WhatsUp in Disability Magazine May June 2022

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May / June 2022

Disability Information Services by People with Disability Toowoomba and Southern Queensland

Volume 3, Issue 106

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Proudly supported and printed by ToowoombaWhatsUp Regional in Council Disability

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WhatsUp

Highlights March / April 2022

05 06 09 14 18 28

Crackdown on Cowboys

Meet the Groom Candidates

Plan Management

Supported Independent Living

Blessed to be Disabled

Support Worker Demand Cover Page Trey Brown and Manny Smith Game Day

Photo by WhatsUp

Steven Paull JP (Qual) President Page 2

The Editor’s Desk Election Time Well, election season is well and truly upon us. Unlike a lot of other countries, we get the opportunity to democratically elect our leaders for the next 3 years. Although our system is not perfect, it’s a bit like Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”

Groom will field eight candidates at the May 21 election, the largest number since 2013.

Five of the seven candidates for Groom at the election are either women or non-binary, which is an endorsement of changing demographics and public sentiment and it’s fantastic to see more women stepping up and taking action and wanting to make a difference.

The first gathering of all candidates in the upcoming federal election for Groom led to some tense moments and wild policy ideas. More than 130 small business owners, supporters and residents packed into the Cathedral Centre on Thursday night for the Chamber of Commerce’s candidate event .

All candidates were quizzed on a range of topics, including the region’s skills and housing shortages, climate change, a new hospital and Groom’s status as a safe seat.

None of the candidates or their parties have any specific policies to support people with disability in the Groom electorate, so when you vote, make that vote count.

NDS CEO Laurie Leigh

appeared at the hearing of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, and provided evidence on the topic of supported employment, along with NDS Head of Employment Kerrie Langford.

NDS acknowledges reform for the sector is needed, however supported employment should remain a valid choice for those who need the additional support it offers.

We must strike the right balance between open and supported employment to ensure people with disability are given personal choice.

Supported employment provides social, caring communities for those who would otherwise miss out and we have seen the positive impact it has on the lives of Australians with disabilities.

We will continue to work with industry to evolve and develop and are committed to improved wage outcomes for supported employees and we call on the Federal Government to support the sector through this transition.

Steven Paull JP (Qual) President WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

Manny Smith

by Steven Paull

Manny just loves his football...

Recently Manny lost his wife through a rare medical condition that required her to be constantly on oxygen and unable to move from her bed without the assistance of her dedicated support workers utilising a hoist.

Manny was devastated and withdrawn until the players of his favourite Queensland team the CQ Capras heard that he was sad.

Knowing that they were going to have a game the next weekend in Ipswich against the Jets, Robert Kearney the Commercial Manager organised with the Jets to provide a VIP ticket, seating, drinks and food and a chance to meet players from both teams.

Added to this Trey Brown, Manny’s favourite player organised for Manny to receive a new CQ Capras Club Shirt so that he would stand out in the sea of Green Ipswich Jets supporters.

To make the day even better the Capra boys had a win against the Jets, their first in Ipswich since 2009.

The CQ Capras offer All Abilities social fun activities tailored to the prospective client’s individual abilities.

They embrace the unique skills, capabilities and potential of every young person involved to encourage participation and interaction. In partnership with BigDog Support Services, our All Abilities program offers young Central Queenslanders the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people in a safe, inclusive environment, with the focus on physical activity and, most importantly, fun!

The next All Abilities day is Saturday 7th May which by coincidence is the same day the Western Clydesdales have their All Abilities day in Toowoomba.

Manny won’t be able to attend the Rockhampton event but he tells me that there is no way that he is going to miss the Toowoomba Day. Good on you Manny!

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Labor’s 6 Point Plan “Crackdown on Cowboys”

By Emily Bennett Nine News Greater support for disability advocates will be at the forefront of a new plan to improve the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Shadow NDIS Minister Bill Shorten announced Labor's proposal to invest $10 million over four years to support disability advocates and "keep people safe in the scheme". $10 million over 4 years equates to $2.5 million per year for each of the States and Territories. That represents a very generous $312,500 or roughly 3 advocates to cover, for example, Queensland’s 94,000 NDIS participants.

"Government can never know everything that's happening," Mr Shorten said.

"If there was a bit of software... to tell you whenever someone was in trouble or whenever someone wasn't being looked after properly... no doubt government would go out and pay for it. But we don't have to wait for that to be invented because if we listen to the workforce, if we listen to the advocates, if we listen to people with disabilities, we've already got our system.

"Advocates are a fundamental part of the safety and quality of the scheme."

The funding was announced alongside a sixpoint plan to improve the NDIS. Under the plan, Labor aims to crackdown on "cowboys out there taking advantage" of the scheme by reviewing "criminal activity and fraud".

Does this include decision makers that use funding for their own benefit, unregistered support workers and other providers of

NDIS funded supports, consumables or assistive technology?

The party plans to look into the "excessive use" of external lawyers and review the "value for money" of consultancy contracts.

As many as 40 legal officers have quit the agency over the past eight months. The NDIA also refused to address questions about whether chief counsel Chris Burke resigned on Friday to take up a post with another government agency.

For participants in the scheme, the party wants to address access to appropriate housing, ensure more flexible housing and boost employment opportunities.

