Your Story Disability Legal Support update—Issue 24, May 2023
Issue 24 – May 2023
In this issue ...
Your Story Disability Legal Support update
A message from our ACT Your Story lawyer, Nicola
For the past 10 months, I’ve had the privilege of supporting Canberrans to safely share their stories and ideas for change with the Disability Royal Commission.
For me, this work is deeply personal. My big sister has an intellectual disability and epilepsy, and that’s why I was so keen to work in a legal role that assists people with disability.
Having a loved one with a disability deepens my understanding of the challenges faced by people with disability and their families.
At a personal level, I am acutely conscious of the barriers they constantly face – and that fuels my drive to provide legal support to them.
Although submissions have now closed, the Your Story team and I can continue to assist you with legal and non-legal problems, such as discrimination and the NDIS.
With gratitude,
Nicola Clarke, ACT Your Story lawyer
Your Story holds national conference in Meanjin/Brisbane
The national Your Story team recently met in Meanjin/Brisbane to undertake training and planning. A highlight was our keynote speaker, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM (pictured right), a doctor, lawyer, researcher and disability advocate and the 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year.
In a stirring speech, Dinesh talked about the “insidious” nature of mental health conditions and his battle with depression during university, which motivated him to pursue a career in medicine.
Dinesh lives with quadriplegia after a car accident left him with a spinal cord injury, going on to become the first medical graduate and graduate doctor with quadriplegia in Queensland and only the second to work clinically in Australia.
Dinesh shared his memory of the car crash that changed his life, and the barriers and mistreatment he encountered as he recovered from the accident and worked his way through medical school. He recalled being told patients wouldn’t take him seriously.
“I’m in seventh year as a doctor now and I’ve seen thousands of patients,” he said. “I think we need to give our society more credit than it gets because it’s not so much the people that are the challenge when it comes to these things – it’s the institutions, it’s the establishment.”
Dinesh has shared his personal and professional experiences with the Disability Royal Commission through his work as the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Senior Adviser and as a witness at multiple public hearings. He said the fight for an inclusive and just society doesn’t stop with the Royal Commission’s final report.
“I think there’s a lot more work to do. But I think it’s important work. And I think we need your voices, and we need your continued passions to do it,” he told the Your Story team.
Other conference highlights included comprehensive disability training with Janel Manns, a former Paralympian and lead trainer and subject matter expert with People with Disability Australia, and a panel discussion featuring Your Story team members with lived experience of disability and/or caring.
The Your Story team (pictured left) also benefited from Deaf awareness and Auslan basics training delivered by Kett Gault from Just Auslan.
Autistic advocate calls for action not awareness
Held on 2 April each year, World Autism Awareness Day is a United Nations-observed day that aims to promote greater understanding and acceptance of autism and the Autistic community.
This year’s event focused on the contributions of Autistic people, including at work. But in Australia, many people with autism face barriers to finding and keeping a job, with unemployment at 34 percent in 2018.
In our webinar, guest speaker Tammy McGowan calls for action:
“…rather than people just being aware of us, what we're asking for now is that society starts addressing some of those issues... about Autistic people being less likely to find employment, to complete education and to live long, healthy lives compared to non-Autistic Australians.”
Tammy is a proud Autistic woman, mother and advocate. She joins Elise Muller, an Indigenous elite athlete and autism advocate, to share what needs to change to address unemployment and improve the experiences of Autistic people in the workplace.
You can watch the webinar on our YouTube channel.
Webinar: What is the NDIS Independent Expert Review?
Your Story recently hosted a webinar about the NDIS Independent Expert Review program.
Our guest speakers from the Independent Expert Review Advice Service and Disability Advocacy NSW explained what the program is about and the free supports available if you're invited to take part.
More than 100 people registered for the webinar, which is now available to watch with captions and Auslan on our YouTube channel.
What Australia Told Us – Disability Royal Commission Information Sessions
Alongside our partners in advocacy and counselling, Your Story has been at the Disability Royal Commission’s information sessions about “What Australia Told Us” in Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney and Hobart.
