WhatsUp in Disability Magazine January February 2021 by BigDog Support

Disability Information Services by People with Disability Toowoomba and Southern Queensland

Volume 1, Issue 98

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Proudly supported and printed by ToowoombaWhatsUp Region in Disability

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WhatsUp

Highlights January/February 2021

09 10 13 14 19 21

#EndSegregation

NDIS Updates

NDIS Commission Training

Lost in 2020

Keanu Reeves

Emerging Leaders Program

Cover Page Derek Tuffield OAM General Manager Lifeline Darling Downs

Steven Paull JP (Qual) President Page 2

2020 Year in Review January/February 2020

July/August 2020

March/April 2020

September/October 2020

May/June 2020

November/December 2020

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp Derek

I first met Derek Tuffield at a business networking event and it was hard not to notice he was a person who everyone knew, respected and liked. Derek had just been appointed as General Manager at Lifeline and a number of people were congratulating him on this appointment. “I was born in Brisbane in the mid 1950’s being the second eldest child of six children, five boys and one girl. I schooled at St Columban’s College at Albion Brisbane until 1971 and joined the Commercial Bank of Australia (CBA) in February 1972, which became Westpac Banking Corporation in 1982 and I remained with them for almost 16 years I was transferred to Toowoomba from the Gold Coast in August 1980 to take up the position of Security Clerk at the Commercial Bank of Australia located at 450 Ruthven Street Toowoomba.” “I also served 16 years in the Army Reserve between: 1973-1989, serving with 9 RQR in Brisbane, 25 RQR in Kingaroy and Toowoomba and the Queensland Agricultural College (QAC) Officer Training Unit in Gatton reaching rank of Warrant Officer Class II.” “I joined Lifeline Darling Downs on the 17th August 1987 as the Business Administrator, Page 4

Tuffield

By Steven Paull

located at 4 Hodgson Street, Toowoomba. During the next 12 years I was promoted to Business Manager and Business Development Manager. In early 2000 I was appointed to the role of General Manager / Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Darling Downs & South West Queensland Limited and have been in this position for the past 20+ years. “This Lifeline Centre is the largest regional Lifeline in Australia and currently employs more than 280 paid staff and is supported by more than 270 dedicated volunteers.” “When I joined Lifeline Darling Downs in 1987, we employed 15 staff. During the past 20 plus years, Lifeline Darling Downs has grown to become a mid-sized not-for-profit organisation, that has grown substantially in staff numbers, services delivered and rural services. Our coverage area exceeds 500,000sq kilometres. The growth of the past 20 years as seen our combined turnover increase from $2 million in 2000 to $18 Million in 2020.” “In 2001 I was elected president of Willowburn Sports Club Inc which latter changed its name to Willowburn Football Club Inc. This club was founded in 1949 and had a proud history of playing and producing ex-

Lifeline in the Darling Downs Awards cellent footballers. I worked actively to promote and encourage involvement and support for many multicultural, disadvantaged groups and families. Over several years I continued to coach junior sport and I took a number of executive positions within the club and at higher levels of sport management. I was rewarded with a Life Membership in 2010 and also a Life Membership with Football Toowoomba Inc in 2010. He completed his services to the club in 2015.I have been a member of the Community Policing Board (CPB) in Toowoomba since 2016.“ “I was appointed Treasurer of Regional Development Australia Darling Downs & South West Committee from 2009 to 2018. I am currently the Independent Chair of Southern Queensland Rural Health and the chairman of the Responsible Gambling Advisory Committee in Queensland. Friends of Flexi School Committee member and Flexi Ltd. “ “I was married to my first wife Tania for 25 years and I am the proud father of three adult children, Laura, Damien and Morgan. In March 2018 I married for the second time and happily became the step-father to Rosemerry’s adult children Christopher and Ashleigh.” We are all grateful for your valuable service.

2008 “Community Hero Award” for the Blueprint for the Bush. 2008 Honouree member of the “USQ Golden Key Club” for services to the community. 2010 Life Member of Football Toowoomba Inc and Willowburn Football Club Inc. 2010 Commissioner of Declarations award for 25 years of distinguished service as a Justice of the Peace. Lifeline Australia “Golden Wattle Award” for 15 years’ service to Lifeline. 2015 Lions Club of Toowoomba West – Award for outstanding service to the community 2015 nominated by Pro-Bono Impact 25 as one of the top 100 most influential people in the Not-for-Profit sector in Australia. 2016 Suncorp Bank Finalist for volunteer of the year Military Service Medals – National Emergency Medal, Australian Defence Medal and Reserve Force Medal (I served in the Australian Army Reserve for 1971 to 1989) 2018 Order of Australia Medal for services to the Darling Downs. 2020 Fellow of the University of Southern Queensland.