Affordable Housing, does this mean substandard materials, people forced to live in remote towns where land prices are cheaper, multi-story housing complexes or WHAT? Labor also plans to lift staffing caps, streamline the planning process for initial plans and introduce a review "that will guarantee plans will not be arbitrarily cut".

Staffing caps to 10,000 and the removal of the contractors? Transparency in the planning process is what the readers of WhatsUp are asking for.

Mr Shorten said Labor will also appoint a senior officer within the National Disability Insurance Agency to focus on the barriers to service delivery in regional Australia and commit to "co-designing changes to the scheme with people with disability".

What a great idea! Appoint an existing bureaucrat in a bureaucratic organisation in a major city to reduce barriers in regional Australia.

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp Garth Hamilton

Liberals

grew up in South East Queensland. His father was a concreter and Garth says some of his happiest memories are helping him pour slabs and driveways throughout Queensland.

the productivity of our mining industry.

Garth earned a scholarship to Ipswich Grammar School before following his passion for building things, studying engineering at the University of Queensland.

Garth is a committed volunteer, including as a coach at South Toowoomba Junior Rugby Club. He is as passionate about teaching kids sportsmanship, as he is teaching them skills.

Garth has since worked on significant projects across the world.

He’s had responsibility for delivering major water infrastructure, rail and sporting facilities in Saudi Arabia; Tube stations and an airport terminal in London and mining projects in Western Australia.

Locally, Garth has helped deliver mobile phone towers in South East Queensland.

He has also been responsible for leading organisational change in Racing Queensland, which has led to more infrastructure in regional racecourses including at Ipswich Race Club.

Recently, he’s overseen research to improve

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His wife Louise brought Garth back to her hometown of Toowoomba, where they are raising their three children, Adeline, Everard and Claude.

While Garth is no longer a kid pushing a wheelbarrow, but an accomplished professional, he still “gets excited about building things”. He is committed to rolling up his sleeves and ensuring a bright future for the Toowoomba region.

Garth is the Toowoomba regions strong voice in the Morrison Government and with the community’s support, he will fight for the region and its future.

For more information You can find out more information about Garth Hamilton at https:// www.garthhamilton.com.au/

WhatsUp

Labor

Gen Allpass A journalist and former chief executive of a Toowoomba-based refugee advocacy charity, will contest the Coalition-held seat of Groom as the Labor Party candidate at the next federal election.

The passionate unionist spoke at the Labour Day flag raising ceremony held at the Toowoomba Railway precinct last month, addressing several local, state and national challenges faces by workers from a range of backgrounds.

Despite facing a steep battle in the electorate which has only had LNP members since its inception, Ms Allpass said this wasn’t her first foray into politics having been involved with local politics and social issues all her life.

“Over the last several years I have been a voice for people within the Groom electorate who have otherwise gone without a voice including refugees, workers, women and Indigenous members of the community,” she said.

Gen is also the winner of the 2018 Social Justice Award and is internationally recognised for her work with women’s advocacy, specifically for marginalised women and refugees.

For more information You can find out more information about Gen Allpass at https://www.alp.org.au/ourpeople/our-people/gen-allpass/

“I believe a lot of different groups need support right now, especially when it comes to affordable long term housing and social housing which is an issue I think desperately needs to be addressed in the Groom electorate right now.”

WhatsUp in Disability?

Gen is an easy person to like, our planned 1 hour interview continued well past closing time but our conversation around disability matters flowed easy and with vigour.

Following in the steps of Bronwyn Herbertson (last month’s WhatsUp Magazine issue) as a candidate for Groom, Gen certainly matches Bronnie’s passion for the common worker and women’s advocacy.

WhatsUp in Disability

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Plan Management

by Bronwyn Herbertson

Explained Having worked in Toowoomba’s disability services sector throughout the past 20 years, plan management is something I frequently explain to NDIS participants and carers. Let’s dive into the basics of plan management and its role in helping participants navigate the NDIS. What is NDIS plan management?

Broadly speaking, plan management refers to managing your NDIS funds (such as paying your providers and submitting claims to the NDIS portal).

Many people talk about having a plan manager – this usually means they have engaged a professional to manage their funding. Plan managers will pay your providers, submit claims on your behalf, provide monthly reports, and alert you if your budget is running low. Plan managers often work hand-in-hand with support coordinators to help participants reach their NDIS goals.

Plan management is included in most NDIS plans and is located in the Capacity Building Supports budget under ‘Improved Life Choices’. If you are not sure if plan management is in your plan, you can ask for it at your next planning meeting.

Your plan management options There are three approaches to managing your NDIS plan: plan management, NDIA managed, and self-managed. When people refer to having a plan manager, they are usually referring to the plan management approach. The main benefits of having a plan manager are flexibility with providers and quality of service. NDIA managed plans can only use NDIS registered providers, giving you fewer options to which providers you can use.

Self-management means you look after payments and claims yourself. This option is usually undertaken by participants who have few providers or don’t mind keeping up with payments and claims themselves.

Do I need plan management?

As with most things pertaining to the NDIS, everyone’s situation is a little different.

Many NDIS participants choose to use a plan manager so that they don’t need to worry about actioning payments and claims themselves. If you have multiple providers, I usually recommend engaging a plan manager in your first year in the NDIS to help you understand how to use your funding, keep track of your budget, and just generally remove the stress that tends to come with navigating the NDIS. A good way to determine if you should engage a plan manager is to ask yourself:

• Am I finding it hard to keep up with paying providers or claims on time?

