 100 years ago.

You have Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) – a form of spinal arthritis. Did this lead you to also becoming a self-sufficient gardener? Nope, I was into food production for years before I was diagnosed with AS. If anything, the AS diagnosis turned my gardening on its head, because I had some difficult decisions to make. I

can no longer eat many of the things I love to grow, such as beans, corn and potato. My dilemma is whether to still grow these things for my family, or to put the land to vegies we can all eat. After my diagnosis, I was still hauling in months’ worth of food that I couldn’t eat, which was rather heartbreaking for me. I’ve found a balance now: I focus more on the vegies I can eat and grow a little of the things my family likes but I can’t have. One of the important things to do for people with AS is exercise. Art and writing are both fairly sedentary and not great for my back pain, so the garden is the perfect antidote for that. thegrimstones.com

Where the term, inspiration porn, comes fromRamp Up editor Stella Young described the term on the ABC’s website as “an image of a person with a disability, often a kid, doing something completely ordinary – like playing, or talking, or running, or drawing a picture, or hitting a tennis ball – carrying a caption like ‘your excuse is invalid’ or ‘before you quit, try’”.

Adding: “[The intent is] so that non-disabled people can put their worries into perspective. It’s there so that non-disabled people can look at us and think ‘well, it could be worse; I could be that person’… Using these images as feel-good tools, as ‘inspiration’, is based on an assumption that the people in them have terrible lives, and that it takes some extra kind of pluck or courage to live them… In this way, these modified images exceptionalise and objectify those of us they claim to represent.”

Inspiration Porn producer Jonathan Solomon was interested in the idea behind the new terminology. “I was intrigued by the term, inspiration porn, and how the debate that came from that concept was split between negative and positive. I’m hearing impaired and I had a recent experience of meeting another deaf person who played excellent tennis. I had this feeling of being inspired and I personally believe it’s a good thing. [I attempted] to replicate that feeling in the show by inviting three amazing performers with a disability to share their experiences... I also thought it was a good title for a show, if not a little controversial.”

Top: Acting as August and Gertrude Grimstone. Photo: Adis Hondo. Bottom: A pic from Asphyxia’s art journal.

arts | inspiration porn


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in your organisation means you are helping the sector, too.

Evolving from a restructure of the Spastic Centres of South Australia in 1995,

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Salary packaging solutions to attract and retain staff


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CB in your organisation means you are helping the sector, too.

We proudly reinvest surplus funds back into community development initiatives. www.cbb.com.au

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first person | isabella fels

My DADIsabella Fels writes on how her famous father has helped her navigate life with schizophrenia.

My dad, Professor Allan Fels, used to be head of the ACCC (the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) and is well-known throughout Australia for his work in economics, particularly in pushing prices down and stopping price-fixing.

Dad is no ordinary bloke. He loves football and drinks lots of diet coke, which I must admit I put him onto. Dad and I share a special relationship. This got even stronger since I was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 27. Dad has really been there for me ever since this diagnosis. He even gave up his prominent position at the ACCC to look after me. I must admit I felt bad about making him give up this important position. However, he now has really spread his wings doing many different things from the Victorian Taxi Inquiry [which he headed] to [being] the Fire Services Levy Monitor, as well as improving Australian and Chinese relationships.

A couple of years ago, he also became head of the National Mental Health Commission. This was linked directly to me. I felt really good as I inspired him. Dad certainly gets to practice psychology on me a lot

of the time. We have many talks and informal counselling sessions. Dad is almost like a top psychiatrist himself. He really listens to me and gives me great advice.

He shares all my hopes and dreams as well as all my frustrations, particularly about not being able to work full-time and being misunderstood by so many people. He uses me as an example in his work on mental health, particularly highlighting how important it is to give people with mental illnesses opportunities and employment.

In many ways, Dad is on top of his game. As far as I know, he has never had to lift his game. Dad’s success started at a young age, receiving his education in Perth where he grew up under the schooling of the Jesuits. His ambitious mother, one of the few women in her era to go to university, also taught him to prosper.

In many ways Dad was a star child. He hit many wickets playing cricket at school. There are numerous photos of him in full force, bowling and batting. He also was an excellent student, getting top marks across many subjects, especially in his final year at school. He was

particularly good at English, history and Latin.

Later at university, he was head of the student body, which gave him the opportunity to meet the Queen. Later on in life, particularly when working at the ACCC, he also met many important people from politicians to Prime Ministers all around Australia and the world. I am very lucky to be his daughter. He has even met Posh Spice, sitting next to her on an aeroplane. I was the proud recipient of her autograph!

Even though it is exhilarating to have a famous father, it is hard at other times, given he works on many

“We have many talks.”


contentious issues and is criticised and is away a lot.

Dad, however, on many of his travels doesn’t forget me. He has bought me many precious things, from handbags to scarves as well as beautiful jewellery. It often feels like all my Christmases have come at once with all his presents. He also treats me to many dinners and the movies. He even puts up with all my rock music – as with me and his opera!

Dad’s fame, on the whole, has been “catching”. It has really made me work hard at my writing with my dad as a shining example. He has also made me feel confident talking in the media about my illness, schizophrenia.

On the whole, I really admire Dad for standing up to famous corporations and catching out many greedy

Poem on mental health: NormalityNormality

Whatever it is

I feel I don’t fit the norm

Either in mind or in body

I often feel like a nobody

Even during an out-of-body experience

Which only I understand

Often in another land

My thoughts so grand

As they go round and round

And flip upside down

Like a hellish amusement ride

Which I can no longer take

No longer in the driver’s seat

Or even in the passenger’s seat

Yet suspended in time

As I fall and show no grace

With life

No longer one big race

As I am geared against reality

My mind

Feeling almost like I’m reaching senility

My thoughts also so crazy and scrambled

As I keep rambling

Whilst my body

Losing all its agility

And my mind sadly all its ability

And generally feeling I don’t make sense

My problems so immense

My body so heavy and tense

And feeling so full of nonsense.

- Isabella Fels

companies. He is a real fighter for the poor and powerless. I think this stems from me having schizophrenia and having often been given such a hard time in shops, taxis and the workplace. In many ways, my pain has been his driving force. He has also followed many of my passions throughout the years, such as CDs and books, and worked to make them cheaper and more affordable to the general public.

