 
Welcome to another edition of the e-news. Over this past month, the political debate has been dominated by the Government’s proposed Resource Super Profits Tax. While this doesn’t relate directly to disability policy, issues such as tax reform do have implications for our nation’s ability to keep improving the lives of people with a disability, their families and carers into the future. Tax reform should not be dismissed as the realm of economists – these issues affect all of us, so it’s a debate I would encourage you to follow. Meanwhile, I have been working on some important issues with the State and Territory Disability Ministers. You will find more details below. I hope you enjoy this edition of the e-news.
Community and Disability Services Ministers’ Conference Report
Last Friday, Community and Disability Services Ministers from all States and Territories met with myself and Jenny Macklin in Adelaide to discuss progress on a number of projects aimed at getting the State and Federal Governments to work better together. This CDSMC meeting made real progress on a number of issues.
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More consistent access to aids and equipment
Ministers agreed to keep working to give people with disability more consistent access to the aids and equipment they need live independently, participate in the community and reach their potential.
Ministers agreed to establish, by December 2010, a nationally consistent list of core equipment that all people with similar disabilities should be able to access, no matter where they live. All jurisdictions will also strengthen their portability protocols to allow people who move across state borders to retain their access to core equipment they need for their disability.
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Early intervention and prevention revised framework
Ministers endorsed a National Framework and work plan for Early Intervention and Prevention. This enables each jurisdiction to examine their systems and identify gaps to improve the effectiveness of their early intervention programs. This will lead to better outcomes for people with disability, their families and carers, particularly in the early years and at key transition points, such as the transition from early childhood settings to school, from primary school to secondary school and adolescence, and from school to post school settings and adulthood.
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National Disability Strategy
Ministers noted the draft National Disability Strategy (NDS). The final NDS will be forwarded to the Council of Australian Governments for endorsement at their next meeting.
The NDS will set out a ten year national plan for improving life outcomes for Australians with disabilities, their families and carers. It will aim to increase participation of people with disability in society, and to reduce prejudice. The NDS will be built around six policy areas: health and wellbeing; personal and community support; economic security; learning and skills; rights, protection, justice and legislation; and inclusive and accessible communities.
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Disability Parking Permit
We also reached agreement on the Australian Disability Parking Scheme, which has been referred to the Roads and Transport minsters of each state for final approval. The new national permit will be rolled out by the end of the year and the new system will be in place when States have changed their legislation. The Scheme includes national minimum standards for concessions, although States which have better concessions than the minimum will be able to keep them, to ensure permit holders are not worse off.
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Full CDSMC Communiqué
If you want to read the full CDSMC Communiqué it’s available here.
People with hearing impairments catch World Cup fever
For the first time, the official website of the FIFA World Cup will broadcast all 64 World Cup soccer matches in International Sign. Videos will be available for download from FIFA’s official website, www.fifa.com, shortly after each game. It’s fantastic to see FIFA embracing the opportunity to make their sport more inclusive.
Queen’s Birthday Honours
Congratulations to the disability advocates who were rewarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Bruce Bonyhady, Kevin Cocks, Patricia Brougham and Dr Jeanette Rosen all were made Members of the order of Australia, while another 18 people were awarded the Order of Australia Medal.
World MS Day
May 26th was World MS day, a day to remind the community of the suffering caused by MS and the fact that MS sufferers too often still get the same 2nd-rate treatment given to people with disability. The Australian Government has increased funding for medical research and we have now announced an extra $750,000 for research into MS.
Changes to the Disability Support Pension
The Rudd Government recognises that the DSP is a key part of our welfare system, and provides for people with serious disabilities who are unable to find work. While we want to make sure that the DSP is only given to people who need it, it has become clear that red-tape is holding up legitimate applications longer than it should. We have decided to make it easier for people with serious disabilities, or diseases, to claim the payment quickly and solely on the basis of a medical report. I hope this eases the stress of applying for the DSP for people with these conditions. The changes will apply from July 1, 2010.
Special Disability Trust reforms
We introduced Special Disability Trusts to make it easier for families or other carers to provide long-term support for a person with a disability. Trusts are not the solution for everybody, but for some families they can make a big difference. We have been reviewing the way the trusts work because we want to make sure they reflect the real problems and experiences that families are facing. We have now introduced legislation which will expand the operation of these trusts and increase the tax concessions available.
Latest media releases
- $60,000 to enhance disability advocacy and encourage participation in Productivity Commission inquiry
- Call for more organisations to join Companion Card Scheme
- Fast-tracking Disability Support Pension claims for severe disability and cancer
- Australian Disability Enterprises show their wares to Government departments and agencies
- OP-ED: Daily Telegraph on Disability Insurance Scheme
- Younger People with Disability in Residential Aged Care program
- Tax law reforms to help people with disabilities their families and carers
- Australians encouraged to nominate for the National Disability Awards
- Rudd Government gives $162,000 to new body representing children with disability
Latest speeches & transcripts
- June 16 – National General Assembly of Local Government
- June 1 – Address at the Purchasing with Purpose Expo
- May 27 – Speech on Appropriation Bills
- May 26 – World MS Day
- May 26 – 3-minute speech on use of physical and chemical restraints on people with disability
- May 24 – ABC Sydney – Universal Housing
Jan
22
 