• Do I struggle with using the NDIS portal to submit claims?

• Do I sometimes feel like there is a provider I have forgotten to pay?

• Have I accidentally missed payments or forgotten to submit a claim?

• Do I see multiple providers on a regular basis?

If you find the above applies to you, you may benefit from having a plan manager look after your NDIS funding. If you would like to find out more about plan management or want to have a one-on-one discussion about plan management for your situation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or our friendly team at Connect Plan Management.

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

Greens

Mickey Berry Toowoomba’s Greens candidate at the upcoming federal election says the party will focus on more social housing and action on climate change for the city.

The 23-year-old, who has been involved with the progressive-left party for five years, said they would promise to expand funding for public accommodation to combat the growing housing and rent crisis affecting Toowoomba residents.

MS Berry said there was a stronger appetite for more progressive voices in parliament, even in a safely conservative seat like Groom.

“There is a little bit of change coming, with climate change being such a prominent issue,” Berry said.

“We’re seeing the impacts of climate change now and (people are) willing to vote more progressively.

“We are (also) currently in a housing crisis, so there is work that could be done to help renters and people trying to get into homes.

“I’d love to see more social housing built and more rent control to help the little guy.”

Berry said the Greens would also prioritise the expansion of Medicare for both dental and mental health, as well as advocate for free university and TAFE to support younger people.

The Greens performed historically strongly at the 2019 federal election, with previous candidate Alyce Nelligan capturing nearly eight per cent of the primary vote in Groom.

Berry said they would like to see Groom become a more marginal seat to secure a better deal on infrastructure from the next government.

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“We can make it a bit more balanced rather than a 100 per cent conservative seat,” they said.

“There are a lot of younger people coming up and voting in this election for the first time (and) younger people are a lot more aware of social issues than they used to be.

“Ultimately, we’re in a conservative region and I’d love the chance to make a difference.”

Five of the seven candidates for Groom at the election are either women or nonbinary, which Berry said was an endorsement of changing demographics and public sentiment.

“It’s fantastic to see more women stepping up and taking action and wanting to make a difference,” they said.

For more information You can find out more information about Mickey Berry at https://greens.org.au/qld/ person/mickey-berry

WhatsUp

Independent

by Nadia Brady

Suzi Holt On April 13, disability community members met with Suzie Holt to hear about her campaign as an independent candidate in the federal election, tell her about what’s happening in our community, and ask some questions. Some of the big things that came up were the NDIS, employment, transport and that we want more opportunities for people with disability in Groom.

Suzie is running a grassroots, independent campaign, and would like people with disability and our community to be a part of her campaign and work if elected, saying “collectively your voices are very powerful and we can use those to create the change necessary”. Here is a summary of the meeting and some key quotes.

Opportunities “I fully believe in an inclusive society, and I fully support your being engaged in our community. And I fully support working with you to find ways to make sure that actually happens. We'd love to get a live music hall up here. Well, you know what? We find a way to work with you to make sure that

you're part of that, because you are all young people, you want to go and see live music. We find a way to make sure you're included in that conversation so you benefit from it.

So it can be inclusive. I would come to you and ask “How can we make that work well for you?”

Employment “It's time that people with disabilities are in full employment. The fact that we're having these conversations, means that we're already changing that narrative and we're moving forward to a much more positive vision for the future. And I have to call on all of you to come and help me as a part of a team to help us do that. Certainly, we are an inclusive community, but we just need to promote it as a concept, that people with disabilities are great employees and we want them out there working. We need to encourage it and promote it.”

More Information You can find out more about Suzie Holt at https://www.suzieholt4groom.com/

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

United Australia

Melissa Bannister

is a lifelong Toowoomba local who has invested herself in the growth and success of this community and is committed to being a voice for all people in the Groom electorate.

She has worked in the fields of real estate, banking and health.

Melissa is a strong advocate for inclusion, compassion, equality, freedom and opportunity.

She stands for the recognition of constitutional rights and the protection of fundamental democratic freedoms such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association and freedom of movement.

Melissa sees economic confidence and a willingness to invest in the region as keys to a successful future. She is committed to supporting and encouraging the prosperity and success of all business owners and primary producers.

Melissa plans to bring her enthusiasm, spirit, sense of humour and genuine love of people to the political arena. She is honoured to be the United Australia Party candidate for Groom and has vowed to approach the issues of the region with integrity, innovation and courage to help the electorate reach its fullest potential.

My thanks to Melissa for spending time with me to discuss her candidacy for Groom and for letting me use the above background story that she admits, she wrote herself.

Melissa is passionate about this region and she has had her fair share of dealing with health and disability issues. She believes in fairness in assessment and treatment of participants by the NDIS and promises to learn more so that she can take actions to make thing right.

2022 Policies

• A maximum of 3% interest on home loans to save Australian homeownership

• Repaying our National Debt with our resources

• Bring Australian super investments home • Respect the Sanctity of Doctor-Patient Relationship

• Protect Australian Values • Zonal Taxation for Regional Communities • Process Australian Minerals at Home For more information You can find out more information about Melissa Bannister at https:// www.unitedaustraliaparty.org.au/candidate/ melissa-bannister/

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp Broke or Broken The concept behind SIL didn’t originate with the NDIS. For many years, providers have been delivering the support within complex systems that are often poorly funded and with a structure determined by funding bodies. When the NDIS came along and categorised supports in the home, SIL was the category most closely aligned with the block-funded model. The NDIA used “SIL” and its quoting tools primarily to enable the transfer of state- and territory-supported accommodation residents into the national Scheme.

