Holly Hughes

Note: given the strong pro-government stance in this article, Ms Hughes should have also disclosed her affiliation with the Liberal Party - see http://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window/election-2016-connie-fierravantiwe…;

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a game changer for people with a disability and everyone who loves and supports them. Families will finally have effective choice and control over who provides the services that they actually want and need.

When you’re a parent of a child with high-functioning autism, you learn to make allowances. But should borderline arachnophobe Ian Rose allow his son a pet spider for his birthday?

Ian Rose

Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders? The latest in a series of obsessive enthusiasms that have characterised our son’s early childhood, the spider is not a beast to which I’ve ever warmed.

Dear the Hon Jane Prentice MP

A4 members have expressed concern about Centrelink’s Disability Support Pension (DSP) eligibility and processes. They commented that “the letter you get from Centrelink tells you nothing about where to find the criteria for how [Centrelink] judges in/out”.

A4 could not find clear descriptions on government websites (or elsewhere either) of:

By Nicolas Perpitch

The Western Australian education system is failing to meet the needs of some highly disabled children because of inflexibility and a lack of expertise, according to an experienced educator.

Stephen Breen, the immediate past-president of the WA Primary Principals Association and a teacher and principal for 42 years, has been joined by disability advocates in criticism of the Education Department's inclusion practices.

The disability support industry is facing a dramatic shortage of trained carers, leaving thousands of families without regular care and much needed respite.

Lateline spent a day with Fiona Hough and her five-year-old son Charlie, who has autism, to see how they cope when the carer doesn't come.

"Not having that person there, it's amazing how quickly you can get down into really dark territory," Ms Hough said.

Disability agencies say they are struggling to recruit staff and keep up with the demand from families in need.

Abstract

Objectives To investigate mortality and its causes in adults over the age of 20 years with intellectual disability (ID).

Dear Mr Buckley

Thank you for your email and letter of reply to my letter sent to you on 17 January 2017.