Dear Readers,
Taking some time out to enjoy the Summer and do a little travelling. Will return to usual postings on 1st July.
Till Then,
Take Care,
Julie
xx
Jan
22
Â
Dear Readers,
Taking some time out to enjoy the Summer and do a little travelling. Will return to usual postings on 1st July.
Till Then,
Take Care,
Julie
xx
 
Article Date: 11 Jun 2010 – 0:00 PDT
While most people have intuitive reactions to Web sites, a group of Canadian scientists is developing software that can actually measure those emotions and more.
Aude Dufresne, a professor at the University of Montreal Department Of Communications, led a team of researchers that are designing a new software to evaluate the biological responses of Internet users.
Simply put, the new software measures everything in Web users from body heat to eye movements to facial expressions and analyzes how they relate to online activities. The technology is now being tested at the newly opened Bell User Experience Centre, which is located at the telecom giant’s Nun’s Island campus. Bell will use the University of Montreal technology to investigate how people react to Web sites. Such studies will provide companies with facts on how they can improve online experiences.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191481.php
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Article Date: 11 Jun 2010 – 0:00 PDT
While most people have intuitive reactions to Web sites, a group of Canadian scientists is developing software that can actually measure those emotions and more.
Aude Dufresne, a professor at the University of Montreal Department Of Communications, led a team of researchers that are designing a new software to evaluate the biological responses of Internet users.
Simply put, the new software measures everything in Web users from body heat to eye movements to facial expressions and analyzes how they relate to online activities. The technology is now being tested at the newly opened Bell User Experience Centre, which is located at the telecom giant’s Nun’s Island campus. Bell will use the University of Montreal technology to investigate how people react to Web sites. Such studies will provide companies with facts on how they can improve online experiences.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191481.php
 
ScienceDaily (June 10, 2010) — Nearly half of patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder may suffer from hypertension, and the younger a person is diagnosed with the psychiatric condition the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure, according to a recent Michigan State University study.
The study, led by MSU psychiatrist Dale D’Mello, analyzed 99 patients hospitalized for bipolar disorder, a condition sometimes called manic-depressive disorder and characterized by mood swings ranging from depression to mental hyperactivity known as mania.
D’Mello presented his findings — which could lead to improved treatments — recently at the American Psychiatric Association’s 2010 annual meeting in New Orleans.
While the connection between such disorders and cardio-metabolic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes has been established, D’Mello also discovered bipolar patients with high blood pressure suffered higher levels of mania.
Read in Full:Â http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100610171716.htm
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ScienceDaily (June 10, 2010) — Nearly half of patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder may suffer from hypertension, and the younger a person is diagnosed with the psychiatric condition the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure, according to a recent Michigan State University study.
The study, led by MSU psychiatrist Dale D’Mello, analyzed 99 patients hospitalized for bipolar disorder, a condition sometimes called manic-depressive disorder and characterized by mood swings ranging from depression to mental hyperactivity known as mania.
D’Mello presented his findings — which could lead to improved treatments — recently at the American Psychiatric Association’s 2010 annual meeting in New Orleans.
While the connection between such disorders and cardio-metabolic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes has been established, D’Mello also discovered bipolar patients with high blood pressure suffered higher levels of mania.
Read in Full:Â http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100610171716.htm
 