Over time, SIL has evolved from being a service strictly for people who shared their 24/7 support in a group environment into a tool focusing more on how support in that environment is reimbursed. But with its original intent in mind and pressure applied in the right places, SIL was full of endless dreams and potential for people who had been disadvantaged for far too long.

Today, SIL has evolved into an unwieldy beast that the NDIS prefers would just go away. At least, that is the sentiment of a growing number of service providers and participants who are weathering the constant barrage of changes and reductions imposed on SIL to tame it.

Unless you have been living off the grid or have made a conscious decision not to alarm yourself by reading the plethora of reviews, inquiries, consultations, and reports on SIL, you will already know that there have been many such exercises in recent times. The highlights include:

• Joint Standing Inquiry into Supported Independent Living, May 2020

• Restructure of SIL funding and prices, July 2020

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Supported • Review of SIL Price Controls Issues Paper, August 2020

• NDIS Provider Consultation: Improving Outcomes for Participants Who Require Supported Independent Living (SIL), September 2020

• NDIA

Participant Family and Carer Consultation: An Ordinary Life at Home, June 2021

• SIL Operational Guideline and Provider Guidance, November 2021 Given the above list, it is evident that SIL is very much front of mind for the NDIA. The reasons for this are outlined in some of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) NDIS Quarterly Reports from 2020 and 2021.

The Quarterly Reports show that the average annualised SIL payment climbed exponentially until Q4 19-20, when the changes to SIL funding announced in July 2020 (but implemented much earlier) appear to have taken effect. Still, the most recent Quarterly Report notes a total committed SIL spend of $8.992B, or 26% of the total NDIS committed spend – and that’s for only 5% (25,954) of the total NDIS cohort.

It’s clear that SIL funding was left to grow out of control for several years, and we must highlight that this was not entirely the NDIA’s fault. A minority of providers noticed that nobody was minding the store and took advantage of the out-of-control growth. They enjoyed solid returns while having to do very little, if anything, to adjust their services to the new consumer-led model. It looked and felt like nothing had changed from the old block-funded models apart from a few additional spreadsheets and – despite all the fear-mongering – returns were stronger than ever.

Independent Living

by Rebecca Brissett and Brent Woolgar

However, the ballooning figures cannot be solely attributed to overspending and the failure of the expected transformation of SIL providers to materialise. On the ground, there were too many stories of reduced capacity building and community participation budgets, with expectations that SIL should pick up the slack. The Roster of Care tool was also too closely aligned with the block-funded model to stray beyond it, particular if the planner or support coordinator had history in the sector and assumptions about what was reasonably included in an SIL support.

Is it surprising that we now find SIL in the crosshairs after such a pressure cooker escalation? The NDIA is now well into the process of controlling the issues with what can only be described as a slash and burn approach. DSC is hearing of widespread, unpromoted, unplanned, and unexpected reviews of participants’ SIL funding across most regions of Australia. In some cases, these reviews are not just fine-tuning the funding – we are talking about reductions in funding of 50% or more, with no notice and no consultation. There is now also no recourse for many participants as the NDIA has closed the door on providers communicating with them regarding SIL. DSC is fielding new requests for assistance every day, many of which centre on issues of participant and support personnel welfare rather than provider viability and Scheme sustainability.

It would be wonderful to assume that the forthcoming Home and Living Policy will provide the answer to this madness, but it can be assumed that the next few years will only offer more of the same. The proposed Home and Living funding process will see participants approach providers with predetermined support budgets after undergoing what is frighteningly similar to

an independent assessment. And from what we have witnessed over the last six months, these budgets will be grossly unaligned with the participant’s current situation, let alone having any consideration for the viability of the support model.

What does this mean for the future?

Recently, the Minister for the NDIS announced the “Making SIL Better” campaign. Many providers were counting on this announcement to end or at least explain the ongoing chaos. The provider briefings have outlined the first round of material changes as being:

• A weekly claiming option will be available to curb the administrative burdens.

However, this option will not be the default and will need to be a part of the negotiation process with participants. The maximum weekly claim amount will also be stated in the NDIS plan.

• The Roster of Care will still be used for communicating material changes support needs or as part of participant's first plan with SIL.

in a

• In

limited circumstances where a participant has an unplanned exit from a home, the provider may claim for up to 4 weeks' payment.

• If a participant's support ratios have decreased the NDIA will provide a minimum of 12 weeks at the previous level of funding to assist with the transition.

Further details will be announced on 19 April, and additional provider briefings will of these main changes. While some of these changes will indeed reduce some pressure, they do not promise an end to the current funding reductions or a real shift in the way SIL is working at an operational level.

WhatsUp in Disability

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10.00 am every Saturday $20 per session 3 games Sports Registration $52 (membership) Glenda (07) 4614 1136 Kathy (07) 4630 5221 Page 16

By Team DSC There is no doubt that supports in the home need to be restructured to align with NDIS principles and become financially viable and accessible for the sake of participants, providers, and the overall sustainability of the Scheme.

