WhatsUp May/June 2019 Magazine

Disability Information Services by People with Disability Toowoomba and Southern Queensland

Volume 3, Issue 88

Subscription $33 PA

Proudly supported and printed by Toowoomba Region

Page 1

WhatsUp

Welcome

With the Federal Election occurring on Saturday 18th May it is the ideal time for you to confirm that you are registered to vote and that you make sure that your vote counts.

Best of luck to all of the candidates and remember the promises that you make leading up to the election...

The 2019 Brisbane Fresh Futures Market is fast approaching - Wednesday 8th May! This event is an information expo specifically for students who are living with disability who are thinking about their post school plans.

The event has been on the community calendar bi-annually for over 10yrs with a strong working partnership between community organisations and government departments.

The key to the success of this event is the passionate people and organisations who play a part in ensuring our young people are building their aspirations and making informed decisions.

For all registrations and bookings please go to https://www.trybooking.com/BAQMA

Steven Paull

JP (Qual) President

WhatsUp In Disability (the magazine) was first published in 1994 to give local people with disabilities and carers, information on a growing multitude of local disability services, local news and issues, with the purpose of not only supplying information to people with disabilities, but of giving choices to people and to give local services a specialist media outlet where they could give information on their services.

To obtain a copy of WhatsUp in Disability magazine or to be an advertiser, please contact the WhatsUp office at 4/33 Bell Street, Toowoomba or call on 4632 6678.

Page 2

CONTENTS Cover Page Shane and Tina at the Toowoomba Royal Show

Page

3

Show Time

Page

5

Harmony Day

Page

6

Voting 2019

Page

7

Commissioners to step down Minister’s Visit

Page

9

Stories by Liz

Page 11

Shared Sorrow

Page 12

NDIS Updates

Page 13

Every Australian Counts

Page 15

Changing Lives

Page 17

Assistive Technology

Page 18

Cruising

Page 19

Travel Guides

Page 21

At the Movies

Page 23

Flying High

Page 24

Victor’s Moment

Page 25

Local Stories

Page 25

What’s Happening

Page 24

Toowoomba Region

Page 30 claimer

Copyright and DisNotices

Page 31

Advertiser’s Index

Rear Cover Fresh Futures Market Brisbane

WhatsUp

Show Time

Royal Toowoomba Show WIN NEWS Toowoomba Students from Clifford Park Special School have spent the day testing rides at the Toowoomba Royal Show, free of charge thanks to a great initiative.

The thrills and spills of sideshow alley attract kids of all ages but the noise and crowds can make it difficult for people with disability to join in on the fun.

To help include everyone in this quintessential show experience, the Toowoomba Show Society teamed up with the Showman’s Guild to give students from Clifford Park Special School free and private rides as well as free show bags.

“The Showman’s Guild of Australasia just open up their hearts every year in different places and this year it’s Toowoomba, and really give them a good day at the show” said John Koehler the event organiser.

“It’s just good to see the joy in the children’s eyes when they’re on the rides and the excitement of the bumps and the thrills,” said Denis Janetzki Sub-Chamber President

John Koehler - Event Organiser

Page 3

Page 4

WhatsUp Toowoomba International Multicultural Society

Our Cultural Diversity

TIMS is a community organisation serving people from all cultural backgrounds whether Australianborn or migrant. Our aims are:

Australia is a vibrant and multicultural country — from the oldest continuous culture of our first Australians to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world.

To promote fellowship and amicable relationships amongst people of all cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live.

To strive towards making Toowoomba and region an increasingly inclusive multicultural society, that honours, and makes place for, the contributions towards these goals from all cultures of the people of the region.

An integrated multicultural Australia is an integral part of our national identity. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as taking on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation.

To engage with the community through initiating and participating in social, cultural and educational activities.

To promote research, learning, and information exchange in support of these goals and of peace, friendship and understanding.

The Society was originally formed in 1995 as the Australian Asian Society of Toowoomba Inc. to promote friendship amongst people of different cultural backgrounds and Australians, by creating and supporting cultural and educational activities in Toowoomba. Toowoomba’s growing population now comes from over 118 different cultural backgrounds. In 2008 the Society decided to change its name to continue to reflect the needs of the community.

Facts and Figures  Nearly half (49%) of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was

 we identify with over 300 ancestries  since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia

 85 per cent of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia

 apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese and Greek

 more than 70 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia.

Page 5

WhatsUp

Voting 2019

Enrol to Vote

not nominate someone, then the polling official in charge will provide assistance.

I have a disability, do I have to enrol?

If the polling official in charge is the one providing assistance, Scrutineers have the right to be present while the ballot papers are filled in. If assistance is being provided by a person nominated by you, you and the nominated assistant enter an unoccupied polling booth. The assistant helps to complete, fold and deposit the ballot paper in the ballot box. In this situation Scrutineers ARE NOT allowed to enter the polling booth while the ballot paper is being completed.

Yes, you are required by law to enrol and vote in federal elections and referendums.

