HUNTER DISABILITY eNEWS
(November 2004)
Welcome to this edition. Disability Infoline aims to distribute the latest
news relevant to the Hunter disability sector. To subscribe, unsubscribe or
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Summary of what's in this edition:
* EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP OF
* HUNTER DISABILITY GOLF DAY
* LIBRARY
EVENTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY
* PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WORKSHOPS
AT
* CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF
PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY
* BBQ BREAKFAST IN
* YOUNG CARERS
CAMP
CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING
* ANTI‑DISCRIMINATION
BOARD COURSES
*
INNOVATIVE EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY
* USING
POSITIVE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES FOR CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS
* CALL FOR
PAPERS - ACS COMMUNITY CARE CONFERENCE
*
PRACTICE EDUCATION OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
* SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE AND
ILL HEALTH IN ADULTS WITH MILD LEARNING DISABILITY
* HOME MONITORING OF CHILDREN WITH A LEARNING
DISABILITY
* RISPERIDONE THERAPY AND PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES
* EARLY
PAYMENT TO CARERS WELCOMED BY CARERS
* ACOSS
LOOKS AHEAD AT RETURNED COALITION GOVERNMENT
* CHAOTIC ATLAS CUTS
EMBARRASS MINISTER
*
BROKEN BODIES, BROKEN SPIRITS ‑ THE BULLETIN ‑ FEATURE ARTICLE
(EXCERPT)
*
ROUND WHEELS, BAD TRIP –
* NEW FERRY TERMINAL EXPECTED
TO OPEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS
* SOME KIDS CAN’T LIVE AT HOME WITH THEIR MUM AND
DAD
* CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING
* BOOK
REVIEW - SPECIAL FAMILIES SHARE THEIR STRUGGLES AND JOYS
The Epilepsy Support Group of
HUNTER DISABILITY GOLF DAY
To celebrate International
Disability Day, Life Activities and NBN Television present Hunter Disability
Golf Day on Tuesday 30th November at Merewether Golf Club. Tee off
is 10am. Cost is $10 for registered players and $20 for social players or
carers. There will be a BBQ lunch and presentation to players after the golf.
Contact Ashley Gordon at Life Activities on Tel: (02) 4929 5858 if you are able
to play.
LIBRARY EVENTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE
WITH A DISABILITY
Newcastle Region Library
would like to invite you to join them in celebrating the International Day of
People with a Disability with two library events. On Tuesday 30th
November there will be a morning tea at 10.30am in the Lovett Gallery, Laman
Street Cultural Centre. The Life Without Barriers
Choir and New Lake Peer Support Dance Troupe will perform and a library tour
will follow for interested visitors. On Thursday 2nd December there
is a story-time for children at City Library at 10.30am, focusing on stories
about disabilities, and including a performance by the Life Without Barriers
Percussion Group. All are welcome to attend both events, and if you are
interested in speaking or performing at either event, please contact Christa
Herridge, Outreach Librarian, Newcastle Region Library on Tel: (02) 4974 5348
or Fax: (02) 4974 5396 or Email: cherridge@ncc.nsw.gov.au.
PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES WORKSHOPS AT
On Wednesday 1st December,
CELEBRATE
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY
Disability
Network Hunter invites people with disability, family and friends to celebrate
International Day of People with a Disability. There will be entertainment and games, a sausage sizzle and karaoke
at Life without Barriers,
BBQ BREAKFAST IN
Maitland City Council is planning a “BBQ Breakfast”
in
YOUNG CARERS CAMP
Rotary Clubs in the Hunter region, Carers NSW Inc
and the Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre (CCRC) - Hunter are supporting a camp
for Young Carers aged 8-12 years old at Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre,
from 5pm Friday 10th December to 3.30pm Sunday 12th
December. A “Young Carer” is a child or teenager who undertakes care for
parents, siblings or grandparents with a disability, chronic or mental illness.