The introduction of Individualised Living Options (ILOs) and even the pandemic have driven innovation light years from where we were three years ago. Excitement is building in the sector that advancements in technology may provide an alternative to the heavy reliance on person-to-person support and its inherent invasiveness.

We have already seen the brands of Home and Living supports falling away, with people living in “SIL” homes who are no longer eligible for SIL but have flexible core budgets that meet their needs and are more portable to facilitate changes through life stages and development. This individualised, flexible support budget approach will undoubtedly open countless opportunities for innovation and enable outcomes that have previously been blocked by rigid ideas of service boundaries and petty squabbles about whose job it is to absorb risk.

DSC has been privileged to be included in the transformations of many providers seeking to restructure their operations. If adopted en masse, these changes will benefit the sector and the sustainability of the NDIS well into the future.

Disappointingly, however, 2022 has seen this progress stall as it becomes harder and harder to sustain the motivation and momentum to change when such dangerous practices are diverting attention from the need to fight a system that appears to have retreated behind closed doors.

The questions that remain for us right now are as follows:

• Will it be left to the sector to continue to highlight the risks of significant participant funding changes via appeals and emails?

• Will

the Quality and Safeguards Commission finally see the alignment between funding and the standard of support and step into the conversation?

• Or will we be left with a sector in ruins and people with a disability the victims of a Scheme that may have strayed too far from its principles to return to them without a significant shakeup?

Rebecca Brissett Smarts and experience combined, her expertise is in the ‘living’ part of home & living (in all its NDIS complexities). From finance to quality systems, from partnerships to management, Rebecca understands service tensions while always keeping focus on the people who matter.

Brent Woolgar Brent is a bona fide master of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) detail, which considering he is an engineer is not surprising. Brent has built his reputation as one of the sector's leading experts in SDA with involvement in over 50 SDA related projects to date, ranging from parent groups, small organisations, large national organisations, state governments, community housing providers, for-profit investors, developers and many financial institutions. What Brent doesn’t know about SDA is probably the stuff the NDIA don’t know themselves yet. Brent brings a unique skill set to NDIS Housing, with over 25 years consulting experience in accessible design as well as a lived experience as the proud father of teenage identical twins, one of whom has cerebral palsy.

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp PM apologises comment hurt

for

Blessed

‘Blessed’

Scott Morrison says he meant "no offence" and has been in contact with Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, to apologise for comments he made last night that offended the Australian disability community.

At the leaders debate on Wednesday night, Mr Morrison fielded a question from a young mother who relies on the NDIS for her fouryear-old autistic son.

In giving his response, Mr Morrison said he and his wife Jenny had been "blessed" not to have to deal with the NDIS. It garnered widespread criticism, including from Mr Alcott who said: "Feeling sorry for us and our families doesn’t help. Treating us equally and giving us the choice and control over our own lives does."

Mr Morrison sought to clear up his statement on Thursday morning and said he did not mean to offend anyone.

"I have apologised directly to Dylan," he said.

"I think people would appreciate that I would have had no such intention of suggesting that anything other than every child is a blessing is true.

"Every child is precious, and a blessing to every parent.

"I don't think anyone would seriously think that I had intended anything different to that.

"I deeply apologise for any offence it caused. Mr Morrison said the mother who had posed the question in the first place had not taken offence to his statement and took aim at the Labor party for politicising what he had said.

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Mr Morrison went on to touch on the 14 years of waiting he and his wife had done before they were "blessed" with their two children.

Earlier, the PM returned fire over criticism for saying he was “blessed” to have children without disability.

Speaking with 2GB, the Prime Minister put Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten on blast for “twisting” his words for political point scoring.

“I was just simply trying to say look, I haven't walked in your shoes … I'm not going to pretend to say that I understand it as well as you do,” he said.

“The fact that Bill Shorten and others seek to leap on it and twist the words and turn it into something political, I thought showed really bad faith. “That says more about him.”

He suggested his critics were just listening to Mr Shorten and implored them to listen to his full remarks. “They probably haven't heard exactly what I said,” Mr Morrison added.

to be Disabled

By just about everyone

“So, I can understand (the criticism) if they (were) just listening to Bill Shorten … but I thought that was just pretty poor form.”

Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes Senator Hughes, also a mum of a son with autism, slammed Mr Morrison’s opponents for “politicising” the issue and missing the point.

“I cannot believe that this is what they want to focus on,” she told Sydney’s 2GB radio.

“You know, (the Prime Minister and Jenny) were blessed. They tried for 14 years to have children. And they're blessed with two beautiful daughters.

“But if that's what you want to pick up from the Prime Minister, if you want to push this point that somehow, he’s disregarding the experience … go away, stop politicising our experience if you’ve never been through it.”

She added while she was “blessed” herself to have three children, there were times when her child was younger that she “did not feel particularly blessed”.

“I can tell you I felt like I was parenting at an absolute master’s level … It was hard in those early days,” Senator Hughes said.

Disability Advocate Craig Wallace Craig agreed, taking to Twitter to say the gaffe was “careless” but not malicious.

“But it does speak to disability as a cosmic tragedy visited from the sky and it doesn’t have to be,” he wrote. “If we are ‘cursed’ it’s because society didn’t choose to end barriers, discrimination, and neglect.”

