Disability and legislation: The relationship between changing policy and changing practice
This paper addresses the emergence of Australian government policy relating to intellectual disability and the resulting impact upon those who live with its consequence. Governments at all levels are recognising the need to legislate re: the needs and right of people with disabilities but people in the field have problems...
Disability and discrimination
Moira Rayner, Victorian Commissioner for Equal Opportunity, discusses the issue of disability and discrimination and the law in Victoria. She looks at discrimination in education and employment, and instances of both direct and indirect discrimination. Keyword: Government
Disability Services Bill 1993
The detail of this legislation (Disability Services Bill 1993) includes all amendments as passed by both Houses of Parliament in this its second print. The final print is called The Disability Services Act, 1993 and commenced in April 1993. Keyword: Government
Goals! Goals! Goals!
The author clarifies the need for families with a member with a disability to set goals. She cautions against making the goals too vague or unattainable. This necessitates employing critical thinking skills. Keyword: Families
The impact of disability on the family...Are existing support services enough?
Fawcett describes the impact of disability on the family. She calls for an improvement in services for families which acknowledges the emotional upheaval involved for the whole family. She emphasises that families particularly need and want contact with other families in the same situation and that service providers must take...
Characteristics of Carers in Victoria
This article identifies the trend towards care being given by family members to people with disabilities in the home and discusses the effects that this has on care givers. The report was compiled out of information obtained from care givers.
Group action planning
Anne and Rud Turnbull of the Beach Center on Families and Disability at the University of Kansas have a child with a disability. Their article includes a quote by Margaret Mead - "never doubt that a group of committed people can change the world.
Family support coalition
This article describes "family support" as a legitimate policy and explains the reasons for such a policy which include current practices of funding expensive but outmoded services and the need by families for more choice. It raises new questions encountered by families when looked at in the context of community...
Family empowerment
This article leads off with a poem about two families called "Doubt" and "About", both of which have a child with a disability. Doubt is not motivated by the fact of disability (Doubt is reactive), while About is (and is therefore proactive), and therefore the essential elements of empowerment are...
Reflections on a support group
This article is by a group of people who have supported many families to secure and maintain their children in neighbourhood schools. It was written to share what they have learned about support groups which are committed to the belief that every child has the right to attend a neighbourhood school.