Latest news with #PWDA
Scoop
3 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Australia: PWDA Calls For Clarity And Inclusion Following Delays To Foundational Supports Rollout
Press Release – People with Disability Australia – PWDA PWDA welcomes the Governments ongoing commitment to disability reform and stands ready to work collaboratively to ensure foundational supports are implemented in a way that is timely, inclusive, and sustainable. People with Disability Australia, the national peak representative and advocacy body, is calling on the Federal Government to provide greater clarity and to consult more closely with people with disability, following the announcement that the rollout of foundational supports – scheduled to begin on 1 July 2025 – will be delayed. Foundational supports are designed for people with disability who are not eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). They are especially relevant for Autistic children and people with psychosocial disability. The delay has created uncertainty in the community about when and how these essential supports will become available. PWDA President Trinity Ford said that while the disability community understands the complexity of implementing this reform, and the need to get it right from the start, it is critical that all people with disability are brought along and involved. 'Many people with disability who are not eligible for the NDIS still have real and ongoing support needs,' Ms Ford said. 'These foundational supports will hopefully create a more inclusive and equal network of disability supports. But delays and uncertainty around the rollout's details, timelines and co-design means people with disability are still waiting – unsupported and without answers.' PWDA emphasises that early intervention and accessible community-based supports are key to improving long-term outcomes for people with disability, particularly those who have historically fallen through the cracks of service systems. 'We're calling on the Government to communicate transparently about next steps and to ensure people with lived experience of disability are at the centre of future planning,' Ms Ford said. 'It's vital that the design and rollout of these supports reflect the diversity of our community – including people with psychosocial disability, children with developmental concerns, and others who are not being serviced by the NDIS.' PWDA welcomes the Government's ongoing commitment to disability reform and stands ready to work collaboratively to ensure foundational supports are implemented in a way that is timely, inclusive, and sustainable.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Australia: PWDA Calls For Clarity And Inclusion Following Delays To Foundational Supports Rollout
People with Disability Australia, the national peak representative and advocacy body, is calling on the Federal Government to provide greater clarity and to consult more closely with people with disability, following the announcement that the rollout of foundational supports – scheduled to begin on 1 July 2025 – will be delayed. Foundational supports are designed for people with disability who are not eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). They are especially relevant for Autistic children and people with psychosocial disability. The delay has created uncertainty in the community about when and how these essential supports will become available. PWDA President Trinity Ford said that while the disability community understands the complexity of implementing this reform, and the need to get it right from the start, it is critical that all people with disability are brought along and involved. 'Many people with disability who are not eligible for the NDIS still have real and ongoing support needs,' Ms Ford said. 'These foundational supports will hopefully create a more inclusive and equal network of disability supports. But delays and uncertainty around the rollout's details, timelines and co-design means people with disability are still waiting – unsupported and without answers.' PWDA emphasises that early intervention and accessible community-based supports are key to improving long-term outcomes for people with disability, particularly those who have historically fallen through the cracks of service systems. 'We're calling on the Government to communicate transparently about next steps and to ensure people with lived experience of disability are at the centre of future planning,' Ms Ford said. 'It's vital that the design and rollout of these supports reflect the diversity of our community – including people with psychosocial disability, children with developmental concerns, and others who are not being serviced by the NDIS.' PWDA welcomes the Government's ongoing commitment to disability reform and stands ready to work collaboratively to ensure foundational supports are implemented in a way that is timely, inclusive, and sustainable.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Australia: PWDA Condemns Ableist Rhetoric And Calls For Respectful Leadership Ahead Of Election
Press Release – People with Disability Australia – PWDA PWDA is also concerned about the rise of ableist abuse and misinformation on social media during the election, with people with disability and other marginalised groups facing increased vilification online. People with Disability Australia (PWDA), the national disability rights and advocacy peak body, is calling on all political parties, candidates and members of the public to reject ableist language and divisive narratives in the final days of the Federal Election campaign and to commit to respectful, inclusive discourse. PWDA President Trinity Ford expressed concern harmful rhetoric had marred the election campaign. 'Throughout this campaign, PWDA has been alarmed by the use of language that harms and stigmatises people with disability. This includes disparaging references to mental illness, negative stereotyping of people with psychosocial disability, and reports of slurs such as the R-word being used at campaign events. 'Language matters. Words that belittle, dehumanise or stereotype people with disability fuel discrimination and exclusion. They cause real harm. There is no excuse for this kind of rhetoric in Australian public life, especially at a time when our community is seeking leadership that will take real action to end the violence and inequality we continue to endure,' she said. PWDA is also concerned about the rise of ableist abuse and misinformation on social media during the election, with people with disability and other marginalised groups facing increased vilification online. 'Online spaces should be places where disabled people can raise our voices and participate fully in democracy. Instead, we are seeing worrying trends of abuse and misinformation targeting people with disability and other communities,' said PWDA CEO Sebastian Zagarella. PWDA is urging all candidates, political parties, media outlets and members of the public to uphold respect and inclusion in their language and actions. PWDA's Language Guide provides free, best-practice advice on inclusive language, and we encourage everyone to use it. 'Disability is a normal part of human diversity. Mental illness is not a character flaw or a danger. People with disability are not burdens to be feared or problems to be solved. We are valued members of our community who have the right to participate, to belong and to be heard,' said Mr Zagarella. 'If political leaders are serious about addressing inequality, they must reject divisive and harmful narratives and focus on delivering real reforms. That means investment in accessible housing, increasing income support payments, providing disability services outside the NDIS and upholding the rights of people with disability,' Ms Ford said. PWDA stands in solidarity with all communities who have been targeted by harmful rhetoric during this election campaign.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Australia: PWDA Condemns Ableist Rhetoric And Calls For Respectful Leadership Ahead Of Election