On the whole, Dad is my hero. I am proud of having shared many great occasions, particularly at Government House, where he received an Order of Australia. I also generally love seeing him in the media, where he has been referred to as a modern-day Robin Hood. He is definitely my number one fan when it comes to my writing and poetry. There was a particularly memorable moment at a writers’ festival where he read out some of my poems as part of a speech. I’ll never forget the great round of applause that followed.

However, my biggest ovation to him is giving me such a wonderful place to live at The Haven in my own beautiful, self-contained furnished flat, along with 13 other residents with their own flats, off Chapel St in Melbourne. Without his support as head of the Haven Foundation [supporting accommodation for people with long-term mental illness], I don’t know where I’d be or how I’d cope. I am certainly very lucky to have such a loving, giving father who takes such great care of me.

“He has even met Posh Spice.”

Photo: Jake Nowakowski, The Australian.


2013 National Disability Awards Finalists

The National Disability Awards recognise excellence in improving the lives of people with disability. This year the ceremony was held on 26 November at Parliament House, Canberra.

Supported by the Australian Government, the night is part of the International Day of People with Disability celebrations - a United Nations sanctioned day to increase public awareness and celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disability.

This year the Awards shine a light on mobile medical services and those who mentor our youth and lobby for better public policy.

They also identify individuals who help people stay living at home and organisations that develop inclusive cultural programs and employment opportunities.

The Awards honour communication excellence and Australians helping people in developing nations.

Congratulations to the 2013 Award recipients.

Ann Procter – Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement in Disability

Ann champions the rights of people with disability as a school teacher, a professional advocate and a carer to achieve physical, social and economic outcomes.

The Western Desert Dialysis – Excellence in Accessible Communities Award

Western Desert Dialysis transports vital health services to people in remote Indigenous communities.

John Moxon – Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement in Disability

John combines 30 years of knowledge and leadership skills to link business, community and government to achieve better policy outcomes.

Hear for You – Excellence in Improving Personal and Community Support Award

A team of deaf and hearing-impaired mentors is boosting the confidence and skills of deaf children aged 11 to 18 years through the Hear For You program.


Sue Race – Excellence in Improving Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Award

Sue is reducing re-hospitalisation rates and helping people live at home longer by overcoming systemic barriers between people with disability and the health system.

ABLE Employee Action Group and Westpac Group’s Diversity and Flexibility Team – Excellence in Improving Employment Opportunities Award

The ABLE program drives a culture of workplace inclusion through education, development of work place tools and innovative recruitment.

Congratulations to all recipients on their outstanding achievements.

Continue the celebrations by joining a 21st birthday event for International Day of People with Disability in your local area. For event details and more information, visit www.idpwd.com.au

Robert Pask – Excellence in Advocacy and Rights Promotion Award

Robert inspires people with chronic illness to understand their rights at work and be more involved in advocacy and policy development, particularly around job retention.

Huy Nguyen – Emerging Leaders Award in Disability

Huy is founder of Enable Development, an enterprise which improves the lives of people in Australia and developing countries with projects such as inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene.

21years


travel | sharon morris

My name is Sharon and I use a wheelchair for mobility. In 2012 I was fortunate to be accepted into the Leaders for Tomorrow program, which assists people with disability to develop their leadership skills and a leadership plan for life. The program is delivered throughout Australia by Hunter TAFE’s NSW Consumer Support and Training Project together with E-QUAL (Enhancing Quality) Western Australia.

While in the program, I discovered my passion was accessible tourism and completed a Certificate III in Tourism, so I would qualify as a travel agent. This would enable me to establish an accessible travel business, which customises holidays for people with disability. In my personal experience, I have found it very difficult to find a commercial travel agency which has the knowledge and understanding to know what the needs of people with disability are.

Accessibility is always a concern for people with disability whenever they travel. As such, they first need to find out how accessible the destination will be to them. They rely on detailed information and what assistance they can get to help them make their journey an enjoyable, stress-free one.

One of the most challenging experiences in planning my travel has been finding accommodation that will cater for a person with a

Access for all

Visiting Sugar Beach in Toronto, Canada.


disability who also has a family. Many accommodation providers will only provide one bed in a room as there is a misconception that people with disability don’t travel, and they certainly don’t have families. Many people with disability will travel with a non-relative carer and require a second bed.

I have stayed in accommodation ranging from a tent to a five-star resort. I have experienced the joy of watching the majestic whales in Queensland’s Hervey Bay via a fully

Sharon Morris, a wheelchair user, has done lots of travelling over the years and often faces challenges along the way. Last year, she holidayed in her dream destination of Canada and decided to turn her passion for accessible tourism into a business.

accessible whale-watching boat, visiting a man-made beach in the centre of Canada’s Toronto, and being on a boat right under the fabulous Niagara Falls – one of the best experiences of my whole life.

If I have learned anything while planning my travels, it is to ask lots of questions! If something claims to be accessible, ask for photos and measurements just to make sure. If

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something isn’t as they say it is, don’t be afraid to provide feedback and look at it as an opportunity to make a difference for the next person.

My travel experiences make me so excited and enthusiastic about assisting other people with disability, their families and carers in planning their getaways. Through my business, Access-Able Travel, I can show people that nothing is impossible. You can travel and it’s only limited to where your dreams want to take you. access-abletravel.com.au

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GREAT FAMILY GETAWAYS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITY

travel | hotels

When planning the ultimate family holiday that's both fun and accessible for a child needing disability access, it helps to know where to find the best accommodation with inter-connecting rooms, wheelchair access, accessible parking and onsite medical assistance.

All of these features are searchable on HotelsCombined.com – and the leading price comparison site has handpicked five of the best accessible family accommodation options across Australia.

Best Western Plus Buckingham International, Melbourne, VIC. With a wheelchair-friendly room that boasts an assortment of accessible features, the affordable hotel also has plenty of kid-friendly perks to keep little ones entertained. From DVD players and cable TV to an outdoor swimming pool and barbecue, there’s lots of family fun to be had.

Crown Metropol Perth, WA. Guests aged 16 and under can enjoy The Hub, an indoor play venue complete with gaming consoles, a drawing table, DVDs, and much more. The five-star property, which features disability access throughout, also offers a large main pool, a relaxation pool, and a family-friendly pool complete with waterslides.

Mercure Gold Coast Resort, QLD. Accessible rooms here include an en-suite bathroom with a roll-in shower and handles, lowered light fittings and handles, and wider doorways. Inter-connecting rooms, babysitting services and a shuttle bus service to selected destinations are available to guests. And with a gym, two outdoor swimming pools and a day spa, there’s plenty to keep the whole family entertained.