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

10 years ago By Steven Paull

10th January 2011 and the deadly wall of water that hit Toowoomba's CBD and the Lockyer Valley struck without warning. Weeks of persistent rain had saturated the ground and filled creeks and stormwater drains. When a band of storms dumped another 200mm of the city, it had nowhere to go but through the main streets of the town. The ferocious torrent, described by emergency services as an "inland tsunami", swept away cars and ripped businesses apart. This was a day that I certainly will never forget. I was in the BigDog office in Water Street (appropriately named when you consider the events of the day), that I shared with Parent to Parent. I was spending time with my client, a young man who was blind and in a wheelchair and we were listening to an RL Stine spooky tale on my laptop when the power went out. As the laptop had a battery, the tale kept playing, so he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t aware that there was anything amiss. Hearing the sound of something bumping against the window, I raised the blind to see my car float by in a torrent of water. The building was Besser brick and the main entrance faced away from the flow of water so with the blinds closed and the roar of the rain on the tin roof, the impending danger was not obvious until this time. I raced to the other side of the building and pulled back the window blinds and I could only see brown water. Thankfully there were security bars on the outside of the windows for they were protecting the windows from being hit by the debris and smashing. Soon after this a huge wave of water engulfed the entire building, and we were

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completely submerged by water for several minutes and water. I tried 000 but the line was jammed with the large number of calls for help, so I plugged up the areas around the doors and windows as best I could and waited. When the waters subsided a little, I was able to attract the attention of a 4 wheel drive across the road that had a winch and rope. Attaching a line to the building, and carrying my client with another rope around my waist we were able to reach safety. To the guys in that 4 wheel drive, I am forever grateful. We were lucky.

No Diving No Swimming No Boats... No Bridge WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp in Disability

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#EndSegregation person who helps you shower and decides where you go for recreation and what you eat for lunch,” says Romola Hollywood, Director of Policy and Advocacy at People with Disability Australia (PWDA).

42 Disability Rights and Advocacy Organisations are calling for an end to segregation of people with disability In Australian Education, Housing and Workplaces. With the release of a new paper, 42 disability rights and advocacy organisation are calling upon the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability to fully investigate the negative impacts of segregation on disabled people. “What we have now is a system where children and young people with disability are not always welcome at their local school with their non-disabled peers and are unable to access the supports and adjustments for an equitable education” says Mary Sayers, CEO, Children and Young People Australia (CYDA). “Not only are we putting children and young people with disability at a disadvantage by failing to support them to reach their full potential, for many it’s the start of a pipeline to other segregated environments later in life, including workplaces where employers can legally hire people with disability to do real work, like packaging or gardening, for a fraction of the minimum wage.” Despite Australia’s move away from institutionalisation over the last few decades, many people with disability remain in congregated living situations like group homes or hostels, where housing and support services are managed by the same organisation. “Imagine your landlord also employs the

“This can lead to very dangerous situations if someone is experiencing violence, abuse or neglect in their home. It can make it very difficult for a person with disability to complain or change providers without putting their housing at risk. People with disability are still dramatically over-represented in homeless populations.” Rights and advocacy organisations are urging the Disability Royal Commission to recognise that segregation of people with disabilities is discrimination and a breach of human rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (which Australia has signed). “The Disability Royal Commission is tasked with making recommendations to prevent the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of disabled people,” says Carolyn Frohmader, CEO, Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA). “They have committed to doing this within a rights-based framework, but we have yet to see any real indication that they consider the segregation of disabled people to be a breach of our rights. “Segregated systems are often justified by low expectations of people with disability and ableist ideas about what is ‘in our best interests’, but it’s important to remember that there are well-established funding arrangements and vested interests in disability, education, mental health, aged care and other services. We need to be having a serious conversation about whose needs are really being met by the perpetuation of these systems. “People with disability fought long and hard for a Disability Royal Commission. Now we need them to push for real change.” WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

NDIS Updates

Digital Payment Solutions

Individual Support Worker

Media release 14th December 2020

Samantha Taylor PSM 22nd December 2020

The NDIA is seeking input and information on ways to improve how participants make claims and providers get paid.