People with Disability Australia (PWDA), the national disability rights and advocacy peak body, is calling on all political parties, candidates and members of the public to reject ableist language and divisive narratives in the final days of the Federal Election campaign and to commit to respectful, inclusive discourse. PWDA President Trinity Ford expressed concern harmful rhetoric had marred the election campaign. 'Throughout this campaign, PWDA has been alarmed by the use of language that harms and stigmatises people with disability. This includes disparaging references to mental illness, negative stereotyping of people with psychosocial disability, and reports of slurs such as the R-word being used at campaign events. "Language matters. Words that belittle, dehumanise or stereotype people with disability fuel discrimination and exclusion. They cause real harm. There is no excuse for this kind of rhetoric in Australian public life, especially at a time when our community is seeking leadership that will take real action to end the violence and inequality we continue to endure," she said. PWDA is also concerned about the rise of ableist abuse and misinformation on social media during the election, with people with disability and other marginalised groups facing increased vilification online. 'Online spaces should be places where disabled people can raise our voices and participate fully in democracy. Instead, we are seeing worrying trends of abuse and misinformation targeting people with disability and other communities,' said PWDA CEO Sebastian Zagarella. PWDA is urging all candidates, political parties, media outlets and members of the public to uphold respect and inclusion in their language and actions. PWDA's Language Guide provides free, best-practice advice on inclusive language, and we encourage everyone to use it. 'Disability is a normal part of human diversity. Mental illness is not a character flaw or a danger. People with disability are not burdens to be feared or problems to be solved. We are valued members of our community who have the right to participate, to belong and to be heard,' said Mr Zagarella. 'If political leaders are serious about addressing inequality, they must reject divisive and harmful narratives and focus on delivering real reforms. That means investment in accessible housing, increasing income support payments, providing disability services outside the NDIS and upholding the rights of people with disability,' Ms Ford said. PWDA stands in solidarity with all communities who have been targeted by harmful rhetoric during this election campaign.
ABC News
27-04-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Disability community asks to co-design 'isolating' social media ban
For people with a disability, social media can be a lifeline. For the neurodivergent, people with sensory challenges and the immunocompromised, it can be a safe and manageable way to stay in touch with the world and connect with people who understand your experience. In November, the Senate inquiry into the federal government's ban on social media for children under 16 received about 15,000 submissions, including one signed by nine disability groups concerned about how a ban would affect the lives of people with a disability. They argued that a social media ban risked isolating young people with a disability by depriving them of a "lifeline" that allowed them to connect with peers. Photo shows A phone screen showing social media apps. The government and opposition moved fast to ram through the bill before the end of the parliamentary year. The ban is due to come into effect by December this year. Maddison Thompson is a participant at a branch of disability support service Yooralla based in the eastern Victorian town of Leongatha. She said she regularly used social media to contact friends from Yooralla and elsewhere. "I use Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat every day," she said. " I'm scared they're going to ban all the apps I use. " Ms Thompson said it was easier for her to talk to people and introduce herself online than in person. She said it would have been harder for her as a teenager to make friends without access to social media. Not enough scrutiny Stephanie Travers is board secretary at People with Disability Australia (PWDA) and lives with spina bifida. Stephanie Travers says she is disappointed at the lack of consultation over the social media ban. ( Supplied: PWDA ) Her organisation is She said when the idea of the ban was first floated, the disability community had flagged concerns about how it would be implemented and the possible impacts that people with disability would feel. Ms Travers said she was concerned there had been a lack of consultation with the disability community. Photo shows A 15-year-old girl sitting on a couch and looking at her phone. The federal government's social media ban is likely to be detrimental for young people in marginalised communities, experts and teenagers say. "There just was not enough time to consult with government about the adverse consequences to isolating people with a disability further and putting these restrictions on them," she said. The organisation wants to see the implementation of the ban co-designed with Australia's disability community. "We're very much nothing about us without us, and we want to make sure these age verification and ID requirements are co-tested with our community because we know that identification is an issue for people with disability in general," Ms Travers said. PWDA said it believed a duty of care placed on social media platforms themselves would ensure user safety for everyone, not just the disability community. 'Their only community' RMIT Social Equity Research Centre associate director Kathryn Daley said social media was an inclusive place for some people with health concerns, extreme social anxiety, or who were neurodivergent. "For some groups of vulnerable young people, that's their only community," she said. Maddison Thompson says she feels more comfortable online connecting with friends online. ( ABC Gippsland: Danielle Kutchel ) Dr Daley said she was worried that the ban would not stop young people from accessing social media, but would push them into an unregulated, unmonitored environment that could be even more dangerous. But she said worries about online safety, like those cited by the government, were valid. "It's an absolute risk," she said. "Children and young people are always vulnerable to being taken advantage of in any setting, and children and young people with a disability, even more so. " However, we can't prohibit them from participating in their lives. " ABC Gippsland — local news in your inbox Get our local newsletter, delivered free each Tuesday Your information is being handled in accordance with the Email address Subscribe
