NOTA Inclusion’s Post

💛 Today on #RewritingTheNarrative: ✏️ In the latest contribution to the blog, Gloria Bennett reflects on how chronic illness is sometimes separated from disability advocacy spaces and how, in the face of this separation, the Disability Justice Principles offer an alternative and inclusive way to build community. Read the full piece: https://lnkd.in/ek8apE78

If there is one thing I’ve learned in 2023, it’s the enormous value of independent advocacy. Yesterday, I was reflecting on the incredible work my tiny Human Rights Advocacy team has done this year with and for disabled young people. We do highly skilled work in complex legal and ethical contexts, enabling disabled young people to have their voice heard and rights upheld. As independent advocates, we represent the human rights and best interests of disabled young people who find themselves experiencing injustice, oppression and discrimination at the intersections of complex systems like child protection, health, NDIS, justice, housing and education. We build the capacity of disabled young people and their loved ones to self-advocate, know their rights and have their voices heard. The Youth Disability Advocacy Service is the only independent disability advocacy service in Australia who provides individual advocacy exclusively to those aged 12-25 who identify as disabled, neurodivergent, experiencing mental ill health or have chronic illness. We are a highly specialised service, with unique expertise in the intersectional experiences and sectors of youth and disability. Yet the entire independent advocacy sector is chronically underfunded. Across our sector, 1 in 2 of those who reach out for advocacy assistance are turned away due to a lack of funding and resources. In the wake of the disability royal commission and the NDIS review, it is clear that as a nation we need to properly invest in independent disability advocacy. Independent disability advocacy organisations all across Australia are calling on the Federal government to properly fund our vital services. At this crucial time for young disabled Australians, we need our allies in the youth, disability, human rights and social justice sectors to join us - that means you! Please join us by subscribing to the Speak Up campaign and doing your bit to help amplify this campaign being led by our friends and colleagues at Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) Ltd Write to your MP, share with your networks and use the social media resources as they become available in the coming weeks. Please use your voice and share your power and privilege so that every disabled Australian, of any age, can access advocacy support when they need it. #DisabilityRights #DisabilityAdvocacy #YoungPeople #SpeakUp #HumanRights Youth Affairs Council Victoria Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA) Youth Support Advocacy Service Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC) Children and Young People with Disability Australia People with Disability Australia (PWDA) Yellow Ladybugs I CAN Network Ltd Amaze Association for Children with a Disability

Particularly like the recommendations on housing in this report. Trial specialist housing Navigators as part of NDIS reform to ensure people with disability have comprehensive support across all types of housing – not just NDIS-funded models. Here at Project Independence we have a model that has proven itself over a decade. Interest is strong nationally, as a housing solution for mild/moderate intellectual disability. #disability #inclusion #ndis #innovation #housing.

Hey everyone! It's important to speak up – now you can!   The government wants to hear what you think about the next budget for 2024–25. It's your chance to help decide what the country spends money on.   Do you care about helping people with disabilities? Ask the government to spend $91 million to support them. By doing this, we can help our friends and neighbors who need it.   📝 It's easy to tell the government what you think: Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) Ltd has created a tool to do this.  Fill in a form with your ideas, your name, where you live, your email, and if you want, your phone number and any group you're part of.   Don't miss this opportunity to make a difference! Action Tool — Disability Advocacy Sector (speakupadvocacy.com.au) #Disability #NDIS #Advocacy #Government #Australia 

60 second disability advocacy masterclass. (Swipe to find your country.) Understanding systems is the foundation for advocating for disabled persons. How are people with disability supported in different countries? Ft. Alinnette and Ubaid. P.S. Repost ♻ if you support disability inclusion.

