WWDA News

13 April 2017

Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) represents more than 2 million disabled women and girls in Australia. We are run by and for women with disabilities. We operate as a transnational human rights and systemic advocacy organisation.

Shaping Our Future: Discussions on Disability Rights

Between October 2016 and March 2017 Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Alastair McEwin conducted a national consultation to help guide his priorities and seek input from the disability community on how he can most effectively work to advance the rights of people with a disability.

The Disability Discrimination Commissioner met with over 1000 people in capital cities and regional centres across Australia and received 85 written submissions.

The collection of stories, videos and infographics summarise what the Disability Discrimination Commissioner heard during his national consultations. The Disability Discrimination Commissioner has identified the following priorities for his term:

Employment
Education
Housing
The criminal justice system
Implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Violence

A more detailed roadmap outlining actions for the Disability Discrimination Commissioner's term will be released later this year.

Find out more!

Policy & Submissions

WWDA participated in further consultations regarding the design and implementation of the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Framework.
WWDA wrote a submission on behalf of DPO Australia to the Commonwealth regarding draft NDIS legislation.
WWDA made a submission to the Tasmanian Government regarding proposed amendments to the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas).

Collaboration

WWDA endorsed a submission from the International Disability Alliance to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
WWDA and our DPO Australia partners' submission to the Productivity Commission review of NDIS costs and sustainability is now available online.
WWDA and DPO Australia continue to engage with a range of politicians regarding our call for a Royal Commission into violence against people with disability. There's still time to support our call for a Royal Commission.

Have Your Say!

Are You a Parent With an Intellectual Disability?

Researchers at The University of New South Wales, including WWDA Board Member Iva Strnadová, along with a researcher from Self-Advocacy Sydney are looking for people to be involved in a research project.

The research will look at how particular groups of families support each another (peer support).

For more information and to get involved, download a Participant Information Sheet (DOC)

Are you Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and Passionate About Defending Human Rights?

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is calling for applications for its Indigenous Fellowship Programme (IFP).

The IFP is a comprehensive human rights training program to support and engage the capacity and expertise of indigenous representatives in the UN system.

'Since the launch of the training programme in 1997, more than 300 indigenous men and women from all over the world have been trained. They provided human rights training to many more in their communities'.

Successful applicants receive a return flight ticket, living expenses and health insurance for the duration of the training in Geneva, Switzerland. The training coincides with the annual meeting of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Visit the OHCHR website for further information.

From Our Members

'Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset' and Other Poems

Channelle McKenna has self-published several anthologies of poetry in which she writes about her experience as a woman with Cerebral Palsy and as someone who has experienced violence.

Violence does not only happen in fantasies, it’s a reality and happens 24hrs seven days a week. Throughout the centuries it has been covered up and swept under the carpet whilst everyone seems to think it is part of life, but it [is not] and should never be part of society! If I can be part of exposing violence against disabled individuals than I fulfilled my life purpose!

Her poetry traverses a range of topics, including stories of survival in-spite of the violence that many women with disability experience.

Chanelle is currently working on a manuscript for a futuristic science fiction novel. 'Salmonyé; The Prophecy' charts the interstellar story of a heroine with CP who is called on to defend the inhabitants of a far off planet.

The reason why I decided to make my heroine CP is I feel it is time that disabled individuals should stand up for themselves and start breaking the exclusive barriers in their paths. It’s not going to be easy, however when individuals stand together [...] anything is possible! When I look at my own life I feel I have to share my story with the world so that I can inspire more disabled individuals to stand up for themselves and to grasp the future they want. The future is ours we just have to grasp it with all our might! As I said previously, nothing is impossible! We just have to find the right way [to] get to the destination we want to get to!

You can read a sample of Chanelle McKenna's work and purchase electronic versions of her poetry anthologies over at Amazon.

Do you write, blog or create media?

WWDA and WWDA Youth Network are happy to promote creative and engaging work by our members on our Facebook pages, websites and in this newsletter. Let us know if you have something you would like to share or have found a resource or website you think others might be interested in.

Disability News

The evolution of housing for people with disabilities (Pro Bono Australia)

Young Footscray filmmaker Amy Marks creates 50-second short film for National Youth Week that challenges assumptions people make about disability (SBS)

NDIS: Mark McGowan says WA may join Federal National Disability Insurance Scheme (The West Australian)