Every year on December 3rd we see a flurry of activity in the media about the International Day of People with Disability. There will also be a burst of activity on the various days devoted to specific disabilities such as Autism and Down Syndrome, but as Kurt Fearnley, Australian paralympian and new CEO of the … Continue reading International Day of People with Disability
autism
Disability is a Blessing Too
The Australian Federal Election campaign is now in full swing and "Scotty from Ableism" has lit up the internet because he is “blessed” to not have “children with disabilities.” Understandably parents with children who have disabilities and the rest of the disability community are shocked and outraged. What does that make us? The Cursed Ones?? … Continue reading Disability is a Blessing Too
Understanding the NDIS Plan
For many Australians living with a disability the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has become such a regular part of life that it can be difficult to remember how life was before. For our son Dan, who has autism and an intellectual impairment, the NDIS is the way in which he receives the supports that … Continue reading Understanding the NDIS Plan
National Carers Week – Why Do We Care?
National Carers Week has been celebrated in Australia since 1992. It aims to recognise and celebrate the significant contribution that unpaid carers make to the Australian community. This year the theme focuses on the stories of carers asking them the question - Why Do You Care? 1 in every 8 Australians is caring for a … Continue reading National Carers Week – Why Do We Care?
Caring During Covid 19
Covid 19 has scored a sizeable hit on life as we once knew it. Businesses and services were closed. Many people lost their jobs. Travellers were stranded overseas and grocery shopping became the social highlight of the week. As schools closed and moved to online learning, many parents struggled to balance working from home with … Continue reading Caring During Covid 19
Cruising the Whitsundays
Last week, Dan and some of his friends from Yellow Bridge boarded the P & O cruise ship, the Aria, and headed up to the Whitsunday Islands for a four night cruise. The Whitsundays are a group of islands 900km north of Brisbane in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. They are … Continue reading Cruising the Whitsundays
Caring for the Carer
Life is a difficult balancing act. Most of us are trying to juggle work and family commitments while also trying to maintain our own well-being and sanity. For the most part, it works, even if sometimes it’s a mad scramble and there are a few near-misses. Occasionally though, it doesn’t work and everything falls in … Continue reading Caring for the Carer
Hanging Out with the Boys
Hanging out with your friends is something that most young people take for granted. Going out for a drink, watching a movie or cheering your favourite sporting team are all rites of passage on the journey to independence. Young people meet up, hang out and bond together spontaneously without hardly a second thought. But if … Continue reading Hanging Out with the Boys
The Carer’s Road
Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. Matsuo Basho From the moment we are born, a path stretches out before us. We don't know where it will lead. We just begin, one step at a time. Sometimes the way is a smooth, well-worn path and at other times it feels like … Continue reading The Carer’s Road
Miss You Too, Buddy
Lately I have had to spend a lot of time in Brisbane. It's not easy for country kids to move to the city to attend university. The city is a noisy, crowded, busy place. It is an unfamiliar place, teeming with strangers and unfamiliar sounds, smells and routines. Bec is a quiet kind of kid. … Continue reading Miss You Too, Buddy