Byron Bay Rainforest Resort, NSW. Kids will enjoy the surrounding wildlife and nature at this eco-friendly retreat as well as the games room complete with pool table, tennis table, toys, books, and play equipment. The cottages are designed to be wheelchair-friendly and there are more

than six acres of wheeling paths that are accessible to all – even the swimming pool here features ramp access and an overhead lifter.

Novotel Rockford Darling Harbour, NSW. This conveniently-located property boasts a ‘family spirit’ initiative, with a late 5pm check-out on Sundays, special welcome and personalised gift, interconnecting family rooms, special children’s menu, babysitting upon request, designated family tourist guide, and safe play area. The hotel also features accessible rooms, ramp access and reduced mobility facilities, and free kids’ accommodation for guests under 16 sharing their parents’ room.


Happy holidays!


respite | tea-cup cottage

Great Holidays and Travel for people with disabilities.• Family owned business since 1994

• Specialist travel agency and tour operator offering over 80 holidays each year to the worlds fi nest destinations

• Premium, boutique holiday experiences with high levels of care and personalised attention

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• Tailored range of group and individualised holidays

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Established in 2010 by Alexandra Shaw, Brisbane’s Tea-cup Cottage Disability Supports provide services to adults and children with disability. These services have been established to meet the needs of people with low, medium, high, and profound disability, including ventilated patients.

With lived experience, Alex and her dedicated team are committed to providing information, advocacy support and services in a natural, healthy, non-clinical environment.

Originally opening the business to provide respite for adults with disability, Alex found the community desperately required a children’s respite service, too. So she expanded the business to ensure the needs of children with a disability, and their family, were met. Cubby House – its children’s respite house – has been

designed to delight the senses in a fun, safe, bold and bright environment with the highest quality, trained and dedicated staff providing 24/7 support to children with disability. It has a specific purpose in mind – to provide a comfortable living environment for short or long-term visits.

In early October, Blue Tongue Adventures day respite was also launched, opening once a week.

With the goal of opening this service five days a week in early 2014, it provides options and opportunities for adults with disability in inclusion and life and social skills. The initial activities at the service include music and art therapy, cooking, and craft. Blue Tongue currently operates from 10.30am until 3.30pm every Wednesday at the Capalaba Community Hall. tea-cupcottage.com

The Tea-cup Cottage Respite Retreat is located in Wynnum, Queensland, and provides respite to adults with varying degrees and all types of disability.

Time out

Tea-cup Cottage Disability Support Services in Brisbane offers an array of innovative services.

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travel | horizon foundation

Some Australians never make the voyage overseas, yet Fiona Burgess, who has a learning disability, realised her dream of self-funding a trip.

A vacation to Vietnam was the fruits of her labour after years of working at the not-for-profit Horizon Business Enterprises as a production worker and placing her hard-earned pennies aside.

“It took me three years to get there and I saved around $100 a week for my first trip overseas,” says Fiona from Queensland’s Capalaba. “It is very important to have a goal to work towards and be able to achieve it. I learnt to

plan and how to budget. Having a disability should not stop you from doing anything.”

Fiona, 38, visited such spots as Da Nang, Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hoi An. “We also went to the Mekong River. In Halong Bay, it was loud and packed with fishing boats. The city was a bit of a culture shock with so many people on the streets, bicycles and motor bikes.”

Fiona visited another working environment where other people with a disability were employed on her travels and found it interesting. “They created tapestries working from photographs and used silk cotton to bring the pictures to life.”

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Fiona suggested people with disability should take a support person with them. She travelled with her mother and aunty. Horizon Foundation, established 30 years ago, helps more than 1000 people with disability each year and has been listed in BRW’s Top 50 Great Places to Work. horizoninc.org

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Europcar Australia and Automobility have partnered up by placing Kia Grand Carnival wheelchair-accessible vehicles in Europcar’s rental fleet.

The new addition to the fleet meets one of Europcar’s key promises of providing a range of mobility solutions for all people during every stage of their life.

Europcar operations director Matt Barker says it means another transport solution for people with wheelchairs when they travel interstate. “Until now, they have been totally reliant on public transport or wheelchair-accessible taxis to get

Sky is no limit for people with disability

Greater accessibility helped people with disability make an estimated 17 million domestic and international flights last year.

Releasing the figures as part of the Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign launch, NSW Disability Services Minister John Ajaka said improvements to check-in, boarding and in-flight facilities had helped to make air travel more accessible. “There are significant benefits for businesses and industries that adopt more inclusive practices and [make] their services and premises more accessible to all.”

Qantas is a major sponsor of the 2013 Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign. The official campaign magazine, Made You Look, features stories around the themes of

living, learning and travelling in the community. The initiative is centred around the International Day of People with Disability, celebrated on December 3.

around at their destination, which can limit their independence and impact on the travel experience for them and their family.”

For more information on Qantas’s accessible travel initiatives, visit qantas.com.au, or for your copy of Made You Look magazine, head to dontdismyability.com.au.

2013 Don’t DIS my ABILITY ambassador Jake Briggs at the Qantas check-in counter. Photo: Jamie North.

Rent a Europcar mobility vehicle

The vehicles are currently available in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and can be booked online at europcar.com.au or by calling 1300 13 13 90.


spotlight | emma bennison

Emma Bennison, who is blind, is the CEO of Arts Access Australia – the national body

for the arts and disability sector. We put her in the hot seat for a grilling.

10 Qu estions with the Chief

Your career background/studies?I have a Bachelor of Music majoring in voice and am also a pianist and songwriter. In the past I have worked

for arts organisations and government as well as contributing to a number of boards and committees in the not-for-profit sector.

Why did you choose to work in the disability sector? As a person with disability myself, in my early career I had no desire to work in the sector because I

thought others may view it as a cop-out. Over time I have been increasingly perplexed by the lack of people with disability working in the disability sector, particularly in higher level positions. So when the opportunity arose to combine my passions for the arts and for the rights of people with disability, I decided the time had come to reconsider. It’s been an extraordinarily rich experience, so no regrets.

Describe Arts Access Australia in a nutshell. Arts Access Australia is the national peak body for arts and disability and works to advance equality for

Australians with disability as artists, arts workers, participants and audiences through information, resources, research and advocacy.

Anything new happening at Arts Access? The organisation has recently started co-ordinating an International Online Arts and Disability Online

Leadership Network. We also held a national Meeting Place event for discussion, knowledge-sharing and debate on issues relating to arts and disability in Hobart and live- streamed to over 100 viewers.