If you find it difficult to get to a polling place on Election Day, you can apply to become a General Postal Voter to receive your ballot papers in the mail. The AEC also provides mobile polling to some hospitals, and uses accessible polling places wherever possible. In cases where an accessible polling place is not available, alternative arrangements are in place to assist those people who may be unable to access a polling place without assistance.

If you have a physical disability that prevents you from writing, you can get someone else to complete and sign an enrolment form for persons unable to sign their name on your behalf.

Some people may require additional support to enrol and vote, such as people with an intellectual, cognitive or psychosocial disability. The AEC provides a range of information written in Easy English. Easy English is more accessible for people who have difficulty reading and understanding written information.

Assisted Voting A person who holds a power of attorney for a voter is not permitted to vote for an elector, as there is no provision for proxy voting in federal elections in Australia.

What if I need assistance to vote?

Assistance is provided if the polling official in charge of the polling place is satisfied that you are unable to vote without help. Polling staff are trained on how to assist you.

You can nominate any person (except a candidate) to assist. This person could be a friend or relative, a Scrutineer or a party worker. If you do Page 6

My relative or friend requires assistance to vote. Am I allowed to assist them?

If a voter requires assistance, they are able to choose the person who assists them, whether they vote at a polling place or submit a postal vote.

If the voter is required to sign a declaration envelope but is unable to do so, they must make a mark and it must be appropriately witnessed.

The witness must identity the fact that the voter made the mark by adding the words 'his mark' or 'her mark' above the elector's mark; and printing the voter's given name(s) to the left of the mark, and the voter's surname to the right of the mark.

The person acting as witness must then sign as the witness.

Can I tell an official that someone I know will not be able to vote?

You may advise a polling official of the illness, death or other circumstances of another person.

These details will be recorded in an elector information report. Under no circumstances will you be allowed to vote for another person. Although the polling official will record all the information you have given them, they are unable to tell you whether that person will be fined for not voting.

This decision can only be made by the returning officer for that division.

WhatsUp Commissioners

In the NEWS Minister’s visit

Disability groups are demanding two commissioners for the newly announced disability royal commission step down for the “good of people with disability”.

Monday, 8th April 2019 Maggie Coggan In a joint statement, the Australian Federation of Disabilities Australia (AFDO), Disabled People’s Organisations Australia, and Disability Advocacy Network Australia called for John Ryan and Barbara Bennett to step down over conflicts of interest that the groups say will severely hinder the effectiveness of the inquiry.

Concerns were raised over Ryan’s senior role at the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, and Bennett’s role as deputy secretary of the families and communities branch of the Department of Social Services – two departments likely to come under significant scrutiny during the royal commission.

“We understand that Mr Ryan and Ms Bennett are respected public servants who sought to make a positive contribution to ending abuse and violence through this royal commission,” the statement said.

“However, we believe this work would be best served if they acknowledged their real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest and step aside. We call upon them to do this today in the best interests of people with disability, and the integrity of our royal commission.”

It comes days after the three-year disability royal commission was officially launched by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

“The royal commission will inquire into all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. It will cover all settings in which these abuses occur,” Morrison said.

The Hon Paul Fletcher MP Minister for Families and Social Services Visiting Cobb+Co museum with Dr John McVeigh MP for Groom was Paul Fletcher MP who, as the Minister responsible for Social Services has a vested interest in the success of the NDIS and he was able to provide WhatsUp in Disability with some of his valuable time to discuss my experience with the NDIS and seek my opinion on how I see the current situation.

I was able to voice a number of the members of WhatsUp in Disability our concerns around the long periods of time that it is taking for reviews, the lack of or no contact or even updates around decision making and the loss of the personal touch that we experienced under the previous State system when providers had a Community Resource Officer (CRO) to assist with issues.

We all remain confident that NDIS will work.

Page 7

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers.

In celebration of International Volunteer Day, Volunteering Australia is pleased to announce the new theme for National Volunteer Week 2019 – “Making a world of difference”.

From 20–26 May 2019, thousands of events will be held across the country to say thank you to the 6 million Australians who volunteer their time. The week -long celebration will include breakfasts, morning/afternoon teas, and luncheons, as well as open days, award ceremonies, picnics, forums and training sessions.

Page 8

WhatsUp

Stories by Liz. .

National Disability Strategy

Tactile Warning Surface

Help shape the National Disability Strategy beyond 2020

In 1965, the inventor Seiichi Miyake created something that would spread to almost every civilised country in the world.

Providers, participants, their families, carers and the community are invited to have their say on the priorities and actions of the National Disability Strategy.

All Australian governments are working together to develop a new strategy that supports the vision for all Australians with disability to experience equal rights, access and opportunity beyond 2020.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is hosting the first stage of consultation between April and June 2019 including:



a public survey (from mid-April)



3.5 hour face-to-face community workshops in every state and territory (from 29 April)



online forums (from mid-May)

For more information or to register to attend a workshop visit the DSS Engage website.

https://engage.dss.gov.au/a-new-nationaldisability-strategy-for-beyond-2020/

Since the creation of truncated domes, a tactile warning surface that is built into footpaths and pedestrian thoroughfares, they have been installed throughout his native Japan, as well as Australia the UK, Canada and the United States.

