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Women with Disabilities Victoria eNewsletter
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In this issue...




 

Image of Keran HoweIntroduction from Executive Director Keran Howe



Hello from WDV.

I hope you all had a magnificent International Women's Day. We're thrilled to have been able to present our Real Women Showcase to celebrate female performers with a disability. Over 100 people attend the event on Monday March 3rd, and the feedback has been wholeheartedly positive. If you have any thoughts about the Real Women Showcase, we'd love to hear them. Please email wdv@wdv.org.au 

Alex White from Queen Victoria Women's Centre said:  "I was thrilled that the Showcase ‘opened’ the IWD Events Hub, it was a joy to see the QVWC used ‘by women for women’. It was such a fantastic night with truly talented performances across a range of arts practice, I loved every minute and so did the audience!"

On behalf of WDV I would like to thanks all those who volunteered their time on the night to help make the event such a success, especially our Communications Officer Simone Flanagan. Simone came up with the initial idea of the showcase, curated it and produced it voluntarily in her own time.

We have some stunning photographs from the evening, which we'll share with you in coming weeks. In the meantime, below is a photo of Bearbrass Asylum Orchestra's performance from the night.


                    Image of Bearbrass Asylum Orchestra performing at Real Women, with Auslan interpreter Lynn Gordon

WDV UPDATES. 


In partnership with the Office of Public Advocate (OPA) and the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria (DVRCV), WDV has been investigating the nature and incidence of violence against women with disabilities in Victoria.
 
The Voices Against Violence Research Project examined the circumstances of women with disabilities of any kind: - physical, sensory, cognitive impairments (intellectual, acquired brain injury, dementia and mental ill-health, who had experienced violence. 
 
We saw a need to undertake this piece of research as there was very little evidence-based information available regarding violence against women with disabilities anywhere, let alone information about what was happening in Victoria.
 
Our organisations knew that women with disabilities:

-           experience higher rates of violence than women in the general community
-           face a number of barriers when trying access support services
-           are often disregarded by the legal system
 
With funding from Gandel Philanthropy and a major grant from the Legal Services Board we are nearing completion of this 2-year journey. This has included interviewing women with disabilities who have experienced violence and were willing to share their stories, reviewing OPA’s records and interviewing OPA staff, undertaking a review of current legislation here and overseas, and making recommendations for change.
 
In May 2014 we will be releasing a suite of 7 reports. It will be launched at a forum by Natasha Stott Despoja, Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, and Chair of the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children. 
 
After this, the next step will be to ensure that the recommendations for legal, policy and service sector reform that this project identified are implemented. 

We'll update you with more information about the launch event closer to the date.
 

eNews Survey


We're currently reviewing our communications strategy and would welcome your input.

We've created a short survey that should only take a few minutes to complete.

All respondents will go in the draw to win a 60 minute one on one digital media training session.

Please click here to take the survey!
 

Get involved, become a member!


“I'm on this path but I've been a bit lost. I felt like I was a solo singer but now I feel like I've got a choir.”  WDV member

What does it mean to become a member of WDV?

Members can contribute to Women with Disabilities Victoria in the following ways:
  • Become involved in one of our leadership programs designed to promote sharing leadership skills.
  • Sharing information with other women through our e-newsletter and email bulletins.
  • Representing women with disabilities on Boards, Committees and forums. These opportunities are circulated to members who have an interest in a particular field.
  • Contributing to government submissions, representations to government and organisations and presentation of conference papers.

There are two types of membership:

Full membership is available to women with disabilities in Victoria. Full membership is free.

Associate membership is open to individuals and/or organisations supportive of the aims of Women with Disabilities Victoria and enables exchange of knowledge, and participation with Women with Disabilities Victoria and its members. Associate membership is $20 for individuals and $50 for organisations (this includes GST).
 
For more information about membership, visit our website or email wdv@wdv.org.au

Violence

Women Vulnerable As Technology Helps Stalkers


Recently The Age published an article about the effects that technology was having in the family violence sector.

There were some useful safety tips from the article that we wanted to share with you:

 

- Turn location services off

- Set up a secret lock and a PIN on your phone

- Do not share an Apple/iTunes/iCloud account


If you suspect you're being tracked:

- Return your phone to default settings

- Disable Wi-Fi and 3G/4G

- Take screenshots of anything suspicious

 


You can read the full article here.

Financial Abuse Online Survey – Share your story!

