Attorney General reply to open letter

By bobb |

The Attorney-General replied (9/8/2011, download here) to A4's open letter (18/6/2011, see http://a4.org.au/a4/node/375).

Our letter clearly identified concern and disappointment "about the ongoing refusal of Governments in Australia to protect people with ASD and their associates from discrimination". The Attorney-General's response dismisses our concern and disappointment saying:

Parents of disabled children rebel against suspensions

By bobb |

Andrew Stevenson, July 7, 2011

PARENTS of disabled students are taking the Education Department to court alleging discrimination, saying their children are being punished for their disability by being suspended from school.

One boy from Wagga Wagga, with a mild intellectual disability and emotional disorder, was suspended three times for a total of 80 days as an eight-year-old. He is now 10 and his mother last month filed a $50,000 damages claim against the department in the Federal Court.

Productivity commission's final report into disability care and support

By bobb |

The Gillard Labor Government today announced that it will start work immediately with states and territories on measures that will build the foundations for a National Disability Insurance Scheme, following the release of the Productivity Commission's final report into the matter.

The Government asked the Productivity Commission to examine reform of disability support services because we believe that the system we have today is not delivering the kind of care and support Australians expect for people with disability.

The main recommendations of the Productivity Commission are:

Lessons for the NDIS from Indigenous programs

By bobb |

Governments are working through COAG to plan and implement a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Based on past experience with the Closing the Gap initiative for Indigenous Australians and similar initiatives, COAG involvement may be very bad news for people with a disability.

A damning review of federal spending on Indigenous programs found billions of dollars paid out had dismal results. The previously secret Cabinet review says past approaches to fixing Indigenous disadvantage clearly failed.

Only US school can help our son

By convenor |

A MELBOURNE family is moving to the US for "emergency education" because it believes the Victorian school system has failed their 11-year-old son.

The autistic boy is from one of at least nine families suing the Education Department through the Federal Court for discrimination and what they claim is inadequate education.

Some families say they have spent up to $100,000 on therapy, tutoring and legal fees in their bids to get their "left behind" disabled children up to speed.

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