With so many disability organisations around, how does Arts Access work to stand out from the pack? Any marketing measures – or beyond –

it employs that are particularly effective? Our strongest and most effective marketing strategy is undoubtedly the incredibly diverse, quality work produced by artists with disability across the country. The Australia Council for the Arts regards artists and the disability arts companies they fund as some of the most innovative and cutting-edge in Australia. You need only look at inaugural Creative Fellowship recipient Gaelle Mellis whose production Take Up Thy Bed and Walk is a finalist in the Creative Partnerships Arts Access Awards or Back to Back Theatre Company who won a Helpmann award in 2012 to see examples of this and there are so many more.

" The biggest barrier is

definitely attitudinal"

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Comic corner

Your thoughts on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and how it might affect Arts Access?

The NDIS has the potential to offer significant opportunities for artists with disability to receive support to remove barriers which prevent them from pursuing their arts practice. For Arts Access Australia and our state-based member organisations, we need to ensure that the value of the arts as a tool for envisioning a new future, where the person with disability has choice and control, is recognised by planners and individuals. We also have a significant role in making sure that the arts is viewed by planners and individuals as an activity which is eligible for “reasonable and necessary supports”.

What do you see as the challenges for the disability arts sector at present? In my view, the major challenges are a lack of career

development opportunities, particularly for people with disability living in regional and remote areas; slow progress in the consistent provision of access services such as captioning, audio description and Auslan for audiences with disability; and the limited visibility and recognition of the quality work produced by artists with disability.

Biggest barrier for people with disability in gaining work in the arts? As with general employment, the biggest

barrier is definitely attitudinal. The perception that people with disability will cost too much to employ persists in spite of there being plenty of evidence to the contrary. Also, the lack of people with disability working in leadership and management positions in the arts and cultural sector and in arts funding bodies means that attitudinal change is slower than it might otherwise be.

Organisation’s goals for the future? To partner with the broader arts and cultural sector to increase audience access, career

development and employment opportunities for people with disability. To continue to build the leadership confidence and capacity of people with disability to enable them to contribute to the arts and cultural sector.

Any mottos or sayings you live by? Turn challenges into opportunities, keep a sense of humour at all times, and be flexible.

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Writer and main character: Jewel Kats.


In 2007, my husband and I were blessed with a second child, Cooper. Within the first years of Cooper’s life, we noticed things weren’t right for him speech-wise.

We had an uphill battle getting help as waiting lists were huge for speech therapy in both the private and public sector. After a very lengthy wait, we were finally granted eight speech sessions at Queensland Health. However, we were told that although our child had severe issues in this area, we would be returned to a waiting list as so many were in need of the service.

The entire system was difficult to navigate through – frustrating and totally inadequate. As time went on, Cooper’s problems escalated. He became very anxious and frustrated; he was totally unable to communicate the simplest of messages. We became more and more isolated as when we did go out we were met with dreadful comments. Take a moment to think about how you would feel if other people, watching your child grunting, squealing and being generally inappropriate for their

Raising a child with

Primary Language DisorderMum Debra Haller writes about the challenges faced in having a son with PLD – and her family’s journey.

age, said to you: ‘If he was mine, I’d kill myself.’

If this was an isolated comment it wouldn’t have felt so bad. However, he was regularly called a retard, a savage, an animal. We were always asked what was wrong with him and often it was suggested that we should put him in an institution. Our day-to-day lives were fairly chaotic to say the least and help was scarce.

It was early in 2011 that things finally come to a peak. Our house sustained substantial damage during Cyclone Yasi, and while still cleaning up the mess, we were devastated to learn my sister had died. It was horrific. Our lives were turned upside down and all this while trying to manage a child with a severe disability and a new baby.

That year, we did receive some wonderful assistance for my son in terms of mornings in a child care centre and some time at an Early Childhood Development Program at a state school. We also managed to access occupational therapy and speech therapy with Queensland’s

Disability Services. Like magic, though, while cleaning out my sister’s belongings, I discovered a name of a child neurologist and phone number, which my sister had sourced off her transplant surgeon for Cooper.

We travelled to Brisbane mid-year to see the doctor – and he was a breath of fresh air. He explained that children like Cooper are often diagnosed as having autism or intellectual impairment when the primary issue really is a speech and language disorder. Most worrying was that this would have a major impact on his ability to learn. We asked if there was any place that he knew of, anywhere, that could help our son. Then our new journey began. He suggested The Glenleighden School at Fig Tree Pocket, which specialises in helping children with Primary Language Disorder.

We approached with caution the thought that this would be the lifeline we had been so desperately looking for. We had looked into education options in Townsville and our application to private Catholic schools was declined despite meeting their highest criteria. Our


A snapshot of PLD

• Primary Language Disorder (PLD) affects one in 14 children. It is the most common of all childhood disabilities, but it is frequently misdiagnosed, perhaps as autism or intellectual impairment.

• PLD is a developmental disorder that affects how a child learns to talk and/or thinks about, understands and uses language. A child with PLD will have difficulty understanding what others say to him, to use words to respond and, in general, to communicate with others.

• 50 per cent of youth offenders have a clinically significant, but previously undetected, oral language disorder. “Marginalisation from the mainstream begins in early life, particularly in the classroom, where they have difficulty both with language/literacy tasks and with the interpersonal demands of the classroom,” says Australian Institute of Criminology director Adam Tomison.

Raising a child with

Primary Language DisorderMum Debra Haller writes about the challenges faced in having a son with PLD – and her family’s journey.

best option in Townsville was a public sector school. However, they lacked good fencing and resources, and I was horrified when it was suggested by one that the students with special needs were put in bright vests at playtime so staff could monitor them more easily. It was also suggested I might have to volunteer teacher aide time in other classrooms to free-up aide time for my son. I was told that although the staff would do their best to accommodate Cooper that it might be necessary for him to only attend school for half-days, depending on human resources, as he was a child with very high-support needs.

We went through the process of applying to The Glenleighden School and gathered the information required. We will never forget when the phone rang and the beautiful voice on the other end said that he was accepted into the school for 2012.

Quickly, we put our new house on the market and sold it for peanuts to just offload it in the bid to start our new life in Brisbane. We said goodbye to our family and friends,

took a deep breath, and hoped that our decision was the right one.