Toni and Joshy Mitchell Toowoomba woman Toni Mitchell, whose 21year-old son Joshy, lives with disabilities, said the comment was “insulting” to the entire community.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, Ms Mitchell began writing messages of hope or jokes on a blackboard outside her house, to keep spirits high, but after the PM’s comments surfaced, she couldn’t stay silent.

Writing the message in chalk, the blackboard currently reads “I am blessed beyond measure by my child who has a disability.”

Josh Marshall All Abilities Joshua Marshall, who worked as a nurse for 15 years, said his biggest lesson came when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

The Toowoomba man, who is now a wheelchair user, dedicates his life to advocating for people living with disabilities.

Mr Marshall said while he believed the comment was missing its full context, people living with disabilities were segregated from the rest of the community due to the current law, policy and practice frameworks in place.

“I think it’s time we see our major parties start to stand up and take responsibility for what they say they’re doing … give a voice to our whole society and not just who you want to give a voice to.”

Blessed to be Australian with an NDIS "...we must think and act not only for the moment but for our time. I am reminded of the story of the great French Marshal Lyautey, who once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow-growing and would not reach maturity for a hundred years. The Marshal replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose, plant it this afternoon.'"

John F. Kennedy 1962 We are on that journey with NDIS. Editor

WhatsUp in Disability

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WhatsUp

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Community

Latest NEWS Queensland increases fines for driving offences If you get caught speeding, driving without a seatbelt or running a red light in Queensland, you’re now looking at a larger fine effective from July 1, 2022.

After switching on phone detection cameras permanently last year which also scan cars for occupants not wearing a seatbelt, the Queensland Government has more than doubled the penalty for front-seat occupants caught not belting up.

Instead of a $413 fine and three demerit points, offenders will now be fined $1078 and four demerit points. That essentially aligns it with the $1033 penalty for using a mobile phone while driving in Queensland.

You’ll still get three demerit points for running a red, but the fine has been increased from $413 to $575.

The Government is also increasing penalties for speeding.

There’ll be a $287 fine for exceeding the speed limit by between 1-10km/h, though it’ll still be a single demerit point. It’s currently $183 and the bracket is up to

by Leroy Doran

12km/h.

In the first four months of the new mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras going live, almost 14,000 seatbelt offences were recorded.

“We’ve been educating drivers on the importance of seatbelts for 50 years, but somehow the message didn’t get through to almost 14,000 people, so it’s time to get tough,” said Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey.

The Queensland Government says “every cent” collected from the fines will be reinvested into road safety, citing $1.7 billion spent so far this year in road safety upgrades, improved driver education, and other initiatives to make school zones safer and develop policies to reduce road crashes and trauma.

The changes in penalties are part of the new Queensland Road Safety Strategy 2022-31 announced yesterday, with a vision to having zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

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WhatsUp

Tamworth

by John Elliott

I came to the Tamworth Festival for the first time in 1978 and have been coming back for most Festivals since then. Photography is my passion and lucky for me photographing country music has been my job for much of my life. I have fond memories of turning up to Hands of Fame Park on the Saturday morning every festival to photograph the latest inductees. Never crossed my mind that I would be invited to press my hands into the wet concrete.

Roo Arcus, Luke O’Shea, Fibber Parker, Lyn Bowtell, Kirsty Lee Akers, Fibber Parker and John Elliott

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I am honoured and thrilled to do so.

My knees aren’t what they used to be so I may need help to get back on my feet.

The Hands of Fame is a perfect example of how inclusive Australian Country Music is. Young, old, traditional, rocking country, male, female, black, white and now a humble photographer from western Queensland who managed to survive photographing and writing about country music.

I am eternally grateful to the Australian Country Music community for this honour.

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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

Page 24

Community NEWS Something about Bella Join Billy Drury and his family and friends as they celebrate the life and legacy of his daughter Bella who sadly passed away from SIDS due to premature birth.

Billy has chosen to make his daughter's birthday party a public event to help raise funds for the Toowoomba Hospital’s Special Care Nursery.

Funds raised will be used to purchase lifesaving/ life-changing medical equipment that will potentially save and improve lives of babies that need a little extra help.

Toowoomba TAFE Sports Oval Sunday 29th May 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Laughter is the best medicine For the first time in many years, an old man travelled from his rural town to the city to attend a movie. After buying his ticket, he stopped at the concession stand to purchase some popcorn. Handing the attendant $1.50, he couldn't help but comment "The last time I came to the movies, popcorn was only 15 cents".

"Well, sir" the attendant replied with a grin "You're really going to enjoy yourself.

We have sound now".

People have always named their children after expensive things - Mercedes, Dior, Chardonnay etc.

Next year watch out for Electricity, Food and Petrol.

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NDIS

WhatsUp

Media Releases

From the Minister 15 March 2022 The Australian Government is seeking suitable community based organisations to help deliver the NDIS partners in the community (PITC) program. Services will be delivered in 74 service areas across Australia for a 5 year period from July 2023.

This will further improve participant access to support in their local communities.

PITC Program providers are the primary contact for more than 70% of all NDIS participants, delivering local area coordination (LAC) and early childhood (EC) services on behalf of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), linking people with disability to the NDIS as well as to community and mainstream services.