Waretown, NJÂ Â Â Â Jun 10, 2010 in iPhone
[prMac.com] Union City, California – Announcing that Sulaba Inc., the developers of Journal Diary, has released their latest update for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. The application provides a creative venue for users to express themselves in a multimedia format. Rather than holding in stress, users can record text, audio and photographic impressions, ideas or even the good stuff, like important happy memories. Journal Diary allows for quick entries on the spot, so users can fit them in during a busy day.
Society’s current hectic pace creates high stress levels, resulting in illness, relationship problems and other stress related issues. People no longer take the time to vent themselves creatively to release that pressure, which only continues to build until the body reacts somehow to stop it, or it bleeds out into other areas of a person’s life to stir up even more strife.
Journal Diary has been developed to help. “People are stressed out more than before in this fast moving world because they don’t express their feelings or write in some form,” says Sulaba’s CEO, Natarajan Sambamoorthy.
Sambamoorthy believes that current stress levels are, at least in part, even to blame for Autism, “Stress is the fundamental reason that autism is on the rise. Parental genes got mutated by keeping their stress levels at an all time high. This app intends to help current and future generations by expressing their emoticons, voice recordings and background pictures for each day.”
Most anyone can use Journal Diary, including those with some physical limitation and people with Autism. If a person can tap an emoticon, they can express themselves in the app. With Autistics, the daily emoticon recordings can be shown to a doctor, who can gauge how the patient is doing.
Of course, users don’t have to be stressed out to use Journal Diary. It works like any diary, providing a safe haven for recording daily happenings, special events or thoughts and the like. There is optional password protection to keep all entries securely private.
Read in Full:Â http://prmac.com/release-id-13620.htm
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Waretown, NJÂ Â Â Â Jun 10, 2010 in iPhone
[prMac.com] Union City, California – Announcing that Sulaba Inc., the developers of Journal Diary, has released their latest update for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. The application provides a creative venue for users to express themselves in a multimedia format. Rather than holding in stress, users can record text, audio and photographic impressions, ideas or even the good stuff, like important happy memories. Journal Diary allows for quick entries on the spot, so users can fit them in during a busy day.
Society’s current hectic pace creates high stress levels, resulting in illness, relationship problems and other stress related issues. People no longer take the time to vent themselves creatively to release that pressure, which only continues to build until the body reacts somehow to stop it, or it bleeds out into other areas of a person’s life to stir up even more strife.
Journal Diary has been developed to help. “People are stressed out more than before in this fast moving world because they don’t express their feelings or write in some form,” says Sulaba’s CEO, Natarajan Sambamoorthy.
Sambamoorthy believes that current stress levels are, at least in part, even to blame for Autism, “Stress is the fundamental reason that autism is on the rise. Parental genes got mutated by keeping their stress levels at an all time high. This app intends to help current and future generations by expressing their emoticons, voice recordings and background pictures for each day.”
Most anyone can use Journal Diary, including those with some physical limitation and people with Autism. If a person can tap an emoticon, they can express themselves in the app. With Autistics, the daily emoticon recordings can be shown to a doctor, who can gauge how the patient is doing.
Of course, users don’t have to be stressed out to use Journal Diary. It works like any diary, providing a safe haven for recording daily happenings, special events or thoughts and the like. There is optional password protection to keep all entries securely private.
Read in Full:Â http://prmac.com/release-id-13620.htm
 
Daniel Paul Tammet, featured on ABC’s 20/20 episode “SuperHumans!â€, seems to be just another regular 31 years old guy, but has gifts that many other people would not dare to dream of: his brain works with numbers like a supercomputer and has an incredible linguistic skill.
Tammet, eldest of the nine children of his family in England, suffers from one form of autism, a form of neurological disorder that impairs social interaction and often manifests repetitive and restricted behavior. Many of the autistic persons, though, have something in exchange: incredible skills in one or more matters. Several researchers speculate that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Isaac Newton, inventor Nikola Tesla and filmmaker Stanley Kubrick were autistic.
 Tammet’s talent lays in the numbers. He can solve astronomical calculations incredibly fast – he says that he can visualize numbers with their unique shape, texture and color. Specialists call this syndrome synesthaesia, the mixture of different senses into one great sensory experience. He says: “I learned to count, like anyone else, at a young age, and when I did I would see colors. I would see pictures in my mind. I assumed at the time that everyone saw numbers as I did.â€
Read in Full: http://www.providingnews.com/daniel-tammet-says-numbers-are-moving-in-his-mind.html