Participants are receiving advice that the conditions of their NDIS provider’s registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) have been changed where support is provided by an individual support worker.

The Agency has issued a Request for Information (RFI) via the Australian Government’s Procurement Information System, AusTender, seeking information on potential Claim at Point Of Support (C-POS) solutions to accelerate and streamline payment processing for NDIS participants and providers. The aim of the RFI is to gather information to inform the Agency’s development of a CPOS solution, so that NDIS participants or providers can claim for services immediately. ‘We understand the process of claiming for participants can be challenging and complicated and we want to make it a smoother and quicker experience through better use of technology.’ NDIA CEO, Martin Hoffman said. ‘We are always looking for ways to make it easier for participants and providers when claiming. The information gathered through this RFI will hopefully help us to simplify that process.’ The RFI will ask for responses on design, cost estimates and payment options, and help identify a preferred solution design. This is an essential piece of the Digital Roadmap announced by Minister for the NDIS, Stuart Robert in June this year, which aims to improve the overall digital experience for NDIS participants and providers.

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It is emphasised that the personal supports their NDIS provider gives them in their home are of good quality and safe. The NDIS provider:

•

properly looks at risks they might face in their home

•

checks the quality of the supports they provide to you

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asks you how happy you are with those supports.

To do this, a new condition has been added to the registration of NDIS providers.

From 22nd December 2020, under a newlyintroduced registration condition, registered NDIS providers of Assistance with Daily Personal Activities must make sure that measures are in place to keep participants safe if they choose to receive personal support from only one individual support worker, and no other. This new condition will apply to all registered NDIS providers that deliver daily personal support to NDIS participants who live alone. Providers will need to work with participants to assess whether there are any things that might put them at risk in this circumstance.

NDIS in Brief Impact on people with disability This Act will enhance safeguards for people with disability. It will introduce: a no card-no start law to ensure people who need to be screened are checked before they start working with people with disability a stronger framework for excluding people convicted of concerning offences

The Disability Services and Other Legislation (Worker Screening) Amendment Act 2020 was passed on 4th December 2020. The Act will implement NDIS worker screening in Queensland. From 1st February 2021, Queensland will start nationally consistent worker screening for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The new NDIS worker screening checks are part of national reforms to improve the safety and quality of services being delivered to NDIS participants. An NDIS worker screening clearance will be valid for five years rather than the current three year validity period. Application fees will be as follows:

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NDIS worker screening application for paid workers: $117

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Joint NDIS worker screening and blue card application for paid workers: $127

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Volunteer application: Free.

This means on an annual basis the cost for the new five year card will be cheaper than the current three year yellow card. From commencement, new employees of NDIS registered providers will need to apply for a clearance at the Worker Screening website. Existing yellow card holders are able to continue to work for registered NDIS providers until their card expires or is cancelled.

a stronger decision making framework that focuses on risk and considers a broader range of information national daily monitoring of changes in criminal history expanded screening requirements so more people need to be screened to work with people with disability. Workers and volunteers will apply for a clearance through the Queensland online application process rather than the current process where the employer applies on their behalf.

NDIS Worker Screening Database Employers will access the NDIS worker screening system through the NDIS Worker Screening Database (NWSD). They will use the NWSD to confirm they are proposing to engage the applicant. Employers will also receive notifications and communications about people they employ with clearances or exclusions from the NWSD.

Expansion of disqualifying and serious offences The range of disqualifying and serious offences has been expanded and there is a new framework for dealing with charges and convictions for a serious offence.

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NDIS Commission Training

Disability Awareness is one of eight modules that form the New Worker - NDIS Induction program. These modules aim to provide you as a new worker with specific information you need to start working in the disability sector. This information is general in nature and supplements the training your employer will give you about your specific role. It is made up of a series of eight online modules that provide new workers with specific information they need to start working in the disability sector. These are: 1.

Disability awareness

Privacy and confidentiality

Safe workplace

NDIS Code of Conduct and Dignity of risk

Incident management

Know the person

Risk identification and management

Managing challenging situations

The learning modules form part of a suite of learning products that new disability workers may complete as part of their induction, including the Worker Orientation Module â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Quality Safety and Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the Infection prevention and control for COVID19 training. This training does not replace the specific training employers will provide to new workers to perform their duties, and training on their organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specific policies and procedures.