 
“He controlled all the money. I had to show him receipts for every cent I spent.”

“I trusted him to manage all our money, now I’m left with all his debts.”

“When we got married, I had a job, a car and I was saving up to buy a house. The marriage is over and I’ve got nothing.”

“We were both on good salaries, but we never seemed to have enough money. I kept wondering where all the money was going.”

“Every time I tried to talk about money, he’d get angry.”
 
Sounds familiar?

WIRE Women’s Information is conducting research to learn how financial abuse impacts on women and what are the barriers and challenges women face when seeking a fair share of the finances and assets after the relationship ends.

This research will also help WIRE to know more about what information and support is most useful to women when they leave a financially abusive relationship. Their research findings will be published in a report in July 2014 and available online.

If you’ve been through a situation like this or supported a friend or family member who has, then WIRE Women’s Information wants to hear from you. 

When a relationship ends, women often find it hard to claim their fair share of the financial assets. It’s even harder for women who haven't had control of their finances.

Please come to a focus group and share your story.

Help WIRE learn what information and support women need to make decisions about their financial well-being when a relationship breaks down. You'll help women facing challenges like these, meet other women who’ve had similar experiences, and also gain skills and information from one another. Light refreshments will be provided and all participants will receive a $30 voucher.

Focus Group Dates in Regional Victoria 2014
  • Wangaratta Tue 18 March 10.30am – 12.30pm (Women’s Health Goulburn North East, 57 Rowan St, Wangaratta) Call Karen 5722 3009
  • Geelong Fri 21 March 10.30am – 12.30pm (Zena Women’s Services, Geelong) Call Claire 5224 2903 (ext 111)
  • Morwell in April (date to be advised) The Foyer, Kernot Hall, Civic Drive Morwell. Call Marie 5187 1441
Interested? Call WIRE Researcher Prue Cameron (03) 9348 9416 (Option 9)/ email researcher@wire.org.au For details, read flyer / media release or visit website.
Funded by Department of Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
 

Unable to attend?

You can still share your experiences by filling out this online survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/financialabusesurvey before 31 March.
 
It is anonymous & confidential, and will take only 10 – 15 minutes to complete. Your responses are extremely valuable to  research to help other women!

White Ribbon Survey.


More than 30% of young men surveyed in 1999 believed 'most physical violence occurs in a dating relationship because a partner provoked it'.
 
It's 2014. What do they think today?
 
White Ribbon have launched a ground-breaking survey of #YouthAttitudes towards domestic, family and intimate partner violence.
 
The 2014 National Survey on Young People’s Attitudes towards Domestic and Family Violence and Intimate Partner Violence (DFV/IPV) is an online research project led by White Ribbon Australia and Youth Action NSW, designed to develop an understanding of young people’s (16-25 years) awareness of and attitudes towards DFV/IPV in 2014.
 
This survey will be the first national, comprehensive measurement of young people’s understanding of and attitudes towards DFV/IPV since 1999. The survey should be completed by those aged 16-25, takes 10 minutes and is completely anonymous. Please take the survey  and SHARE it widely.

NDIS 

 A Strong Voice: Self-Advocacy’, NDIS Webinar Accessible Video


If you missed the recent webinar or would like to revisit the discussion, â€˜A Strong Voice: Self-Advocacy’ is now available online.

Accessible formats include video, voice, captioning, transcript and Auslan.

‘A Strong Voice’ is the third webinar from the National Disability Insurance Agency.

This is an uplifting discussion on self-advocacy, and how people with disability take control of their own lives to speak for themselves.

The panel of guests discussed ways that self-advocacy has helped them to make informed choices about their reasonable and necessary supports and achieve their personal goals.

Leigh Creighton, peer mentor from Newcastle; Emma Norton, self-advocate and student; and Ros Sackley, Ngiyampaa woman and teacher; shared their insights and responded to questions submitted by an online audience.

Women, Disability, the NDIS and the Broader Community


An NDIS contribution to mark International Women’s Day

When: 20th March
Time: 1:00pm

‘Inspiring Change’ is this year’s theme for International Women’s Day.

The NDIS brings together a panel of inspiring women to respond to your questions and to share their insights in a lively discussion about what it is to be a woman with disability in today’s Australia.

The NDIA invites people with disability, family members, carers, advocates, support providers and community members to join the discussion online and contribute to the conversation. The webinar comprises audio, visual, live captioning and Auslan to make it as widely accessible as possible.