Miyake was inspired to create the tactile warnings systems in part out of a worry that visually impaired people could be injured boarding trains.

Miyake’s invention drastically improved the way those who are visually impaired navigate public spaces around the globe.

The bumps functioned almost like a traffic light.

They are basically a signal to stop or go. They aren’t for traction per se.

The first pattern “was a series of lines” that indicated to visually impaired people that it was safe to keep moving forward, according to Truncated Domes Depot. The second distinct pattern of lines contained what were called “truncated domes” and suggested to the visually impaired person that they should stop.

Page 9

Page 10

WhatsUp Shared Sorrow Christchurch New Zealand

Colombo Sri Lanka

Our sincere thoughts are with our New Zealand cousins on the tragic events that occurred in Christchurch. Such events remind us how precious life is and that we should treasure all members of our community and in doing so, we should also respect each other and their individual beliefs.

Devastating bombings of churches and other sites on Easter Sunday. Why the world asks?

Paris France Tragedy struck when the famed Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the most beloved landmarks in Paris, caught fire. The renowned Gothic church was in the midst of an $180 million renovation.

The cathedral’s famed spire, built in the mid-1800s, was lost in the blaze, but its two rectangular bell towers, seen as a highlight of the Parisian skyline, were saved.

Page 11

WhatsUp

NDIS

Updates

myplace provider portal changes

Providers to get helping hand

Acknowledging compliance

ABC Political Reporter Jade Macmillan

The NDIA recently added a new mandatory tick box when providers submit a claim through the myplace provider portal. The tick box promotes payment correctness by prompting providers to acknowledge their payment claims comply with the terms outlined in the NDIS Price Guide.

Providers will be unable to progress through the payment request screen until the price guide declaration is checked.

Registered providers are expected to comply with the NDIA’s Terms of Business and the NDIS Price Guide. The NDIS Price Guide is available on the NDIS website.

New date format accepted in bulk payment requests In response to Provider feedback, the NDIA has improved the myplace provider portal bulk payment request process to allow for the Australian date format (DD-MM-YYYY) as well as the international date format (YYYY-MM-DD).

Disability service providers will receive a multi-milliondollar boost amid warnings many were at risk of failure under the NDIS pricing model.

Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher said the $850 million increase to price limits for therapy, attendant care and community participation will take effect in July this year.

"This is important because it means first of all, more being paid to the providers, but very importantly it will help develop the markets within which these services are provided, particularly for example in rural areas or other areas where we want to attract more providers," he said.

"So we do believe that this will deliver a significant difference."

Previously, only the international date format was accepted when providers uploaded a CSV file. The bulk payment request step-by-step guide has been updated to reflect this improvement, and is available in the Provider Toolkit.

The organisation representing providers, National Disability Services, had launched a pre-budget campaign warning many not-for-profit organisations were becoming unviable and would have to exit the system or cut their services.

Improved step-by-step guides

Acting chief executive David Moody welcomed the increase in prices, which he described as "unnecessarily lean", but said more information was needed.

To help make it easier for providers to find information on how to use the portal, the NDIA has improved the format of the myplace provider portal step-by-step guide—restructuring the information into four smaller guides that can be downloaded from the Provider Toolkit: Part 1 Using the myplace provider portal

"This is an issue [we] have been campaigning on for about six years or so, ever since the scheme's inception," he said.

"Whilst we welcome the over-arching figure of $850 million, the level of detail … is worthy of interrogation."

Part 3 Managing your correspondence

Ahead of the May election, our politicians must take action to make sure the NDIS works for everyone who needs it.

Part 4 Administering your services

www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au

Part 2 Maintaining your information

Page 12

WhatsUp Pricing not the only issue The extra money will come from existing NDIS funding, which has been underspent in recent years, and will not affect next week's federal budget.

Under the changes, hourly price limits for therapists will increase by $11 per hour from $179 to $190.

Psychologist and physiotherapist rates will also rise depending on where they are based, with increases of up to $51 per hour in some locations.

Price limits for attendant care, which covers the day-to-day needs of people with disabilities, will increase from between 5.6 and 15.4 per cent, depending on factors such as location, shift times and staff experience levels.

Mr Fletcher said market trends and wages costs were taken into account when setting the new limits.

"What it reflects is careful ongoing work by the National Disability Insurance Agency, overseeing the scheme, to constantly review price levels to make adjustments where appropriate," he said.

"We've listened to providers and to participants and that's really underpinned this decision to increase prices that are paid."

Mr Moody said pricing was not the only area of the NDIS requiring urgent changes.

Funding win for Disability Royal Commission The announcement by Treasurer Frydenberg of more than $500 million being set aside for a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation experienced by people with disability, has left disability advocates overjoyed.

“This Commission has been a long time coming,” said Chair of the National Disability and Carers Alliance (the organisation behind Every Australian Counts), Leah van Poppel.

“So many individuals and organisations have fought long and hard over many years to ensure the neglect, violence, exploitation and abuse of people with disability does not continue to be overlooked.