These modules are for workers that are new to the disability sector.

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WhatsUp

Lost in 2020 By Steven Paull

Brian Dennehy Connecticut-born actor Brian Dennehy, best known for playing dogged small-town sheriff Will Teasle in Sylvester Stallone classic First Blood.

Chadwick Boseman Known around the world for his portrayal of African superhero Black Panther, passed away after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43.

Dean Jones Australian Test Cricketer, amassing over 3,500 runs, coach and commentator who revolutionised the one day cricket format. Aged 59.

Dianna Rigg

Kirk Douglas Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, the patriarch of the Douglas dynasty aged 103. Born in New York as Issur Danielovitch, Douglas made his Broadway debut in 1941. His career was interrupted by WWII, but he returned to the stage after being honourably discharged from the Navy in 1944, and before long Hollywood beckoned. 1949's Champion made him a star (he earned his first of three Oscar nominations for the noir boxing drama), but his most famous picture was Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960).

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Dame Diana Rigg played Bond girl Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and later appeared as Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones. Her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling, told the BBC that Rigg died surrounded by family members after a sixmonth cancer battle. "She spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter and a deep pride in her profession," Stirling said. She was 82.

Helen Reddy Australian singer and actress Helen Reddy became synonymous with the feminist movement and appeared in the films Airport 1975 and Pete's Dragon

Honor Blackman British actress Honor Blackman, who appeared opposite Sean Connery as iconic Bond girl Pussy Galore in 1964's Goldfinger. Her family hailed her as a "hugely prolific creative talent". She carried on acting well into her golden years.

Ian Holm British character actor Ian Holm played deceitful android Ash in Alien and brought Bilbo Baggins to life in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He was 88.

Kelly Preston Actress and model Kelly Preston played Tom Cruise's fiancĂŠe in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire and starred alongside husband John Travolta in several feature films

Margaret Nolan English model and actress Margaret Nolan, whose body was famously painted gold for the opening sequence of 1964's Goldfinger, in which she also played James Bond's masseuse.

Max von Sydow Swedish-born actor Max von Sydow, best known for playing Father Merrin in The Exorcist and Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon. He was 90. He played Blofeld in 1983's Never Say Never Again.

Michael Lonsdale Anglo-French actor Michael Lonsdale starred as detective Claude Lebel in the political thriller The Day of the Jackal and played Bond villain Hugo Drax opposite Roger Moore in Moonraker.

Olivia de Havilland Hollywood legend Olivia de Havilland was the last surviving star of 1939's Gone with the Wind. She was 104. De Havilland was born in Tokyo to British parents. She and her younger sister (the late Joan Fontaine) were often sick as children, so their mother decided to take them back to the UK. There was a stopover in San Francisco, however, and they never left. The family settled in California, and De Havilland would go on to become one of the biggest names of the classic movie era. She starred opposite Errol Flynn (who she once described as "so naughty and so charming") in no less than eight films.

Sean Connery The Scottish movie icon was best known for originating the role of James Bond on the big screen. He was 90. Filmmakers were unable to look past Connery's good looks to begin with, but that all changed after he turned in a stellar performance as Count Vronsky in the BBC's Anna Karenina, a TV movie that aired in 1961. The former model made his debut as 007 in Dr. No the following year, and, despite the furore over his casting (he was still a relative unknown at the time), the film was a hit. Connery became a globally recognized star, and his influence grew with every instalment â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he went on to play Bond in From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds are Forever (1971) and Never Say Never Again (1983). Post-Bond, Connery appeared in films like Highlander, The Untouchables (he was named Best Supporting Actor for his turn as a Depression-era cop), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Hunt for Red October and The Rock. He was knighted in 2000. WhatsUp in Disability

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Flexible Respite Options * Breakaway Guesthouse- Highfields. Offers short term respite to children and adults with a disability in a comfortable and relaxed environment which is fully staffed. * In-home and/or Community Access Support that is flexible and focused on meeting individual family needs. * Rural and Remote Offers respite support to people with disabilities and their families in rural and remote South West Queensland. * Vacation Care Respite support for children with disabilities and their families during school holidays.