🔔 Event announcement!🔔 Disability Culture at the University of Michigan (DC@U-M) and the Disability Alliance and Caucus (DAC) at Virginia Tech University are honored to invite all of you to our 2024 Disability Day of Mourning Vigil which will be hosted virtually via Zoom on Friday, March 1st, at 7 PM Eastern Time. We will have ASL interpreters, CART captioners, and a therapist available for those who need it. Please read more about Disability Day of Mourning from our sponsor, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network. Questions may be sent to [email protected]. "In the past five years, over 570 people with disabilities have been murdered by their parents, relatives, or caregivers. On Friday, March 1st, the disability community will gather across the nation to remember these disabled victims of filicide – disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers. In the year since our last vigil, our community has lost over 50 more people to filicide. These are just the cases that we are aware of – since we began monitoring this issue, we learn about more murders every week. We read the victims' names, see their photographs, and gather what information we can about their lives. The criminal justice system has continued to give lighter sentences to parents and caregivers who murder disabled children. And we have seen the news media continue to portray these murders in a sympathetic light. We hold the Day of Mourning vigils to draw attention to these injustices, to commemorate the lives of victims, and to demand justice and equal protection under the law for all people with disabilities. Since 2012, ASAN and other disability rights organizations have come together to send a clear message that disability is not a justification for violence." #DDOM2024 #Disability #DisabilityCulture #DisabilityCultureAtUMich #UMichDisability #DisabilityUMich #DisabilityInclusion

Hey Friends… Just as your input shapes our communities, your feedback is crucial in guiding my advocacy and outreach efforts. I’m committed to making a difference in the field of disability rights and accessibility, and I want to ensure that the content I share resonates with you and meets your needs. 🌟 What topics or issues related to disability advocacy, accessibility, and social justice would you like to see more of in my posts? Whether it’s personal stories, tips on accessible design, updates on legislation, or anything else, I want to hear from you! 📧 Email your suggestions to [email protected] or drop a comment below. Your input will help me tailor my content to better serve our community and address the issues that matter most to you. Together, we can create a more inclusive and aware society. Let’s make every voice heard and every story told. Thank you for being part of this journey. #DisabilityAdvocacy #Accessibility #SocialJustice #InclusiveDesign #CerebralPalsy #DisabilityAdvocate #WheelchairLife #CerebralPalsyMom #CerebralPalsyKids

DANA has submitted recommendations to the Australian Government's response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability (the DRC). Our goal is clear: We're actively working to coordinate efforts across the disability advocacy sector, aiming for stronger laws, improved policies, and more effective systems to protect people with disability. This submission addresses immediate concerns and lays the groundwork for comprehensive disability reform. It reflects the needs and perspectives of underrepresented people with disability who are most vulnerable. Our submission focuses on three key areas: 1️⃣ Independent disability advocacy 2️⃣ Safeguarding 3️⃣ Housing For a deeper dive into our recommendations and insights, please read our full submission in Word or PDF format using the link below. We also urge your support for increased funding for independent advocacy: www.speakupadvocacy.com.au Read the full submission here: https://ow.ly/yK3m50Qyb01 #DANA #DisabilityAdvocacy #SpeakUp4Advocacy

NEW blog post ✍️ In our latest post, we are digging deeper into the recommendations between the NDIS Review and the DRC on independent disability advocacy, and the impacts for people with disability and independent disability advocates in managing change. Independent advocacy plays critical roles in both facilitating and safeguarding the disability and NDIS ecosystems, and that's why DANA and our member organisations are calling for significantly higher injections of funding in the next budget. Read the full post on our website: https://ow.ly/4Haa50QpLqO

Independent advocacy is key to disabled people having a voice. That’s why I support the call for increased funding for disability advocates.   When people with disability have someone independent to turn to when they experience a crisis or need help to remedy disadvantage or discrimination, their lives get better.   But advocacy organisations don’t receive enough funding to meet demand – putting many organisations and workers at breaking point and people with disability are getting left behind.   Independent disability advocacy needs to be fully funded now, to ensure that everyone can get help when they need it. It’s time to fully fund independent advocacy Jim Chalmers.   #SpeakUp4Advocacy #IndependentAdvocacy Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) Ltd