Please register your attendance at: engagement@ndis.gov.au or phone 1800 800 110.

A link to join the webinar will be provided closer to the day.

Take part in the conversation. You can contribute to the conversation by submitting questions and comments on the theme for the panelists ahead of time to engagement@ndis.gov.au, or on the day via Twitter using the hashtag #NDISWEBINAR, or through the Livechat facility.

For general enquiries about the NDIS please contact enquiries@ndis.gov.au or phone 1800 800 110.

 

Human Rights 

NEW Women with Disabilities Australia paper: ‘Building on the Millennium Development Goals for Women and Girls with Disabilities – A Long Way to Go’


WWDA member and past Vice President Margie Charlesworth is representing WWDA at the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York from 10 to 21 March 2014.

Margie is participating in a number of events, including a Parallel Event where she will present this new WWDA paper about the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) for Women and Girls with Disabilities.

The paper highlights some of the key shortcomings of the MDG’s as they relate to women and girls with disabilities. It also canvasses the main principles that women with disabilities argue must be embedded in the Post 15 Development Agenda, in order to ensure that the new global development framework is inclusive of, and responsive to, women and girls with disabilities all over world.

The Paper is now available for download from the WWDA website.

Advocacy, Leadership and Representation

Stella Young in Tales from the Crip Image of Stella Young wearing bright red polka dotted shoes and looking sassy.



A Melbourne International Comedy Festival event proudly presented by Darebin Arts’ SpeakEasy...




Stella Young is a cripple. Some people call her 'special needs' but she learned from a young age that 'special' is a code word for 'crap'. And oh Lord, please don't call her 'handy-capable' or she may accidentally run over your big toe.


In her much anticipated debut show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival Stella, editor of ABC'sRamp Up and as seen on Q&A and elsewhere, will dig deep into life on four wheels.

She promises not to 'inspire' you.

"[A] stand out performance from straight talking Stella Young...a great comic." Herald Sun (review of Political Asylum)

When: 26th March - 20th April Wed & Fri 7pm, Sun 6pm

Buy tickets: http://www.darebinarts.com.au/whats-on/stella-young-in-tales-from-the-crip/buy-tickets

*** Auslan interpreter Wed 9 & Sat 11 April shows ***

Yarning Circles with Aboriginal people with a disability 


The First Peoples and Victorian Aboriginal Disability Network have been funded by DHS to facilitate community based Yarning Circles with Aboriginal people with a disability and their families. They will be facilitated by Aboriginal people with a disability and/or carers with a focus on the following questions:
  • What does the disability mean within your Aboriginal culture and community and could there be other ways of talking about disability that are more culturally sensitive?
  • What are the impacts of disability for Aboriginal people?
  • What are the barriers for Aboriginal people in accessing disability services and supports?
  • What information do Aboriginal people with a disability and their families need to improve their knowledge and trust of services?
  • How can this information be best shared?

The yarning circles will also be an opportunity to share information about the First Peoples and Victorian Aboriginal Disability Network and introduce Aboriginal people to the rollout of the NDIS.

It would be great to build some local connections and leadership in relation to Aboriginal disability issues across rural, regional and metropolitan communities. For this reason First Peoples and Victorian Aboriginal Disability Network in conjunction with SARU are facilitating a:
 Yarning Disability Messenger Workshop
10 am-3pm 19 March 2014
Koori Heritage Trust  

The aim of this workshop will be to bring together Aboriginal people with a disability and/or carers who may have interest in supporting their mob to talk more and learn more about disability issues and access to services. We hope that through this workshop they can join with current leaders in the Victorian Aboriginal Disability Network in co-facilitating yarning circles in their local communities. They would also be important in promoting the yarning circles and engaging people with a disability in their communities.

While there is no funding to pay people for their time and skills all travel and out of pocket expenses will be covered in relation to the Messenger Workshop and subsequent yarning circles which will be facilitated in communities between March and May 2014.

Yarning Disability Digital Stories/Film/Social media
First Peoples Disability Network will also have a film-maker on board to collect digital stories and conversations (with permission of course) from Aboriginal people with a disability to tell of their stories about impacts, participation, access and the value of using services and supports. These stories will be disseminated through social media and other communication pathways with supporting information to speak directly from one Aboriginal person with a disability to another about how to access and use services and supports.