For more information call Alison on 1800 059 059 at the Carer Respite Centre or
Margaret on 1800 242 636 at Carers NSW. Please note that CCRC‑Hunter is
currently trying to secure funds to cover the total cost of the camp and the
final decision to run the camp will be subject to meeting these budgetary
requirements. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes to carers and
their families.
ANTI‑DISCRIMINATION
BOARD COURSES
A course
on non‑discriminatory community management will be held on Tuesday 30th
November, 9am‑1pm in Sydney. Cost is $88 per person (includes GST). Learn
how: to identify management responsibilities and ensure that community sector
workplaces are discrimination and harassment free for workers and clients; when
and how to seek an exemption from the NSW Anti‑Discrimination Act 1977;
basic principles to observe when handling grievances and the complaint process
at the Anti‑Discrimination Board. For more information contact Lian Boyce
on Tel: (02) 9268 5555 or 1800 670 812. [SOURCE: IDEAS E‑News Issue 19,
2004.]
INNOVATIVE
EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY
A one day event detailing a family designed and run
employment project will be held on Wednesday 1st December, 9.30am‑3.30pm
at Entry Level, UTS Building 10, 235 Jones Street, Broadway. The day will be
led by Judy van Amerongen of Canning Area Parents for Real Employment (CAPRE),
Nova Scotia, Canada. Judy is the parent of Lee, who has autism. Lee is 29 and
is the proud owner of Lee's Creative Activities. Along with the assistance of a
support worker, he operates a gift shop. He also produces things such as
biscuit painting kits, dog and cat biscuit kits. Judy has been active in parent
advocacy for 25 years and apart from being the co‑founder of CAPRE, she
also works for the Sheema Women and Disabled People's Association, Uganda.
Registration is Essential. Cost is $20 for families and people with disability
and $65 for professionals. Parking is available under the building ‑
entry via Thomas Street (Fee applies) or it is only a short distance from
Central Railway Station. For more information contact Family Advocacy on Tel:
(02) 9869 0866 or Freecall: 1800 620 588 (non‑metro callers) or email: workshops@family‑advocacy.com.
[SOURCE: IDEAS E‑News Issue 19, 2004.]
USING
POSITIVE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES FOR CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS
The
Centre for Developmental Disability Studies and the Centre for Early
Intervention, Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney
will present two seminars on using positive communication techniques for
children with behaviour problems. On Friday 10th December, 9.30am‑4.30pm,
there is a full day seminar for professionals, at the University of Sydney,
Carslaw Building, Room 373. On Saturday 11th December, 9.30am‑12.30pm,
there is a half day workshop for parents, at the University of Sydney,
Education Building, Room 325. The key speaker is Professor Jeff Sigafoos of the
University of Texas, Austin. Prof. Sigafoos is an internationally renowned
specialist in Communication and Behaviour Disorders. Other speakers include:
Sue Hartog, Coordinator of Apex Behaviour Management Program; Dr Kathleen Tait,
University of Sydney; Dr Michael Arthur‑Kelly, University of Newcastle;
Professor Stewart Einfeld, University of NSW; Dr Jacqueline Roberts, University
of Sydney and John Cairns, Lifestart. Cost of the full day seminar is $165 CDDS
Current Financial Member or $176 Non Member (incl GST). Cost of the half day
workshop is $16.50 (Incl GST). Maximum 60 registrants. Contact the Centre for
Developmental Disability Studies, PO Box 6, Ryde NSW 1680 on Tel: (02) 8878
0500 or Fax: (02) 9807 7053.
CALL
FOR PAPERS - ACS COMMUNITY CARE CONFERENCE
The ACS Community Care Conference “Supporting
Diversity & Choice” will be held Thursday 31st March – Friday 1st
April 2005 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. It
is the largest community care conference in Australia attracting over 500
delegates each year. The conference will explore the major issues facing
community care in NSW and ACT, including perspectives on: international
comparisons; community care – challenges for Australia; supporting diversity in
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and supporting consumers and
carers. ACS is calling for papers for the conference concurrent sessions. You
can present organisational case studies, individual research, innovative
projects and practices. For further information and a list of topics please
contact Carrie Hayter at the ACS office on Tel: (02) 9799 0900 or email: carrieh@agedservices.asn.au.