Cooper started school like any other little one on their first day. He seemed nervous and excited. From the first week, we felt reassured that The Glenleighden School was the best choice for our child. Cooper’s progress is exceptionally slow, however, there is progress. He is in a safe and nurturing environment. He is respected and has the opportunity to learn by attending school for a full day. I have the peace of mind that his behaviour is understood and is being dealt with appropriately. Most of all, my son is receiving a quality education, which I believe every child in our country should have access to.

The Glenleighden School in Brisbane, operated by not-for-profit organisation CHI.L.D Association, is the only school of its type in the Southern Hemisphere catering for children with severe communication disabilities. The association also operates a clinic called Let’s Talk and offers outreach services to remote and regional communities. glenleighden.org.au

Left: Cooper at Easter. Middle: Mum

Debra Haller with sons Cooper (centre) and

Tom (front), daughter Isobel, and husband

Justin Hennessy. Right: Cooper’s first day at

school this year.

Source: The CHI.L.D Association


review | roger rees

This detailed memoir of a mother caring for her daughter who has a serious brain injury following a motor vehicle accident is compelling. It is also sensitive and poetic.

Following the police officer telling her about Jane’s serious accident and her daughter being on the critical list, Helen Sage writes: ‘Time shuts down and the world becomes unbearably still. No words fill the void; speaking will tear open this nightmare.’

That is the start of a story full of courage, insight and concern for the welfare and state of mind of other people rather than the author’s own torment. That is the book’s strength and flavour and is an example which in any circumstances would be difficult to emulate.

A Flower Between the Cracks

by Helen Sage

Affirm Press (291pp, $29.95)

Reviewer: Roger Rees It takes a person of immense moral and psychological strength to make substantial life changes, ‘indelibly and forever’ in a spirit of goodwill, resolution and seemingly, whatever the circumstances, hope.

Throughout the book, there is action, openness, daily problem-solving and memorable language which tumbles in profusion off each page. Witness: ‘Hospital corridors like tunnelled tombs, statistics throw me into an anguish of not knowing... and I can’t bury old photos forever in cupboards as if this Jayne never lived, as if she were once never lively and free.’ But let Jayne have

http://www.brightsky.com.au/

Poem: King hit by Roger Rees

On the following poem, Roger writes: “My poem is topical both in relation to A Flower Between the Cracks, but also in view of recent severe head injuries in SA and NSW following supposed king hits to young men from nightclub bouncers.”

You were king hit at the nightclub on the stage.

Four in the morning your journey out of time began.

You fell into a deep sleep; as if night had taken you forever.

Your brain, that precious instrument, twisted and smashed,

your assailant unknown, no evidence.

That is how it is in nightclubs’ caverns, engulfed by mania,

flickering half lights and threatening, ear-splitting decibels.

Your mother sits by your bed, speaks your name, holds

your hand,

imagines your voice, mentions familiar things.

Your face, lit only by her memory, stares ahead like a pharaoh,

blank and still; every day her ardour burns,

wills your recovery from motionless, unfathomable depths

that no shaft of light penetrates or tender touch awakens.

Even though you are far away she wants to know your infinity.

She is hushed, gently stroking, often trembling by your side.

Your journey takes nightmare forms and yet you are so calm.

Your friends are confused; mourn for you but no longer visit.

Four months on, your countenance hasn’t changed, and

she’s still there.

Despite searching looks her vision is heavy, reason faltering.

Sometimes she imagines you, the young nightclub disc jockey

coming home, errant, enthusiastic, ‘brimming over’ she says.

Now she’s part of your sleep. She wanders along streets

turns corners in a circle of memory, recollects you

playing your music, closing your eyes, feeling music’s beat.

There’s no beat now save the EEG’s beep as you sleep.

She keeps her vigil, whispers your name, her voice rises

a pitch,

anticipates your voice. She gazes, focused for long minutes

as if into a reflecting lake that shows her face not yours.

She has gone through tumult in your growing up, and now

a vast stillness enfolds you both. You in sleep,

She in sorrow. – King hit, like you.

A Flower Between the Cracks

by Helen Sage

Affirm Press (291pp, $29.95)

Reviewer: Roger Rees

the last word as she dubs the tall Norwegian student who teaches her scuba diving as ‘The Norse-Morsel’. There’s gorgeous humour here as the pain of loss mingles with invention and ever gutsy persistence.

No comment on this outstanding book could ever be complete without reference to Jayne as a poet and activist. Jayne is a published poet whose verse enables the book to fit together in a lively chronology from accident, coma, arousal, adjustment to delightful daily invention orchestrated by Helen.

Jayne’s poem, Winter Cherub, is a fine example of the chronology beginning with: ‘I am the moon shining in the bitter rain’, and concluding with: ‘And I will frolic as a winter cherub.’ The poem is full of Jayne’s sense of fun, as well as her keen observation and skilled use of metaphor. Her poem, Daylight Painting, represents humanism at its very best as Jayne waits for a morning with ‘mild Monet’ or ‘bold Van Gogh’. The final line is Jayne teaching us about life’s blessings: ‘So let the precious day unfold for it can be/just like unwrapping any other gift.’

Jayne has borne her severe disability with a panache which inspires others because as she often says: ‘I don’t think I’m disabled’ or ‘Naah, I’m just living.’

I’m confident that as you read A Flower Between the Cracks you will not only be helped to understand what it is to be human, but will be fulfilled by the author’s courage, resilience and talent for turning a family tragedy into a story of ‘tragic optimism’.

It’s a brilliant read – one of the finest of its kind – and needs to be essential reading for all education, health and medical practitioners privileged to work in the disability field.

Roger Rees is an Emeritus Professor in disability research at Flinders University’s School of Medicine in Adelaide.


different beats | anthea skinner

Pho

to: J

ames

Pen

lidis



Books about music

Carry a Big StickBy Tim Ferguson, Hachette Australia.

Carry a Big Stick is the autobiography of comedian and TV host Tim Ferguson. Before I begin this review, I have a confession to make. Ferguson was responsible for (or, at least, present during) much of my misspent youth. I know many of the people mentioned in his autobiography and witnessed a number of the events in it first-hand. This may give me an insider’s view of parts of the book, but it also means that I am hardly an unbiased reader.

So, having declared my conflict of interest, I’ll continue. Carry a Big Stick traces Ferguson’s life from a childhood constantly on the move, following his journalist father, Tony Ferguson, across Australia and the globe, through to his rise to stardom as part of the anarchic comedy/rock ’n’ roll trio, the Doug Anthony All Stars (DAAS). After touring the world with DAAS, the trio came to an abrupt halt in 1994 and disbanded at the height of their fame. Ferguson then went on to star in Funky Squad and Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, as well as writing and starring in Shock Jock.