27 Mort Street Toowoomba Telephone: (07) 4639 5100 Fax: (07) 4639 5079 Email: info@breakawaytmba.org

SLOW STARTERS TEN PIN BOWLING LEAGUE for Disabled

SUNSET SUPERBOWL 07 4634 0233

South & Greenwattle Toowoomba

10.00 am every Saturday $18 per session 3 games Sports Registration $50 (membership) Glenda (07) 4614 1136 Kathy (07) 4630 5221 Page 16

Stevie & Clark

Hollywood News Stevie Lee

Professional wrestler and Jackass star Stevie Lee, who also went by the name Puppet the Psycho Dwarf, died unexpectedly at 54 years old.

Clark Middleton Middleton worked as an actor with some of Hollywood's biggest directors during a career that spanned four decades. He was a "beloved actor, writer, director, teacher, hero, husband, beacon [and] friend, Clark transitioned as a result of West Nile Virus, for which there is no known cure. Clark was a beautiful soul who spent a lifetime defying limits and advocating for people with disabilities." He was 63.

Born with achondroplasia dwarfism, Stevie Lee Richardson began his pro wrestling career in 2002 going by the name “Puppet the Psycho Dwarf.” He created the HalfPint Brawlers, a wrestling group that would have a reality show on Spike TV. As an actor, he appeared in “Jackass 3D,” “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” and as a munchkin in the 2003 movie “Oz the Great and Powerful” starring James Franco. He was also a motivational speaker who lived in the Chicago area with his wife and two children.

Middleton lived with Rheumatoid Arthritis for most of his life, but he never let it stop him from pursuing his passion. He made his stage debut in 1983 and would go on to ply his trade alongside some top talent (he was in the Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh with Denzel Washington), a habit he would continue as he developed into a dependable big screen actor — Middleton worked with Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill Vol. 2), Ang Lee (Taking Woodstock), Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer), and Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Best Picture winner Birdman). In terms of television, he was best known for his roles in Fringe, The Path, David Lynch's Twin Peaks revival, and The Blacklist, in which he played DMV worker Glen Carter from 2014 to 2020. The show's creator, Jon Bokenkamp, called Middleton a "truly unique and gifted actor" via Twitter.

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WhatsUp

Fundraising By Steven Paull

Queens Park Market The Queens Park Market team would like to thank all our valuable customers and stallholders for their support this year. Without you we would not be able to raise funds for our sponsor WhatsUp in Disability So far this year we have raised around $10,000. This went to purchase a large Shade Sail and renovation of an outdoor recreation area as well as fencing at the Paul Myatt Community Centre. Also there is this amazing fridge/ freezer for our market when we do our sausage sizzles and other events. Next market is the 3rd Sunday in February.

WhatsUp is a registered Charity Donations are fully tax deductible and greatly appreciated by the team.

Congratulations to the winner! Our fundraiser for the AstroTurf area had a prize package worth in excess of $500. The winning entry was drawn at the Queens Park Market at 1:00 pm Sunday the 20th December 2020. The winning ticket was 365 and the winner was present and was also announced during the Tony Wigan Show on the following Monday on FM102.7. The fundraising program for the Astro Turf has been progressing well and will be a reality very soon. We would like to thank all the local businesses who donated to the prize and to all of our community and friends who purchased tickets in the raffle.

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365

Keanu Reeves in the woman's bank account; He also donated stratospheric sums to hospitals. In 2010, on his birthday, Keanu walked into a bakery and bought a brioche with a single candle, ate it in front of the bakery, and offered coffee to people who stopped to talk to him. After winning astronomical sums for the Matrix trilogy, the actor donated more than $ 50 million to the staff who handled the costumes and special effects the true heroes of the trilogy, as he called them.