The sessions are for people with disability, their families, carers, advocates and other stakeholders to further understand the Royal Commission’s work to date.
Your Story has been at the sessions to find out more about what the Royal Commission has learnt from the disability community and to offer legal support to attendees.
We look forward to the Darwin, Alice Springs, Melbourne, Adelaide and online sessions. Come and say hello to our staff to have a yarn and/or to connect with legal support.
Reimagining the NDIS by children, young people and families
Have your say with the NDIS Review!
Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) is working with the Australian Government to find out what parents/caregivers of children with disability and young people with disability think about the NDIS.
If you are interested in taking part, find out more info here.
Do you have a disability or care for someone who does?
Do you have a legal problem? Check out our new service brochure!
It explains what Your Story and the Disability Royal Commission are about and how we can support you, or a loved one, with legal and non-legal problems.
Visit our website to view and download the brochure.
Western Australia lawyers Amanda Hockless and Amilee Myson at the Disability Royal Commission’s information session in Perth on 28 March. Your Story supported members of the Deafblind community to attend the event, where Royal Commission staff shared what they had learned from submissions and private sessions.
A highlight of the Your Story national conference was disability training with Janel Manns, a former Paralympian and lead trainer and subject matter expert with People with Disability Australia. Janel is pictured with Your Story Director Susannah O’Reilly and National Project Officer Silva Osaki.
On 28 March, the Disability Royal Commission hosted information sessions in Hobart, Tasmania, as part of its ‘What Australia told us’ tour. Your Story’s Tasmania lawyer Jane Green was there to let people know about the free legal support we can provide for Tasmanians.
Upcoming events
16 May – Disability Royal Commission visits Darwin on ‘What Australia told us’ tour
Territorians can learn about the Disability Royal Commission’s work at an information session in Darwin as part of the ‘What Australia told us’ national tour. The session is free and open to everyone. Visit the Darwin event page for more details and to register.
18 May – Disability Royal Commission to host information session in Alice Springs
The Disability Royal Commission will host a free information session in Alice Springs as part of its ‘What Australia told us’ national tour. The face-to-face event is a chance for people to find out about the Royal Commission and what it has learned from the Disability community. It’s free to attend, visit the Alice Springs event page for more details and to register.
13 June – Disability Royal Commission to host information session in Melbourne
The Disability Royal Commission will host a free information session in Melbourne as part of its ‘What Australia told us’ national tour. The face-to-face event is a chance for people to find out about the Royal Commission and what it has learned from the Disability community. It’s free to attend, visit the Melbourne event page for more details and to register.
15 June – Disability Royal Commission to host information session in Adelaide
The Disability Royal Commission will host a free information session in Adelaide as part of its ‘What Australia told us’ national tour. The face-to-face event is a chance for people to find out about the Royal Commission and what it has learned from the Disability community. It’s free to attend, visit the Adelaide event page for more details and to register.
19 June – Disability Royal Commission to host online information session
The Disability Royal Commission will host a free information session online as part of its ‘What Australia told us’ series. The online event is a chance for people to find out about the Royal Commission and what it has learned from the Disability community. It’s free to attend, visit What Australia told us (19 June) event page for more details and to register.
22 June – Disability Royal Commission to host online information session
The Disability Royal Commission will host a free information session online as part of its ‘What Australia told us’ series. The online event is a chance for people to find out about the Royal Commission and what it has learned from the Disability community. It’s free to attend, visit What Australia told us (22 June) event page for more details and to register.
24 June – Disability Royal Commission to host online information session
The Disability Royal Commission will host a free information session online as part of its ‘What Australia told us’ series. The online event is a chance for people to find out about the Royal Commission and what it has learned from the Disability community. It’s free to attend, visit What Australia told us (24 June) event page for more details and to register.
Disability Royal Commission news
Public Hearing 33: A case study
The Disability Royal Commission has scheduled a public hearing for May.
Titled ‘A case study’, public hearing 33 will be held in Brisbane, Queensland, from 9 to 11 May. Visit the Royal Commission’s website for updates.
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