“The violence and abuse experienced by people with disability has been hidden in the shadows for too long. This Royal Commission will bring all these issues finally out into the light. “

"Amongst the other asks that we would have as part of our federal election campaign would include a significant improvement in the quality of NDIS planning under the scheme, with participants to ensure they're getting supports they need when they need them," he said.

Mr Moody said "clunky" IT systems and a national workforce strategy also needed more attention.

Mr Fletcher said the Government was continually making improvements to the NDIS. "Of course, with a scheme as large as this, rolling out as quickly as it is, there will be issues arise from time to time. We need to get on to those and fix them," he said.

Page 13

Page 14

WhatsUp Changing Lives, Changing Communities Shelley Birrell, Senior Community Capacity Officer, QCOSS In 2018/19, QCOSS, QDN and ADCQ held 14 Changing Lives, Changing Communities events across Queensland. These two-day events created new ways for people of each community to come together, envision and co-create solutions by asking, “What will it take to create communities where everyone contributes, matters and belongs?”

Changing Lives build relationships, start connecting the diverse pieces together and start achieving amazing things , stay informed, networking and continuing to use participatory processes “If you go alone, you go quickly. If you go as a group, you go far” Remove the barriers of connection – light at the end of the tunnel, keep the fire alive, community collaboration, kaleidoscope of different views, time to move, birds eye view, bring people together and pollination.

WhatsUp in Disability involvement

To continue building our movement for change from the events, QCOSS has planned a momentum meeting in each of the locations.

These meetings aim to continue to keep people in the community engaged and excited for the next Changing Lives, Changing Communities events.

Writing stories: putting people inside the heads of those with a disability



Looking for an accountability buddy

What inspired you to be here?



Want to build and make an impact

Some of the responses included: Support and encouragement to continue the work, listen to others and learn, continue the energy from the event and support others – what we can do collaboratively is more than we can do individually, connect with people and continue to

What do we need to keep moving?

Still trying to find connections and supports to take the first step



Taking the leap – one step at a time



Telling profound stories

Visits to ‘What’s opportunities

Up’

for

mentoring

and

Page 15

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

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

Page 16

WhatsUp Equipment and Assistive Technology There’s almost no limit to the kinds of equipment and assistive technology that can make life easier for people with disability. From non-slip bathmats and adaptive can openers, all the way to electric wheelchairs and stair lifts, these tools can allow people with disability to perform tasks they otherwise might have difficulty doing – creating new opportunities for living an independent life.

The NDIS provides funding for these various pieces of equipment, but because the NDIS organises funding in different ways, it can be a particularly tricky area to get your head around.

The NDIS funds any equipment that helps a person do the everyday tasks they can’t do on their own. There are two main categories in your NDIS plan that deal with this, each with different rules and funding arrangements: Daily Adaptive Equipment Simple, low cost equipment that can be bought off the shelf without any need for customisation; for example, large print labels, walkers and rollators. Usually the maximum rate for this equipment is $1500.

Assistive Tech ‘Assistive Technology’. You can use this funding for maintenance only, not for acquiring the equipment.

Top Tips

 If the equipment you need costs less than

$1500 and is off the shelf, you should be able to pay for it using your Core budget.

 If

you’re requesting to have Assistive Technology included in your plan, also ask for Improved Daily Living funding, as you’ll need an Occupational Therapist (or other specialised therapist) to assess your need and get quotes for your equipment.

 Because the NDIA can take a long time to

approve quotes, you can also request funding to rent equipment so you’re never without.

 You can get a repair allowance to maintain

your equipment, so ask for this in your planning meeting.

These types of equipment are classified as ‘Core Supports’ in your NDIS plan. This means that, just as with each support in this category, you have the flexibility of purchasing them using any funds that are in your Core budget.

Assistive Technology A bit more complicated, as it covers specialised equipment that’s more sophisticated and expensive, such as wheelchairs, home modifications and prosthetics.

Because of the high costs involved, in many instances the NDIS doesn’t allocate a budget to these in your NDIS plan. Instead you must submit a quote for the piece of equipment, which the NDIA will assess and approve.

Maintaining Equipment Because it’s more than likely that your equipment will need to be maintained, and possibly repaired at some point, the NDIS can provide you with a budget for this. Make sure this is included in your NDIS plan by asking for this during your planning meeting, as it’s not automatically included in your plan. It’ll be featured as a separate item under

Josh and Liz at HELP Enterprises Brisbane

Page 17

WhatsUp

Page 18

Cruising

WhatsUp

Travel Guides

Pacific Dawn

Cruise Tips

Cruise Report

Packing

First of all I need to say that the Pacific Dawn is an old ship and there are lots of areas where the layers of paint barely cover the orange rust.

Don’t over pack

It is also very wheelchair unfriendly. Boarding and exiting from the ship can be a challenging event even when assistance was booked beforehand.

There was a particularly uncomfortable moment when those passengers who required the use of the ship’s wheelchairs were wheeled all the way off the ship to the bus stop (great assistance) but the person who had their own chair was assisted in going down the gang plank and simply left there by the crew.