He was abandoned by his father at 3 years old and grew up with 3 different stepfathers. He is dyslexic. His dream of becoming a hockey player was shattered by a serious accident. His daughter died at birth. His wife died in a car accident. His best friend, River Phoenix, died of an overdose. His sister has leukemia. And with everything that has happened, Keanu Reeves never misses an opportunity to help people in need. When he was filming the movie "The Lake House," he overheard the conversation of two costume assistants; One cried because he would lose his house if he did not pay $ 20,000 and on the same day Keanu deposited the necessary amount

He also gave a Harley-Davidson to each of the stunt doubles. A total expense of several million dollars. And for many successful films, he has even given up 90% of his salary to allow the production to hire other stars. In 1997 some paparazzi found him walking one morning in the company of a homeless man in Los Angeles, listening to him and sharing his life for a few hours. Most stars when they make a charitable gesture, they declare it to all the media. He has never claimed to be doing charity, he simply does it as a matter of moral principles and not to look better in the eyes of others. This man could buy everything, and instead every day he gets up and chooses one thing that cannot be bought: Be a good person. WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

Community

Employment Services Supporting people with a disability to gain and maintain employment that is valued by the client, the employer and the community. 3 Finchley Street PO Box 1715 Toowoomba QLD 4350 P: (07) 4688 3900 F: (07) 4688 3911 employment.toowoomba@uccommunity.org.au www.uccommunity.org.au/employmentservices

Down Syndrome Support Group Inc. (Toowoomba & District)

Offers people with Down Syndrome and their families an opportunity to make contact with, and to meet other people in a friendly and inviting environment. Contact: President Kara Wren Mobile: 0439 661 349

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WhatsUp in Disability

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Warrina Services is a specialist support agency that has been providing individual support to people of the Darling Downs since 1986. We support people with a diverse range of needs and also provide mental health services to assist personal recovery.

(07) 4659 5662

We can help you to achieve positive outcomes in your life. These may be related to choice and independence, education or training, attending social activities, increasing skills, getting a job or contributing to your community. If you would like further information please visit our website

www.warrinaservices.org.au Or contact us Phone: 07-46 380 399 Email: warrinas@warrinas.com.au or visit our office at

172 Bridge Street Toowoomba Office hours Mon-Fri 9-5pm

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Brett’s Composting Worms These are specialised worms for use in Worm Farms, Worm Tower's or Subpod’s and composting toilets.

Worms lovingly nurtured by a young man with Autism as SOCIAL ENTERPRISE to provide an activity + funds for his projects assisted by vermiculturist of 30 years. We sell in a pale 300 Grams that’s 1000 to 1500 mix of Tigers, Red Wigglers, African Nigh Crawlers and European Night Crawlers. The mix of different worm varieties provide a thriving ecosystem for the different seasons through the year.

Worms make great snack for aquarium fish, axolotls, turtles and lizards, they are a very nutritious addition to any meal (packed with Vitamin A and E) and can make up to 50% of certain reptiles and amphibian’s diet. Worms can be picked up locally at your convenience and DELIVERY IS AVAILABLLE UP TO AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF TOOWOOMBA by arrangement. Phone Brett on 0403 332 804

Worms are picked from their bedding and weighed no guessing. Definitely your 1000 Worms and then some. You can start with as little as 1000 worms it just takes a bit longer for them to get to their full scrap munching best, worm farm companies suggest a minimum of 2,000 worms. A normal household requires 1kg @ $90 for optimum performance for a family. Our worms are all picked FRESH for your order not sitting around on a shelf for who knows how long worms sold in stores are often dead or contain very few worms.

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

Toowoomba By John Elliott

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Left The Great Moscow inflatable clown on the corner of Ruthven and Bridge Streets

Above Private residence in Margaret Street that was the Court House Below Corner of Ruthven and Russell Streets. Lifeline building is just visible on the right

WhatsUp in Disability

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enquiries@allplanmanagement.com.au

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www.allplanmanagement.com.au

Toowoomba Poet Toowoomba poet Luke Best has published his first book, Cadaver Dog, a prize-winning verse novel derived from what seems to have been a close personal experience of the 2011 floods on the Darling Downs.

By Geoff Page The Canberra Times

Although the story covers only a few days, it moves quickly and is well within the Australian gothic tradition, going back into the 19th century. What makes Cadaver Dog rather less typical is its unusual verse form and its focus on the guilt of the two main protagonists. The traditional trope for Australian floods is heroism, but here we have guilt and shame. Because the story is revealed in small accretions from a single viewpoint, the details of events can sometimes be less than explicit. At the centre of the story, however, is an unnamed husband and wife who, we learn from flashbacks, already have a less-thanideal relationship and whose house and family are suddenly overtaken by an inland tsunami.