Minister for the NDIS Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said “I have listened to participants and their representatives, and after 8 years’ of transitioning over 500,000 Australians into the insurance scheme, we are now focused on further improvements to participant access to community and mainstream services, which is the original intent of the PITC program.”

deliver record NDIS funding of $142 billion over the next four years, compared to $8 billion a year for disability support when we came to office.”

“I and the NDIA have worked closely with the sector to understand their vision for the future of the PITC program.

As a consequence of this engagement, the NDIA will refocus the PITC program to ensure these organisations are truly part of a participant and non-participants trusted network in their community, the sharing of information and resources, and connect them to services to pursue their goals.”

“The future PITC program will dedicate more time to the delivery of early supports for children, plan implementation support for individuals and their families or carers, and activities to facilitate greater community inclusion,” Minister Reynolds said.

“This also provides an opportunity to partner with organisations in some regional and remote parts of Australia, where services can be difficult to access, and connection to community and mainstream supports are so crucial.

The NDIA tender and assessment process will run until late 2022 and will ensure new contracts are in place before the current contracts approach their common expiry in June 2023.

“With the NDIS fully funded and now transforming the lives of so many Australians with a significant and permanent disability, my, and the Australian Government’s, focus is on maturing and improving how the NDIS supports participants and the sector.

Existing contracts were to finish in 2022 and there is nothing in this release to explain why. Can COVID-19 be blamed for this as well?

“The

Government

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has

worked

hard

to

This is the time to ensure that local community organisations are providing the community linking in their own communities. Editor

Disability Employment Recruitment agency Randstad has partnered with Get Skilled Access, founded by disability advocate Dylan Alcott, to launch RecruitAble, said to be a groundbreaking recruitment program for people with disability.

Supported by $2.43 million in funding from the Federal Government, the national pilot and new website will allow the estimated 2.1 million people with disability of working age, gain more employment opportunities.

RecruitAble is the first initiative under the Federal Government’s Disability Employment Strategy, a commitment across all levels of government to create a more inclusive society where people with disability can reach their full potential. Developed by people with disability, RecruitAble will identify key areas to increase accessible practices in the hiring process to create more inclusive workplaces.

Organisations including Coles, Tennis Australia, Bendigo Bank, Hydro Tasmania, RACQ and Randstad are amongst the first employers to participate in the pilot, which is scheduled to run for two years.

Coles will focus the first stage of the pilot on its technology function within its store support centre, dedicating up to eight roles this year to new hires for candidates with disability.

Businesses signing up to the program must

commit to training their staff to ensure a supportive environment and meet an initial quota for hiring people with disability. Some businesses will also release new job opportunities to RecruitAble ahead of going to their current preferred supplier panel.

According to Alcott a more inclusive model of recruitment is long overdue. “RecruitAble will offer all Australians an equal opportunity to go after the job of their choice, fulfil their potential and live the life they deserve,” he said.

Minister for Social Services, Anne Ruston, said the majority of employers indicate an openness to hiring people with disability, but only around one third show behavioural commitment to doing so.

“The pilot will highlight the benefits of a highly talented but regularly overlooked workforce,” the minister said. “It aims to provide organisations with insights into the accessibility of the current recruitment process and identify key areas for improving the hiring process.”

Results of the pilot program will be evaluated by La Trobe University and the findings will help inform future reforms and initiatives under the Disability Employment Strategy. It is hoped that a successful pilot will lead to a wider rollout of the program and a significant shift in employment outcomes for Australians with disability.

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WhatsUp Support Workers Increased demand for QLD disability support workers is leaving people in danger ABC NEWS Baz Ruddick 13 April2022

Sharon Boyce lives a rich and busy life socially and professionally.

The Toowoomba-based academic, author and advocate's day-to-day activities are made possible by support workers.

that is, and how much training has to go into it," Ms Boyce said.

"Things like using a sling and a hoist getting into bed — that process is very long and complex."

Ms Boyce has made sure her sisters have been trained in some parts of her care, but her complex physical disability — which started as childhood arthritis — requires specialised care that is not always readily available.

However, like most people with disabilities, She said she was forced to try to source in the past few months Sharon has been other support workers from other agencies finding support workers harder and harder and train them up on the job but, even to get as waves of COVID-19 filter through then, she found there were few available. the community. enquiries@allplanmanagement.com.au www.allplanmanagement.com.au "I felt like I was a little bit

vulnerable, that there wasn't going to be that same level of safety that I had always had," she said.

"It made a real difference because with hardly any staff trained there on the spot, and then the overlay of COVID affecting those people."

She said that, while in the past international students studying health disciplines have been a source of new support workers, border closures had had a big "It's unbelievable the impact [it has had].

The fear, 'What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of bed? What am I going to do to get into bed? How can I go to the toilet?,'" Ms Boyce said.

Recently, one of Ms Boyce's support workers had to go back to Nepal. This coincided with another taking maternity leave and another coming down with COVID-19.

"Until people see what has to be done, they probably wouldn't understand how difficult Page 28

impact.

Even now that borders were open once more, she said, there had not been as many students coming through.

"If you don't have someone who's going to be prepared to come in and do that care, then, literally, you won't survive — you'll be as statistic," she said.