It’s not an easy thing to sum up an entire life in one book; there are always things that will be left out or people that disagree with your memories. I suspect it was made even harder in this case by the fact that the members of DAAS have always been fond of creating larger-than-life stories about themselves. In Carry a Big Stick Ferguson manages to walk a fine line between maintaining some of the group’s air of mystery and giving his readers a behind-the-scenes account of their time together.

But Carry a Big Stick is more than a celebrity tell-all autobiography. It’s also the story of Ferguson learning to accept and live with the fact that he has multiple sclerosis (MS). At times his journey is painful to read, especially when he is coming to terms with his diagnosis, describing how he berated himself for his unpredictable body. But at its heart, Carry a Big Stick is a gentle story of triumph. Ferguson rebuilt his career and seems to love his work as a teacher, writer and producer. Along the way, he also managed to find true love and learn to accept what he calls his wonky brain. What more can anyone ask for in life?

The summer holidays are almost upon us and it’s time to sit back and relax with a good book, writes Anthea Skinner. This issue, she’s reviewing two very different books by performers with disability – Tim Ferguson’s new autobiography, Carry a Big Stick, and a guide for drummers with disability called Look Ma, No Feet by Michael Mignogna.


different beats | anthea skinner

Look Ma, No Feet, Volume 1 by Michael Mignogna, eBook.

Look Ma No Feet is an innovative instruction manual for drummers with little or no use of their legs. Learning resources specifically for musicians with disabilities are few and far between. Many of those that do exist are aimed at facilitating music therapy, rather than providing the basis for a playing technique that will allow musicians to develop to a professional level. This book makes a start at filling that gap.

Like Mignogna, I am also a drummer who doesn’t use their feet (I use them for walking, just not for drumming). When I put together my first drum kit without kick pedals I felt lost. I’d never seen a drum kit like the one I

was building, let alone heard anyone play one. I wish I’d had access to Look Ma No Feet back then.

Volume 1 of Look Ma No Feet starts with the basics. It assumes no knowledge of reading music or playing drums. It takes the reader step-by-step through the basics of sight reading, warm-ups and learning to move their way around the kit before introducing some basic fills. I’m an experienced drummer, but still I found these simple exercises extremely useful. Within days of starting to use the book, I found myself more confident moving around my kit (not always easy for someone with mobility restrictions) and exploring new techniques and fills. Look Ma No Feet has even encouraged me to consider enlarging my drum kit with instruments that I used to think would be impossible for me to reach effectively.

The only thing that I found distracting about Look Ma No Feet is the spelling. Mignogna’s book is self-published, and the current edition proves that a computer spell-checker is no replacement for an editor, especially in a book like this that uses a lot of technical language. Among the more glaring errors was the use of ‘symbols’ instead of ‘cymbals’, ‘hi hates’ instead of ‘hi hats’, and ‘turned’ instead of ‘tuned’. However, these are minor errors that don’t impact much on the book’s intended purpose of educating drummers with disabilities and I hope they’ll be fixed in a future edition. Meanwhile, Mignogna is working on Volume 2 of Look Ma No Feet, and I can’t wait until it’s available. Look Ma No Feet Volume 1 can be downloaded from lookmanofeet.com.

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Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent introduces the Upper House candidates who’ll be running for election in SA next year.

On November 10, 2013, alongside Dignity for Disability (d4d) president Rick Neagle, I was really excited to launch d4d’s Upper House candidate team for the 2014 State Election in SA.

Our Legislative Council candidates have an extraordinary depth of understanding in disability, with either a lived experience of disability or as a parent carer of children with disabilities. They are all ferocious advocates for improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families and passionate about getting a better deal for all South Australians.

In the past three years, we’ve seen increased disability funding, this year’s introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and better community awareness of disability as a human rights issue in South Australia, but we still have such a long way to go. Thousands of South Australians with disabilities still languish on appallingly long waiting lists for social access, accommodation, respite or other services.

More representation of disability matters is needed if our State Parliament is to reflect the community they represent. Considering nearly one in five South Australians has a disability, I think everyone is starting to get the picture this is an issue that’s time has come! Let me introduce you to our Upper House team…

Esther Simbi, 36, is a qualified human rights social worker with post-polio syndrome. She is the mother of a three-year-old daughter and is a Sudanese woman of refugee background and an extraordinary portrait of perseverance. Esther has worked as a service coordinator and social worker within disability services and has been a volunteer/student placement settlement officer for the Migrant Resource Centre. After spending 19 years in refugee camps in Uganda, Esther migrated to Australia in 2005. Esther tells me she wants to see people with disabilities have a voice and access, in our community.


opinion | kelly vincent

NEW TEAM LAUNCHED


“They are all ferocious advocates.”

Garry Connor, 51, is a father of five, including being the parent-carer of two sons with profound autism. Originally a fitter and turner, Garry and his family relocated from Port Pirie to Adelaide five years ago to better access services for his sons. He is a volunteer presenter for Parents Helping Parents and wants to see a better deal for people with autism and their families. Garry says families are doing it tough and it is high time more was done to share the load – we agree, Garry!

Tiffany Littler, 24, is a graphic design assistant at Inprint Design – LINK’s publisher – who lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Tiffany lives independently in accessible social housing and sits on a range of disability consumer reference groups. She is a strong advocate for legitimate consultation of people with disabilities to have choice

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and control in their lives. Tiffany has recently moved into well-designed housing that meets her needs, and wants to see more done to increase appropriate building design for people with a disability.

Disability awareness and understanding has grown enormously but there’s still a long way to go – I look forward to working with Esther Simbi and her team to see further Dignity for Disability representation in the State Parliament from 2014. I hope those in SA will join me in handing out ‘how to vote’ cards for these candidates on March 15, 2014.

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employment | workability international

Workability International champions the right to work for any person who has a disability or is otherwise marginalised.

Workability International is the world’s largest body representing organisations that provide work and employment services to people with disabilities.

Workability International’s vision of Equity in Employment for People with Disabilities Everywhere accurately reflects its core focus. The organisation has 66 members providing work programs for about 3 million people with disabilities in 22 countries. Many of Workability International’s members are large peak bodies, hence, the high number of program recipients in comparison to the number of members.