Find out if there are any theme nights (Gatsby) and bring a costume or dress accessory

But what the Pacific Dawn is, it is an ideal ship to undertake a mini-cruise. A number of theses cruises are themed around topics such as food and wine, comedy or even sports while P&O name their short cruises ‘Sea Breaks’.

The cabins are generally very small and if you have over packed or if you are on the large size like myself, there isn’t a lot of room to do your morning exercises.

But staying in your cabin is not the reason for taking a cruise. Get down to deck 7 and enjoy the restaurant, 2 themed bars, the theatre, a covered deck and wheelchair accessible toilets and you can basically go from one activity to another with fine food and drinks to boot.

We all had a great time when Victor and Caitlin were a part of the Karaoke performances.

Know what the rules of the ship are (no power boards, alcohol etc)

Dining Reserve your table in the restaurant early Eating in the restaurant saves fighting the crowds in the food hall at breakfast or lunch If you are planning to eat in the Pantry, have someone arrive before the group and reserve a table as it gets very busy at the peak eating times.

Ship Newsletter These useful itineraries include daily special offers, especially on sea days, such as a cocktail of the day, discounts or free drinks at the shops, spa raffles and discounted treatments.

Enjoy the free activities Stage shows, movies, trivia games, competitions or karaoke are fun and free.

Meet new people and have conversations Don’t be surprised to meet someone that you know on board, cruising is a very popular holiday activity and destination

Mobile Phones

The thorny subject of tips on cruise ships seems to be less of an issue for Australian cruisers since P&O, Princess and Carnival stopped charging gratuities.

Turn off Data Roaming as the download costs can be an unwelcome surprise when you return home

P&O Australia eliminated all gratuities, leaving the choice to tip completely to each individual cruiser.

Although there were internet plans included they were for very small downloads and any additional internet and data fees can be expensive

Better still switch to flight mode

Still it was a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to the next cruise in the near future.

Page 19 Page 19

Individual Lifestyle Support Service

07 4639 4026 Providing Disability Support and Assistance Increased Social & Community Participation Living and Lifestyle Skills and Support Accommodation Support Capacity Building

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.

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

Page 20

WhatsUp

At the Movies

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Soundtrack

Review by Dean Gill

My thought on the movie’s soundtrack composed

by Daniel Pemberton is really good and it flows with action. The song’s used and made for the movie feel like a mix tape that Miles will actually listen to, from the clam free flowing “Sunflower” (Sang by Post Malone and Swae Lee) to the dramatic and epic “What’s Up Danger” (written and sang by Yaw Sintim-Mise and Jared Piccone and Troy Hinson) and more.

After the disaster that is the Emoji movie, I thought that Sony Animation Pictures was not going to recover from the damage that movie did.

When I heard about this movie I was both excited and worried. Excited that we are getting a Spider-verse movie and worried on how Sony Animation Pictures is handling the movie but (thankfully) they brought in Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the guys who did the Lego movie.

Story The Story (written by Lord and Rodney Rothman) centres around Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) and his journey to become Spider-Man after being bitten by a spider and after (Spoilers for those who haven’t seen the movie) Peter Parker (in Miles’s universe voiced surprising by Chris Pine) dies during his fight against Kingpin (voiced by Liev Schreiber) who is trying to find alternative versions of his wife and son (both who died in a car crash) via a particle accelerator while also endangering the muti-verse.

Verdict Spider-Man Into The Spider-verse is not only Sony Animations redemption but also near perfect movie with some minor flaws

9/10

Joining Miles on his journey is an older but disheveled Peter Parker from another universe (voiced by Jake Johnson) Spider-Gwen, a version of Gwen Stacy that was bitten by a spider instead of Peter (voiced by Hailee Steinfield) Spider-Man Noir, a Peter Parker from the 1940’s (voiced awesomely by Nicolas Cage) Sp//dr aka Peni Parker (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) who co-pilots a biomechanical suit with a radioactive spider who she shares a telepathic link with and Peter Porker (voiced by John Mulaney) a funny animal version of Spider-Man from a anthropomorphic universe.

Animation Guys I cannot tell you how much I really love the animation of this movie, Lord and Miller really nailed the style and feeling of being inside of a comic book and for each of the characters.

Animation is a mix of both 2D hand drawn and 3D CGI, both work to their strengths but I will admit that sometimes it can be a bit off during some parts of the movie.

Page 21

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

10 East St Gatton Address: 108 Mort Street Toowoomba Telephone: (07) 4659 5476 Email: admin@qualitylifestylesupport.com Respite care, Community Access and In Home Care are provided to people in innovative and flexible ways working within the principles and guidelines of the Disability Services Act and NDIS guidelines Director: John Hart ABN: 43 092 474 872

Page 22

We encourage client input and control over the service they request.

Supported Employment * In Home Support Community Access * Diversional Therapy Counselling * Accommodation Commercial and Domestic Recycling Services Secure Document Destruction We also produce a wide selection of jams, chutneys and pickles made fresh from locally sourced produce

Phone: 5462 3272 Email: admin@anuha.com.au

WhatsUp

Flying High

The Hostess with the mostess Georgia Knoll won hearts around Australia when she snuck into the background of a live news report from Mackay.