It's clear that both parents do a lot less than they should have to save the lives of their two young children. The father escapes in his car; the mother survives in the flooded house, deeply traumatised and unable to face (or even confirm) the death of her children. Into this situation comes a police cadaver dog who will almost certainly reveal the mother's shame to the world. To tell this story, Best employs nine-line stanzas with each third line comprising one word only. At first, this can seem arbitrary with the one-word line having no particular emphasis but it soon ceases to be a problem. Best's text is also highly metaphoric, with more than a little flavour from the Old Testament. Indeed, its epigraph is from the Book of Job: "They feel the pain of their own bodies and mourn only for themselves". It's a forceful combination and adds to the book's considerable individuality, already established by the compromised moral position of the two main characters. WhatsUp in Disability

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Local Providers By Tasha Grundon Build a Billy Cart Program Social skills, emotional regulation, confidence, self-esteem and independent skill building. And, yes your child keeps their cart!. Scopious Career Development Centre believes everyone has the right to paid employment. We assist people with disabilities to make informed decisions about their employment or further education goals whether they are seeking mainstream employment, selfemployment or wish to consider vocational education opportunities.

As part of our grass roots programs, we are taking kids away from technology to gain practical supported experience and skills, persistence when things get tough, meet new friends and have an accomplishment to be proud of. Please go to the below link to apply. https:// buildabillycartprogramkc4u.paperform.co

The team at Scopious focus on your interests, needs and strengths whilst helping you identify the best employment or further education fit that matches your career goals. With 25 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in providing career assessment and counselling, vocational guidance, work readiness and recruitment within the disability sector, the team at Scopious Career Development Centre is also uniquely qualified in understanding the challenges faced by people with disabilities. We are not just about helping you obtain or improve your skills to get and stay in a job. We want to help you maximize your talents in developing your career. We want you to be confident and empowered in exploring your career opportunities! Scopious Career Development Centre is a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia. Scopious Career Development Centre can also assist with Reasonable and Necessary justifications under Section 34 of the NDIS Act 2013 to have Employment Supports (Finding & Keeping a Job) included in your or your family membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plan. Contact us on 07 4580 1230 for more information. Appointments can be face to face, via phone or video conference.

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

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in January

WhatsUp

in February

Sunday 21st February 8 amâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;1 pm Queens Park

Toowoomba

To spread the word about your next event contact WhatsUp on (07) 4632 9559 or email admin@whatsupindisability.org WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

mycommunity www.mycommunitydirectory.com.au

By Andrew Spradbrow Youth Advisory Committee

Empire Theatre Cultural History

There are two vacant positions now available on the Toowoomba Regional Council’s youth advisory committee. The TRC is calling on residents with a passion for working with young people to nominate for positions on the Regional Youth Advisory Committee. The TRC is seeking nominations to fill two positions on the group with applications closing on January 13. Committee chair Cr James O’Shea said the TRC welcomed expressions of interest from applicants across a range of community and professional backgrounds. Applications from young people between 1825 with a passion for improving outcomes for their regional peers were also welcomed. Cr O’Shea said the advisory committee’s role was to represent the interests of young people by providing strategic advice for the council’s consideration. “I’m positive that the committee can add its collective knowledge and support to the council, especially around the future implementation of our Youth Strategy,” he said. “Unfortunately, we’ve had two members who have had to resign from the committee however this creates an opportunity to fill those spots with two new eager candidates. “With more than 27,000 young people living in our Region, it’s important that young people are involved in the development of their communities and have opportunities to shape the topics and issues that matter most to them.”

Works on the third stage of the Empire Theatre refurbishment will begin this month. TRC Environment and Community Committee Chair Councillor James O’Shea said this would be the final stage of a rolling renewal program on the 110-year-old Empire Theatres complex. “The Empire Theatre holds so much significance and is our cultural hub,” Cr O’Shea said. “It’s not just an important building within the Toowoomba Region but is one of the leading regional performance centres in the country. “There is so much history in this building and it’s vital we preserve the facility so it can continue to thrive for many years to come.” Previous stages of the refurbishment included upgrades to the seating and carpet, additional female toilet facilities, improvements to accessibility, improvements to the north bar and all foyer areas and the addition of a new south bar. “These additions have ensured the heritagelisted building remains a treasured complex,” Cr O’Shea said. “As part of the next phase, work will focus on the change rooms, amenities, stage door entry and rehearsal room. “This final stage will ensure the precinct continues to serve the community as a significant and well-utilised landmark.” Empire Theatre performances will continue per normal during the construction period.

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