Can you:
  • Share the attached flyer with your networks
  • Identify and invite Aboriginal people with a disability and/or carers who you think might like to co-facilitate and help promote a yarning circle in their community
  • Support and encourage these people to volunteers as a 'messenger' and to complete the RSVP to enable their participation in the Messenger workshop on 19 March
  • be a local link to supporta 'yarning disability circle' in your local community.  

Accessibility and Social Inclusion

 

Social Media Forum


People with Disability Australia held a social media forum on Saturday 8 Feb called Income Support and You! about the Welfare Review convened by Patrick McClure.
The full feedback document from Income Support and You! forum is available now:
 

SUNRISE WOMEN’S GROUPS


Social groups for women who have a disability.
 
Sunrise Women’s Groups are for women of all ages who have a disability and want to meet other women and feel connected.
 
The group is open to women with a physical and/or intellectual disability,
and women who experience mental illness.
 
They come together to:
  • Build friendships and support each other
  • Get information about staying healthy
  • Try new things and have some fun!
  • Build our confidence
  • Get to know our local community
  • Find out about services
  • Work together to break down barriers
 
They get together as a group every 6 months to plan what we want to do. It’s free to join and the things we get up to are mostly free too. Morning tea is provided.
 
They  often have guest presenters come to speak to us about things like:
 
  • Keeping safe when out in the community
  • Managing pain and medication
  • How to build healthy relationships
  • Getting a good night’s sleep
 
They’ve also done things like:
 
  • Visiting the zoo
  • Beauty therapy
  • Massage
  • Tai Chi
There are three Sunrise groups (one in Laverton, Melton and Caroline Springs) and they each get together fortnightly.
 
The facilitator's name is Vicki. She is happy to talk to you on the phone or come and meet with you.
 
If it is difficult for you to get around Vicki can help you work out what
support you might need. You can bring a friend if this would help.
 
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
 
To find out more and get their latest
Calendar of events, please call or email Vicki at Women’s Health West:
 
Phone: 9689 9588
Email: vicki@whwest.org.au
 
Further information is on their website:
www.whwest.org.au/sunrise

Health and Access to Health Services

Chronic Health & Illness Groups Self Help and Peer Support Forum: 'Closing the Gaps'


This Forum is for those who experience issues related to Chronic Health/Illness, carers, workers from the sector and all those who have an interest in the way Self Help and Peer Support Groups contribute to their members and communities.
 
The forum is a FREE event with a preference for attendance on both days to make the most of the inter-active and inclusive program format.
 
Topics include:
    Managing your condition
    Identifying issues
    Exploring solutions
    Sharing experiences & learning from others
 
Registration also offers the opportunity for participation sharing between group members and/or co-workers by choosing Day 1 or Day 2 options.
 
Website for program: www.coshg.org.au
Date: Tuesday 1 & Wednesday 2 April 2014
Venue: Ross House, Hayden Raysmith Room, Lvl 4, 247-251 Flinders Lane Melbourne
                                               
To register online: https://coshgforum2014chronichealthillness.eventbrite.com.au
                                               
For a printed registration form or for enquiries:
Phone: (03) 9650 2005 or email: info@coshg.org.au
 

Awards, Funding and Grants 

 

Run Projects Grants


Is there something you want to change in your life?
 
Would you like to learn a new skill or experiment with a new way of doing something?
 
Do you have an idea for a project?
 
Run Projects is a new grant program.
 
It will allow people with disability (and their family members) to apply for grants of up to $5,000 to do a project that gives you more choice, voice and control in your life.
 
My Choice Matters will help you come up with a plan to make your idea into a project, assist you to complete an application, and be there to answer any questions you might have.
 
More information about Run Projects is available on their website and this factsheet (pdf or word version)

Just for Fun!

 
Auslan Interpreted Shows at Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Physically Deaf, Culturally Hearing

International Women's Day resources  and opinions from international sources:

End the Cycle of Discrimination Against Women with Disabilities

Celebrating International Women’s Day – the Voices of 5 Women with Disabilities

Gender and disability - By Hilary Homans

Celebrating Women with Disabilities beyond International Women's Day
The purpose of this e-News is to inform our members, staff and associates about opportunities to advance Women with Disabilities Victoria’s goals. Women with Disabilities Victoria works to address priority issues for women with disabilities in Victoria. These issues include violence; access to health services; reproductive rights and parenting, and; access to employment. We welcome and encourage your feedback and contributions to simone.flanagan@wdv.org.au.
 
Copyright © 2014 Women with Disabilities Victoria, All rights reserved.


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