After the footage went viral, she was invited to Channel 7 Sunrise Brekky Central, where she quickly became one of their all-time favourite guests.

She hit the couch, danced with the Cash Cow and learned how TV is made... but Georgia's big career dream is to be a flight attendant.

When Jetstar got wind of it, they invited her to be part of their crew for a day!

personality.

'It was probably not your most conventional flight but she just had an absolute ball. It's been a fantastic experience for her.'

Jetstar Cabin Crew Manager, Nicky, said having Georgia on the team was a wonderful experience.

'Georgia is so full of life and is great with our customers, she was such a fantastic addition to our team and we all felt so lucky to have her spend the day with us,' she said in a Jetstar video.

After learning the ropes and meeting crew and pilots at Brisbane Airport, Georgia was given the chance to shine as a flight attendant on her trip home.

While Georgia loved working as a flight attendant, she is not yet certain whether the career is the perfect fit for her.

'On the flight back she did safety demonstrations, she was serving food, greeting all the passengers and she went from Brisbane back to Mackay on the flight and everyone at Jetstar was so welcoming and so lovely,' Kathryn said.

“The passengers were quite nice. I was just helping them with their meals.”

'All of the passengers had a great time, she was talking to everyone, she's just got such a bubbly

Georgia made a great impression and her recipe for success, “Just be yourself.”

While she pursues other career prospects, Georgia continues to advocate for people with disabilities.

Page 23

WhatsUp

Victor’s first AFL goal a memory to savour Sean Teuma Toowoomba Chronicle Round two of the Allied Pickford’s Cup fixture between South Toowoomba Bombers and the Chinchilla Suns at Heritage Oval seemed like a regular fixture.

Showing their class, the Bombers opened up a comfortable lead over the Suns, before laying the platform for a moment Victor Woodhouse will never forget.

Victor has an intellectual disability, but he has never let that stand in the way of one of his greatest passions, Aussie Rules.

“Victor is a big AFL supporter, loves his footy and loves getting around the boys,” Bombers team mate Jeff Neumann said.

Page 24

Victor’s Moment

“When he first arrived at the club, we gave him a warm-up tee shirt and he was over the moon.

He’s helped out with carrying the drinks and helped with the warm-up as well.”

During Saturday’s encounter, the opportunity arose in the third quarter for Victor to run out onto the field alongside his team mates. He took it with both hands and sweetly slotted a goal to cap off a memorable afternoon for himself and his club.

“Hats off to Chinchilla for allowing us to get the footy down to Victor,” Neumann said. “To be able to give a man an opportunity to do something he has always wanted to do and kick a goal in a game of footy was inspiring and a heartfelt moment.”

Neumann gave a handball to Victor before he slotted the major, and he described it as an incredible moment to be a part of.

WhatsUp

Local Stories

AFL Player Quotes "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father." - (Shane Wakelin) "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." (Mick Malthouse).

"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes." (Peter Bell - Fremantle - on his Law studies) "You guys line up alphabetically by height," and "you guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle." (Barry Hall Sydney Captain at training) "He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the morning regardless of what time it is." (Kevin Sheedy on James Hird) "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body". (Luke Darcy)

PCYC Breaking the Cycle

Funding Partnership

Would you like to support young people to learn to drive?

During 2018 DISCO commenced negotiations with Aurora Training regarding the creation of a preferred supplier arrangement to enable their clients to access direct support opportunities and create linkages that had the potential to benefit both organisations and offer clients a ‘one-stopshop’ focused on improving education pathways for young people.

Mentors Needed

Can you spare an hour or more a week?

If so, we’d love you to join our team of volunteer driver mentors for PCYC's Braking the Cycle program.

Find out more and register online - https:// www.pcyc.org.au/…/personal-and-l…/braking-the -cycle/

Page 25

in May

WhatsUp

Star Wars Day

Mother’s Day

Saturday 4th May 2019

Sunday 12th May 2019

May 4 is called Star Wars Day because of the popularity of a common pun spoken on this day.

Since the phrase "May the Force be with you" is a famous quote often spoken in the Star Wars films, fans commonly say "May the fourth be with you" on this day.

Many Australians follow the Mother’s Day traditions that stem from observances in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The Mother’s Day date in Australia is the same as the date observed in the United States, which is the second Sunday of May each year.

I bet that you didn’t know that it is an Australian who is credited with having started the tradition of giving gifts on Mother's Day: Janet Heyden, a resident of Leichhardt Sydney, started a campaign in 1924 to collect gifts for lonely aged mothers.

Lost Trades Fair Saturday 4th May 10:00am - 4:00pm Cobb+Co Museum 27 Lindsay St Toowoomba Master artisans and traditional tradesmen and women with hundreds of combined years of training will demonstrate and share their skills and talent for heritage trades at Lost Trades Fair in Queensland.