Workability International had its genesis as the International Organisation for the Provision of Work for People with Disabilities who are Occupationally Handicapped (IPWH). IPWH was founded in 1990 as an unincorporated association. In 2002, IPWH changed its name to Workability International and its structure to a UK-registered company, limited by guarantee.

Workability International is managed by a board of directors comprising an elected president, elected vice president and two elected

representatives from each of its four regions (Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania). National Disability Services, as well as being a member of Workability International, also hosts the Workability International Secretariat at its offices in Sydney.

Workability International focuses on:• Facilitating the international

exchange of information and ideas about jobs for people with disabilities

• Promoting the full range of employment opportunities for people with disabilities

• Promoting the legal rights of people with disabilities, and

• Seeking to influence government policies/decisions on the effective employment/rehabilitation of people with disabilities.

Workability International is always open to new members. Enquiries can be directed to the general secretary on ph (02) 9256 3139 or via [email protected].

Top: Naoko Saito (Asia), Ralph Jones (Oceania), vice president Bob Chamberlin, Rick Sebastian (Americas), general secretary Bob Blue, Jason McKey (Oceania), Deborah Wan (Asia), Jerry Davis (Americas), and president Patrick Maher. Below: Roy O’Shaughnessy (Europe)

“It provides work programs for about

3 million people with disabilities in

22 countries.”

Working together


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Little People: Big Lives by Carole Lander (Checkword)This book gives voice to a range of people living with dwarfism. One of them is Warwick Davis, the renowned

British actor who co-founded Little People UK. Several others profiled are members of Short Statured People of Australia – and its president Meredith Young says the book conveys a positive message about people living with a physical difference. checkword.com.au

Bounce Forward: How to Transform Crisis into Success

by Sam Cawthorn (Cawthorn Media)At just 26, Young Australian of the Year (TAS) Sam Cawthorn saw his life change forever when he was involved in a horrific car accident. Pronounced dead on the scene, Sam defied the odds and survived. Faced with an amputated arm and a permanent disability to his leg, Sam found his greatest opportunity in the midst of his greatest crisis and bounced forward into a hugely successful

new life. samcawthorn.com

Catch of the Day by Carla Caruso (Destiny Romance)LINK’s editor also moonlights as a rom-com author! Her latest book follows fashion editor Winnie Cherry, who is ‘banished’ to coastal SA to set up a beach lifestyle magazine following a regrettable incident at

the office Christmas party. Determined to get back to Sydney, Winnie gets to work and starts counting down the days. Until she meets photographer Alex Bass and sparks begin to fly… destinyromance.com

Ink in the Wheels: Stories to Make Love Roll by S. Barton and Megan M. Cutter (Cutter’s Edge Consulting)This book depicts the journey of an inter-ability married couple as they explore the courage and perseverance to thrive. Barton, who has cerebral palsy, never expected to fall in love, let alone get married. He and Megan Cutter share their story and dive into the themes of disability and relationships, intimacy, family dynamics, and the balance of caregiving.

Gay’s Plan of Attack by Gay Ffrench Petherick (Bookpal Australia)Based on the author’s experience travelling overseas – and other adventures – this is a moving autobiography and life ‘guide’. Ffrench snapped her neck at age 17. Diagnosed with quadriplegia, her world dramatically changed. Refusing to give in to the challenges, she decided to tackle life head-on.

If Only You Knew Too by Jacy Arthur (self-published) This autobiography continues on from where Jacy’s first book left off. Jacy, who works for Inprint Design – the publisher of LINK – has cerebral palsy and severe deafness. Based on her adult years, her story paints a picture of determination, from how she coped with living independently to landing her dream job to other achievements like climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and having a ‘mini me’. ifonlyyouknew.net

link | leisure

British actor who co-founded Little People UK. Several others profiled are members of Short Statured People of Australia – and its president Meredith Young says the book conveys a positive message about people living with a physical difference.

Refusing to give in to the challenges,

accident. Pronounced dead on the scene, Sam defied the odds and survived. Faced with an amputated arm and a permanent disability to his leg, Sam found his greatest opportunity in the midst of his greatest crisis and bounced

new life.


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Gina has been profoundly deaf her entire life and now she is losing her vision. Staying connected to her big Italian family and friends has been a challenge.

Through Telstra’s partnership with Able Australia, Gina is now participating in a digital literacy training program to improve her English and her access to communication technology. She can now stay in touch with her family and friends and continue to live in her own home.

By providing accessible smart phones and tablets, Telstra has provided the opportunity for The Deafblind community to stay connected with their families and friends, engage with the wider community and enable them to keep living independently.

It is truly remarkable what technology can do to transform the lives of people with deafblindness.

See more of Gina’s story at: exchange.telstra.com.au/2013/04/18/giving-the-deafblind-a-new-lease-on-life

BEING DEAF IS HARD ENOUGHBUT THEN TO LOSE YOUR SIGHT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER TO STAY IN TOUCH

TLS-CSA_AbleAustralia.V1.indd 2 12/09/13 12:02 PM

http://exchange.telstra.com.au/2013/04/18/giving-the-deafblind-a-new-lease-on-life

breakthroughs

Telstra is proud to support Link Breakthroughs

Electric fields hold promise to generating scar-less tissue The enigma of scars has puzzled the human mind for thousands of years. Any organ or tissue after serious injury forms a scar. The mechanism by which scars form is not known and there are very limited therapies available to block scar formation.

Now, a team of researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the US report high-voltage, short electric fields appear to destroy all cells in skin tissue, but lead to full regeneration with no scars.

“This development not only holds a great promise for unravelling many aspects of the complex wound-healing process, but also to potentially lead to new therapies,” says Alexander Golberg, the research paper’s first author. “We believe that this model will enable other laboratories to learn and uncover new aspects of adult tissue growth and development.” Further study of this technique will help better understand the mechanism of scarring.

Maternal drinking linked to poor child academic achievementResearchers at WA’s Curtin University have found consuming alcohol during pregnancy can adversely affect a child’s reading, writing and spelling abilities, with the type of learning problems observed dependent upon the trimester in which the exposure occurred.

Dr Colleen O’Leary, lead researcher in the collaborative project, said although it was already known that drinking had a negative impact on a child’s development, the study examined the dose, pattern, and timing of exposure and the subsequent outcomes for children aged eight and nine. “Results showed exposure to heavy levels of alcohol – more than seven standard drinks per occasion, multiple times in a week – during the first trimester of pregnancy more than doubled the odds of not achieving the national reading benchmark,” Dr O’Leary says. “And children of mothers who reported occasional binge drinking – more than 50g (five standard drinks) per occasion – in late pregnancy were twice as likely to have writing scores below the national benchmark as children whose mothers hadn’t engaged in this behaviour.”

