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NEDA NEWS December 2008
The last quarter of 2008 was a very busy time, with significant activity at NEDA towards increased participation, wellbeing and rights recognition for people from NESB with disability. New Senior Policy Officer at NEDA NEDA is very pleased to welcome on board Senior Policy Officer, Ms Zeliha Iscel. Zel has a number of years experience in policy development, with a strong track record in the disability sector and in government. Zel will be focusing on NEDA work on migration rights for people with disability, as well as building NEDA’s profile in the area of telecommunications. Welcome aboard Zel! Telecommunications and People from NESB with Disability NEDA has initiated a project focused on highlighting telecommunications barriers faced by people from NESB with disability. In particular, NEDA is focusing on consumer regulation and protections for people with low English proficiency, and increased recognition of the role and importance of telephone based interpreting, including the Australian Government Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS), within the broad spectrum of telecommunications policy. NEDA is keen to hear about the barriers that people from NESB with disability are facing in accessing telecommunication services and equipment. Feel free to drop NEDA a line on office@neda.org.au . Migration and Refuge Rights for People with Disability NEDA has been very active in working towards the removal of the discriminatory elements within the Migration Act 1958 towards migrants and refugees with disability. NEDA worked successfully with a range of organizations to achieve a recommendation from the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties for a review of the Migration Act 1958 and migration processes, in light of the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. NEDA is very pleased to see that following a high profile case in Victoria, the Immigration Minister has recently announced that the Joint Standing Committee on Migration will review migration processes to ensure there is no direct or indirect discrimination against people with disability. The progress on this issue represents a significant victory for migrants and refugees with disability. NEDA’s media release, with People with Disability Australia, can be accessed here. NEDA’s report Refugees and Migrants with Disability and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can be accessed here. NEDA lodged a submission to the National Disability Strategy, calling on the Australian Government to ensure that improved participation, wellbeing and rights recognition for people from NESB with disability was a key priority across the strategy. NEDA thanks member and stakeholder organizations for providing input to this submission, in particular Diversity and Disability (DnD) and Action on Disability in Ethnic Communities (ADEC) for co-hosting multicultural consumer consultations in Victoria. NEDA also endorsed the submission of the UN CRPD Taskforce – a coalition that includes the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, the Australian Council of Social Services, People with Disability Australia and other key national peak organizations. NEDA is pleased that the UN CRPD Taskforce submission has also called for a commitment to equality of outcomes for key population groups, including people from NESB with disability. NEDA’s submission to the National Disability Strategy can be accessed here. Social Inclusion NEDA continues to make positive contributions to ensuring that cultural and linguistic inclusion is a central component of the Australian Government’s social inclusion agenda. NEDA’s Executive Officer made a presentation to the Tasmanian Council of Social Service Fairer Futures Conference entitled “Social Inclusion and People from NESB with Disability.” The text of the speech is available at: http://www.tascoss.org.au/News/Events/tabid/59/Default.aspx. Disability and Culture Workshop NEDA and the Multicultural Council of Tasmania (MCOT) hosted a workshop on disability and culture in Hobart in late October 2008. The workshop was attended by disability service providers, health workers and advocates, and provided general information on the barriers faced by people with disability from NESB, and the first steps towards participation and inclusion. NEDA submission to the Pension Review and Henry Taxation Review NEA has taken the opportunity presented by the Australian Government Pension Review and the Henry Taxation Review to highlight the barriers faced by some migrants with disability to accessing the Disability Support Pension. Migrants with disability granted visa status (except for those immigrating on humanitarian grounds) must wait ten years before being eligible for the Disability Support Pension (DSP). Eligibility for DSP affects eligibility for other programs, such as essential disability services and equipment. As a result, migrants with disability are unable to access appropriate financial support, or a range of services and support that are available to other Australian residents with disability. NEDA’s report “Migrants with Disability and the 10 Year Qualifying Residence Period for the Disability Support Pension: NEDA Submission to the Review of Australia’s Future Tax System” can be accessed here.
The Australian Government have formally extended access to free Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS National) to pharmacies across Australia. NEDA congratulates the Government on this step, and look forward to working towards greater availability of affordable translating and interpreting services. The Australian Government media release can be read at http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/parlsec/media/media-releases/2008/lf08070.htm. NEDA and FECCA Celebrate International Day The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils’ of Australia (FECCA) and NEDA released a joint statement on 3rd December 2008, celebrating International Day of people with Disability and calling on governments and the community to increase their efforts to recognise the rights of people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The joint media release can be accessed here. For further information on any of the above, please contact office@neda.org.au. |