Tickets $5 - $18 pay at event

Hampton Festival Sunday 4:00pm

19th

May

2019

9:30am

-

Chapman Park New England Hwy Hampton Set in the unique atmosphere of our highcountry village under the majestic blue gums, the Hampton Festival is a vibrant celebration of local food production, regional artisans and muaaa sic, local wine and craft beers. It offers visitors a unique and authentic high-country experience which highlights the autumn season, the natural beauty and bounty of local produce. Entry $12 children free

Page 26

Mother’s Day Classic 2.5km walk or 5km run The Mother’s Day Classic is a nation-wide community based event that raises funds for breast cancer research.

Come together on Mother’s Day to remember, celebrate and honour those touched by breast cancer.

Toowoomba Breakfast

Community

Services

Friday 24th May 2019 7:00am Emerge Café, 1 Station Street Toowoomba Guest speakers Jen Shaw, Managing Director Emerge Café (Social Enterprise) and Dr John McVeigh Federal MP for Groom. $20 per person RSVP by 17th May

WhatsUp

in June

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

Refugee Week 16th - 22nd June

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is an annual initiative of Bowel Cancer Australia running throughout the month of June (1-30), to raise public awareness of a disease that claims the lives of 80 Australians every week.

Refugee Week is used to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society.

While a refugee's journey begins with danger, it also begins with hope. Refugees flee their homelands not only because they fear persecution, but also because they have hope: they hope to find freedom from persecution, and safety and security for themselves and their families; they hope to be given a chance to start a new life and recover from past trauma. www.refugeeweek.org.au

Red Apple Day Wednesday 19th June

15,604 Australians are told that they have bowel cancer each year, including 2,281 people under the age of 55

Australians are encouraged to support the vital work of Bowel Cancer Australia through the purchase of a Bowel Cancer Awareness Ribbon and apple themed fundraising activities. www.redappleday.org/

PTSD Awareness Day Thursday 27th June

Australian Resource Centre for PTSD is a national health promotion not for profit charity that supports, educates and advocates for Australians living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. www.bowelcancerawarenessmonth.org/

www.arc4ptsd.org.au

Email: whatsupindisability@bigpond.com

Page 27

WhatsUp mycommunity www.mycommunitydirectory.com.au

Mayoral Breakfast A Toowoomba husband and wife will be the first guest co-speakers for the Mayoral Prayer Breakfast at Rumours International on Tuesday, 14th May 2019.

CatholicCare Social Services South West Queensland Director Kate Venables and her husband, Anglican Bishop for the Western Region Cameron Venables, will share the stage at the 2019 Mayoral fundraiser.

in Brisbane, before returning to minister with the Anglican Church of PNG. During the second PNG chapter, Cam and Kate were married and enjoyed many adventures.

When: Tuesday, 14th May, 2019 Where: Rumours International, 323 Ruthven Street Time: 6am to 8.30am Tickets: Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for school aged children. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 131 872 or in person at Toowoomba's Customer Service Centre (4 Little Street) from 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays. All credit cards, except Diners Club and American Express can be used online. Visa and MasterCard payments will attract a 0.33% surcharge.

Winter Wonderland Toowoomba’s Civic Precinct is set to be transformed again in 2019 into a winter wonderland from 21st June to 14th July.

Kate Venables has a lengthy history working in the social services sector across Central Queensland and the Darling Downs and South West.

The ice skating rink on the Civic Square will be back again along with the addition of an ice slide for this year. There will be food, drinks and entertainment for the second year of the event.

Bishop Cam Venables was born in the UK and studied anthropology and drama before going to teach in Papua New Guinea. He studied theology

The CDB will come alive again with lights to create an incredible winter event not to be missed; so pull on your winter woollies and join in the fun!

The 27th breakfast will raise funds for Hear and Say and Eva’s Place.

Page 28

WhatsUp

WhatsUp

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 Emergency Crisis Payment

1800 136 380 132 850

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

Toowoomba Disability Information Office

Child Safety

07 4699 4255

Disability Services

07 4615 3900

Toowoomba Hospital

07 4616 6000

Department Housing

07 4699 4400

Community Groups Carer Advisory Service

1800 242 636

Carer Respite

1800 059 059

Open 5 days

Lifeline Darling Downs

1300 991 443

(core times 10:00am to 1.00pm)

Relationships Australia

1300 364 277

A question on disability or a service you require? Try us, most of our Information Officers have a disability themselves and will be glad to assist you. If we can’t help, we will refer you elsewhere.

Shop 4 / 33 Bell St Mall Toowoomba

There are a number of support groups for most disabilities available in this region.

Contact WhatsUp in Disability on: Phone: 07 4632 6678 Email: admin@whatsupindisability.org

(07) 4632 6678 A volunteer disability service organisation run by people with disabilities

Email: admin@whatsupindisability.org

Page 29

WhatsUp Executive Team

PUBLISHER: Disability Media Association Inc (Australia) (DMAA) TELEPHONE: (07) 4632 6678 OFFICE:

Shop 4 /33 Bell St Mall Toowoomba (Bell St Mall) (open Monday to Friday 10:00am-1:00 pm)

POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 3621 Toowoomba Qld 4350 E-MAIL: admin@whatsupindisability.org MANAGEMENT BOARD: Steven P aull (P resident) Liz Schneidew in (Editor) Tasha Grundon (Secretary) Ann Paull (Treasurer) ADMINISTRATION: Alyssa Storm, Bec M cDermott, Chloe Ellevsen and Sandra Wiseman REPORTERS / WRITERS: Alyse N elligan, Bronw yn Herbertson, Sharon Boyce, Liz Schneidewin, Steven Paull and many more.