More to mental health treatment than medicationGPs and healthcare workers have been urged to put more of a focus on the physical wellbeing of patients with a mental health condition when prescribing treatment programs.

Anita Hobson-Powell, the executive officer of Exercise & Sports Science Australia, said about 12 per cent of people with a mental illness also experience chronic physical health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease or asthma, according to a recent study by the National Mental Health Commission.

“Schizophrenics have been found to be twice as likely as the general population to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, and the prevalence of diabetes amongst those with a psychotic illness is three times as high as the rate amongst the broader Australian population,” Hobson-Powell says. “Despite these alarming figures, two-thirds of people living with psychosis, who had visited a General Practitioner in 2010, reported they had not undergone a general health check or cardiovascular-related health check in this time.”

She adds: “While medication undoubtedly plays a key role in the treatment of mental health conditions, exercise programs are crucial in improving both the physical and mental health outcomes of people with a mental illness.”

Gina has been profoundly deaf her entire life and now she is losing her vision. Staying connected to her big Italian family and friends has been a challenge.

Through Telstra’s partnership with Able Australia, Gina is now participating in a digital literacy training program to improve her English and her access to communication technology. She can now stay in touch with her family and friends and continue to live in her own home.

By providing accessible smart phones and tablets, Telstra has provided the opportunity for The Deafblind community to stay connected with their families and friends, engage with the wider community and enable them to keep living independently.

It is truly remarkable what technology can do to transform the lives of people with deafblindness.

See more of Gina’s story at: exchange.telstra.com.au/2013/04/18/giving-the-deafblind-a-new-lease-on-life

BEING DEAF IS HARD ENOUGHBUT THEN TO LOSE YOUR SIGHT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER TO STAY IN TOUCH

TLS-CSA_AbleAustralia.V1.indd 2 12/09/13 12:02 PM

http://exchange.telstra.com.au/2013/04/18/giving-the-deafblind-a-new-lease-on-life


The musings of

Peter C oulterIt was the most frightening thing that has ever occurred to me. Even my accident, which caused a brain injury, was less of a shock – though my parents might disagree. For a lad of about 12 to find himself lost in a desert is extreme. And this desert is Australia’s biggest, hottest and driest. It is the Simpson.

As a family, long trips by car to faraway places were our want. This time we were headed to Cooper Creek in the far north of SA. Up the Birdsville Track, across the Simpson and near Cameron Corner at the junction of SA, Queensland and New South Wales, it has been called “the place God forgot”. One funny thing occurred at Lyndhurst in the very far north.

We pulled into a service station and asked for some two-stroke oil for our outboard motor. Nothing but sand and desert surrounded us, but we had a boat on the car roof.

We pulled off the Strzelecki Track to make camp and I took one of our walkie-talkies and set off for a walk as the chops cooked. I found a huge pool of water and called ‘base’ to report before returning. It is true, though, 10 paces and the country looks completely different.

I had gone off in one direction and returned in another and, of course, missed my target: our camp. Realising what I had done, I kept on going in the same direction, knowing that in 100 yards I would come on the track again. If there is one truism about the Simpson Desert, it is that it is somewhat sparsely populated. Consequently, there are not many main roads or even tracks running through it.

I called base again and in a rather plaintive, little voice inquired, “Hello, is there anybody there?” There was an instant response: “Yes, where are you?” I replied in what is now my typical inimitable fashion: “I’m in the Simpson Desert!” After a short explanation, I related that I was

Our resident columnist likens acquiring a brain injury to his experience being lost in the desert as a child.

opinion | peter coulter

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back on the track. It took only five minutes to get to me and collect me for a return to our camp. The fire was out, the chops were burnt and they never tasted so incredibly good. If I didn’t have that walkie-talkie I might well still be there keeping company with that other famous lost soul, Lasseter.

Think for a moment getting lost like that and feeling totally alone with no hope of rescue or salvation. This is exactly akin to the emotion felt by someone who suffers an accident, particularly brain damage. I suffered my accident only two years later at 14. The best another can feel is some sort of empathy.

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P: 08 8562 4855 E: [email protected]: www.barossaent.com.au

Brain Injury Network of SA Inc. (BINSA)AdelaideBINSA is the peak body in SA representing the interests of anyone affected by an acquired brain injury (ABI) offering advocacy, counselling,rehabilitation and community connections.

P: 08 8217 7600 / 1300 733 049E: [email protected]: www.binsa.org

Community Bridging Services (CBS) IncSouth AustraliaCreating Independence by providing opportunities for open employment, further education and recreation.

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Interwork LtdAdelaide Interwork Ltd give people the support, training and skills to get into employment and enjoy life.

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Orana IncorporatedAdelaide Orana provides people with disabilities with the opportunity to live and work within their local community, ful�l their dreams and become valued and productive community members.

P: 08 8375 2000 E: [email protected]: www.oranaonline.com.au

SACARESouth AustraliaSACARE is committed to providing superior levels of services for individuals with complex needs aiming to enhance their lifestyles and wellbeing.

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Sorento Care LtdSouth Australia & New South WalesA non-for-pro�t organisation providing care models, accommodation and rehabilitation to people with disabilities.

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VICTORIA

Magic MobilityNationalAustralian wheelchairs for Australian conditions. Magic Mobility manufactures highly customisable indoor/outdoor and rugged off-road wheelchairs.

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Telecommunications Industry OmbudsmanNationalA free and independent dispute resolution service for people with complaints about their telephone or internet service.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

ActivMetro Perth and some regional centresAdult and child respite, supported employment, group homes, individualised care, transport services, recreation activities.

P: 08 9387 0555E: [email protected]: www.activ.asn.au

The Autism Association of WAWestern AustraliaServices provided to meet the needs of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families, to meet the particular needs of people with Autism.

P: 08 9489 8900E: [email protected]: www.autism.org.au

Interchange IncorporatedPerth Metropolitain AreaPersonalised life experiences for people with disability. Specialising in the provision of ATE and PSO services.

P: 08 9329 9399E: of�[email protected]: www.interchangewa.org.au

Don't miss out being in LINK Magazine's next issue out April! Please contact: Ian Smedman [email protected] Michelle Stevens [email protected] or on 08 8201 3223.

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