"The struggle really is real to actually have carers to support that process inside people's homes," she said.

by Dean James Gill A Movie Review So, remember when the first movie was announced and the first trailer went up and everyone really, really hated Sonic’s design for the movie (I understand why Tim Miller did what he did for the first trailer but me and fellow Sonic fans know better) and then Paramount changed it for the better in the second trailer and was a box office success (pre-COVID mind you) despite critics being mixed (looking at you IGN, I still haven’t forgotten about what you said about the Sonic series) on the movie?

Yeah, it safe to say we loved the first movie and wanted a sequel so we went along with a third movie and a live-action TV series focusing on Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba, who we last saw in James Gunn’s Suicide Squad) on Paramount+ (along with the Halo series that has gotten off to a really terrible start). Anyways, how does the sequel hold up? That’s what I’m here for.

Sometime after the events of the first movie (possibly a few months or weeks) our beloved hedgehog Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) tries (and fails but God bless him, he tried) to be a vigilante up in Seattle but returns to Green Hills, Montana where Tom (played by James Marsden) tells him to be patient until where one day Sonic’s powers will be needed (you know standard hero stuff).

Meanwhile on Mushroom Hill zone (known as the Mushroom planet in the movie) our favourite mad scientist Dr Eggman (played brilliantly again by Jim Carrey) is trying to get back to Earth until he meets Knuckles where the two partner up to take down Sonic and find the Master Emerald.

They find him and Knuckles, proving that he is a force of nature beats Sonic for the first

time but thankfully in comes Tails (voiced

by Colleen O’Shaughnessey, the only one to reprise her role from the games) to save him and venture off to find the emerald first before Eggman and Knuckles does, as of everything else that happens in the movie, I can’t tell without spoiling it.

Our good pal Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) returns to do the music for the second movie and I gotta say, it’s better than the soundtrack from the first movie, Kid Cudi also did a song for the movie and it is very good, still I would love to see Crush 40 do a song for the movie universe so here’s hoping they do one for the third movie.

Storywise, Patrick Casey and Josh Miller said the second movie will have the same style and tone of the first but thankfully they brought on John Whittington (of Lego Batman movie fame) to help fix some flaws that the first movie had. Once again, everyone did an amazing job, including the newcomers but I was kinda surprised they introduced Guardian Units of Nations (or GUN for short) so early but I’m okay with that.

Director Jeff Fowler also stated that he's building a Sonic movie Universe (hopefully it doesn’t fall apart by some bad decisions like Marvel is doing with Phase 4 and 5 of the MCU) and that he and his team are in Phase 1, I know right? That’s awesome.

In short, fans and casual movie goers are gonna love this movie and critics (some but not all) are crying because Paramount are still listening to what people want from a Sonic movie and for what we can see from the post-credit scene (sorry I can’t say what happens again spoilers), we are going be in a amazing ride, just hoping that Jeff and his team fix some of the flaws in this movie.

8/10

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With Andrew Spradbrow Toowoomba Mayoral Breakfast Winter Shelter Toowoomba, a charity offering accommodation and support services to the city’s homeless people, is the beneficiary of the 28th Toowoomba Mayoral Prayer Breakfast, which will be held at Rumours International on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

At the event launch at Futures Restaurant at TAFE Queensland South West, Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio said he was pleased to see the charity breakfast return after COVID-19 restrictions forced the event to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021.

Mayor Antonio also announced Mr Greg Sheridan, foreign editor at The Australian, as the 2022 guest speaker.

“Winter Shelter Toowoomba is backed by Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland in conjunction with seven church organisations and support services to house up to 10 homeless people a night over winter,” Mayor Antonio said. (Participating churches include: Toowoomba West Anglican Parish, St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Hume Ridge Church of Christ, South Toowoomba Baptist Church, Belong Church, Toowoomba City Church partnering with Reform Church and the Rangeville Community Church) Prices are $25 for adult tickets and $15 for school-age children.

Tickets can be purchased at Council’s Little Street Customer Service Centre in Toowoomba from 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays.

Tickets also can be bought by calling 131 872 or via Council’s website by visiting www.tr.qld.gov.au/breakfast Page 32

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New to Disability?

First Points of Contact Centrelink Payments and Services

132 468

Carers

132 717

Disability Support Pension

132 717

Health Care Card

132 490

Family Assistance

136 150

Indigenous Call Centre

1800 136 380

Emergency Crisis Payment

132 850

NDIS General Enquiries

1800 800 110

NDIA Toowoomba Office

07 4592 4057

Local Area Coordinator

07 4646 2800

Medicare General Enquiries

132 011

Pharmaceutical Benefits

132 290

MyGov Help Desk

132 307

Queensland Government Child Safety

07 4699 4255

Toowoomba Hospital

07 4616 6000

Department Housing

07 4699 4400

Community Groups

Toowoomba Disability Information Office Open Monday to Friday (9:00am to 3.00pm) A question on disability or a service you require? Try us, most of our volunteers have a disability themselves and will be glad to assist you. If we can’t help, we will refer you elsewhere. JP services are also available

Carer Advisory Service

1800 242 636

Carer Respite

1800 059 059

Lifeline Darling Downs

1300 991 443

Relationships Australia

1300 364 277

The Good Samaritan Op Shop Bowen Street There are a number of support groups for most disabilities available in this region.

Contact WhatsUp in Disability Phone: 07 4632 9559 Email: admin@whatsupindisability.org

11-15 Alexander Street Toowoomba (07) 4632 9559 A volunteer disability service organisation run by people with a disability

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