Show news for a region of your choice (mostly Austraian news).

employ people with a disability - can you afford not to?

By bobb |

This video is worth watching. It discusses the substantial benefits of employing people with a disability.

Benefits include more productivity and profitability. Proponents appearing in the video are serious businesses.

Can businesses afford to not employ people with a disability? Really!

Why can't Australian employers see this? How much damage is employer short-sightedness doing to this nation's economy?

right to education for a child with disability being decided in NZ

By bobb |

The NZ High Court "found that Green Bay High School in Auckland was not justified in excluding a student with Asperger's syndrome, following a row he had with a teacher." [see article]. This may not be over yet.

I am not a lawyer and I do not know NZ law. I know that under international law, paragraph 3 in Article 23 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRoC) says every child has a right to "education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services [and] preparation for employment" ... and that "the state" is ultimately responsible for ensuring this happens. Specifically, in relation to children with a disability, the CRoC says ...

... assistance ... shall be provided free of charge ... and shall be designed to ensure that the disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child's achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development ...

Tasmanian Liberal's autism policy for 2014 state election

By bobb |


The Tasmanian Liberal Party has a policy that aims to improve services and outcomes for Tasmanian children with autism. The Liberal Party website says:

A majority Liberal Government will also invest $1 million to kick-start a longer-term strategy to implement best practice autism care to Tasmania, including introducing the American-based Rethink Autism program to the State.

Australian Governments don't educate children with autism

By bobb |

For some Australian children with autism, access to education is impossible … and Australian Governments just don't care.

A recent news item (see http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/2044236/parents-call-for-auti…) shows yet another group of parents calling for “an autism-specific school, to ensure their children's [education] needs are met”.

Government repeating disability "welfare to work" expecting a different outcome

By bobb |

The following newspaper reports relate to the Abbott Government ignoring information and advice from stakeholders (see http://a4.org.au/a4/node/742 and http://a4.org.au/a4/node/779). The Government is intent on rerunning policy that has already failed repeatedly.

Please note Samantha Maiden and the Sunday Telegraph disgustingly branded people with disability explicitly on their front page as bludgers without any evidence to this effect.

BLUDGERS BUSTED

22 Dec 2013, The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney), SAMANTHA MAIDEN

New study gives hope on autism

By bobb |

Cathy O'Leary, Medical Editor, The West Australian

A leading WA autism researcher says a new US study has added weight to a theory linking autism to gut problems that could be treated.

Scientists have found a link between mice with gastrointestinal problems caused by changes in bacteria in the gut and autism-type behaviour.

Their results, published in the medical journal Cell, also found that giving affected mice so-called good gut bacteria helped problems such as anxiety-like behaviour disappear.

Autistic boy's family appeals to Scott Morrison

By bobb |

A BANGLADESHI family with an autistic son is waiting for the federal Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to personally intervene in their case after they were refused permanent residency because of the son's medical condition.

Enamul and Siuly Kabir had their appeal to the Migration Review Tribunal knocked back in October because their son Srijon's condition could "likely result in a significant cost to the Australian community in the areas of health care and community services".

But Enamul Kabir, who works as a statistician at the University of Queensland, said Srijon required no medication or therapy.