PUBLISHED: J anuary/ M arch/ M ay/ J uly/ September/ N ovember ABN: 72 821 350 911 PRINT POST APPROVED: P P 424022/ 1811

STEVEN PAULL President

DISCLAIMER/INDEMNITY: Articles and adverts reproduced on these pages are accepted and published in good faith. It is a condition of acceptance that advertisers and article writers accept full responsibility for their advertisements and articles, and will fully indemnify the producers in the event of any claims or legal proceedings against them. Articles published are not necessarily the view of the publishers. Advertisements are also accepted on the basis that they do not conflict with any discrimination laws or other laws currently in force.

ADVERTISING: Although we are a volunteer and non profit organisation, we are not funded in any way, and have to cover costs of this publication by charging for advertising. Please request a quote by ringing (07) 4632 6678 or by email.

All new adverts must be received 4 weeks preceding month of publication.

LIZ SCHNEIDEWIN Editor

WhatsUp reserves the right to adjust, resize or move advertisements when necessary to allow for editing WhatsUp IS AVAILABLE FROM: 1) SUBSCRIPTION (In advance) $33 per year (includes postage).

2) A single edition of WhatsUp can be bought at the office and selected outlets.

You may also subscribe by using the form on the outside cover.

3) Reference copies are held in the Tourist Office and Toowoomba Library.

TASHA GRUNDON Secretary

COPYRIGHT: Copyright Protected. All pages are subject to copyright law and may be copied only with the permission of DMAA. Copies are not to be used commercially or for profit or for personal financial gain. Permission may be granted to copy only if the purpose is to give it away to others for their personal interest but not to any other organisation or service.

DISCLAIMER: All articles are accepted in good faith and are not necessarily the view of the Editorial team or Management.

Articles are accepted on the understanding that in the event of any claims against WhatsUp, the writer of the article will take full responsibility and indemnify WhatsUp in the event of legislation against it. Articles are also accepted on the understanding that the contents do not breach any Disability laws or other legislation currently in use.

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY/ COPYING

ANN PAULL Treasurer

Page 30

WhatsUp In Disability is provided as a Master Copy to individuals and organisations. We are environmental friendly, we do not print any more copies than is absolutely necessary. We prefer and encourage the practice of passing the magazine from person to person or copying the whole magazine to pass on to others. Permission is needed to copy (see Copyright above) When copying the magazine we require that the pages be marked ‘copy’.

Advertisers

WhatsUp Accommodation / Respite

Medical

BigDog Respite House

Page

20

Toowoomba Central Discount Drug Store

Breakaway Toowoomba

Page

16

Information Services

Commonwealth Carer Respite

Page

23

Auslan Sign Language Course

P age 22

Commonwealth Carer Respite

Page 10

Support Services

12

Anne’s Angels

Page 10

Down Syndrome Support

Anuha Services (Gatton)

Page

22

(Toowoomba and District)

Page

22

BigDog Support Services

Page

14

Epilepsy Queensland Inc.

Page

16

Breakaway Toowoomba

Page

16

Every Australian Counts

Page

5

CPL (Choice Passion Life)

Page

20

Parent To Parent

Page

20

Quality Lifestyle Support

Page

22

TASC National

Page

10

Salvation Army

Page

20

Toowoomba Disability Information

Page

29

Warrina Services

Page

20

Recreation

Wellways Healthcall

Page

Toowoomba Sunset Superbowl

Page

16

Yellow Bridge QLD

Page

Toowoomba Region

Page

28

BigDog Cleaning Services

Page

22

BigDog Lawn Mowing Services

Page

22

Tony Wigan Show 4DDB

Page

29

Toowoomba Clubhouse

Page

20

6

Support Coordination St Vincent de Paul

Other Services Page

Employment HELP Enterprises

Page

Uniting Care Community

Page

16

MedTech Mobility Equipment

Page

16

Reben Mobility

Page

10

Mobility Equipment

www.whatsupindisability.org To contribute to the next edition please send your article to

WhatsUp In Disability

admin@whatsupindisability.org

is proudly printed by the Community Development and Facilities Branch of the Toowoomba Regional Council

by the 20th February/April/June/August/October/December or reserve a space

Page 31

WhatsUp In Disability PO Box 3621 Toowoomba Qld 4350 Phone: (07) 4632 6678 Email: admin@whatsupindisability.org

Thank you For your support of WhatsUp in Disability

WhatsUp In Disability APPLICATION FOR SUBSCRIPTION ($33 per year including postage) NAME ADDRESS

Post Code

TELEPHONE SUBSCRIPTION

E-MAIL $33

MEMBERSHIP

SUBSCRIPTION + MEMBERSHIP

$5

$38

“Please make cheques payable to Disability Media Association Inc. (Australia)” Page 32

Please cut out and post to: PO Box 3621, Toowoomba 4350 with your cheque