Closing date for papers is Friday 10th December 2004. [SOURCE: IDEAS
Inc E‑News Issue 20, 2004.]
PRACTICE
EDUCATION OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Practice
educators play a key role in ensuring that occupational therapy students with
disabilities are not excluded from educational experiences. However, little is
known about how practice education for occupational therapy and other health
professional students with disabilities can be facilitated effectively. A qualitative
pilot study was conducted to obtain phenomenological data from clinical
practice educators on this subject. Stratified sampling was used to select six
occupational therapists from throughout NSW who had supervised students with a
wide range of disabilities. The participants often described the adoption of a
'therapist' role with these students. This approach was perceived as less
effective than an 'educator' role in developing students' initiative and
clinical reasoning skills. The participants identified both the need for more
support and education from universities and the need for improved evaluation
strategies to accommodate students' needs while maintaining professional
standards. [SOURCE: Hirneth, M. & Mackenzie, L. (2004) The Practice Education
of Occupational Therapy Students with Disabilities: Practice Educators'
Perspectives. British Journal of Occupational
Therapy, 67(9), 396-403.]
SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE AND
ILL HEALTH IN ADULTS WITH MILD LEARNING DISABILITY
Mild learning disability
is associated with an increased risk of affective disorder. This
study examines the extent to which adult socio-economic disadvantage
and ill health contribute to this risk. Samples were drawn from the
1958 National Child Development Study. Relative to a comparison
group, mild learning disability at age 11 was associated with
elevated rates of depressive symptoms throughout adult life, and
carried a six-fold risk of chronic depressed mood. The group
difference in depressed mood at age 43 years was in large part
mediated by variations in adult socio-economic disadvantage and ill
health. [SOURCE:
Collishaw, S., Maughan, B. & Pickles, A. (2004) Affective
problems in adults with mild learning disability: the roles of social
disadvantage and ill health. British Journal of
Psychiatry, 185, 350-351.]
HOME MONITORING OF CHILDREN WITH A LEARNING
DISABILITY
A portable monitoring device was developed to assist
in the management of children with a learning disability. The device was
designed for continuous home monitoring of blood oxygen saturation, heart and
respiration rates, and patient activity. It could be worn on a belt, while the
patient continued normal activities. Data were stored on a multimedia card and
automatically transmitted to a PC at prescribed intervals via a Bluetooth
wireless link. From the PC the data were transmitted to a Web server, where the
information was made available to the staff involved in the patient's care.
Preliminary clinical studies were performed with nine patients (four with
Down's syndrome, three with cerebral palsy and two with mental retardation).
Patients and families considered the device easy to use and to wear. The
monitoring device identified events of possible clinical interest. Although it
was designed for monitoring children with a learning disability, it may also be
useful with other groups, such as elderly people. [SOURCE: Tura, A., Badanai,
M., Longo, D. & Quareni, L. (2004) A multi-functional, portable device with
wireless transmission for home monitoring of children with a learning
disability. Journal of Telemedicine and
Telecare, 10 (5), 298-302.]
RISPERIDONE THERAPY AND PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES
Mental illnesses are more common in people with
mental retardation and developmental disabilities than in the general
population. Due to the difficulty of making specific psychiatric diagnoses in
these patients, the target of medication is often a behavioral symptom. For
many symptoms, antipsychotic medications are effective, but the serious side
effect profile of conventional antipsychotics renders their use problematic.
Recent findings concerning the safety and efficacy of atypical antipsychotics
for control of certain disruptive behaviors in adults and children led a
Special Topic Advisory Panel to draw up guidelines for transitioning patients
with specific symptoms from classical antipsychotics to risperidone and, by
extrapolation, to other atypical agents. Conclusions: The guidelines set forth
initial and target doses and titration schedules of risperidone therapy for
some behavioral symptoms and provide recommendations concerning withdrawal of
previous medications and for procedures and rating scales for assessing
symptoms. In patients with severe retardation, the goal is often to identify
specific target behaviors rather than to pursue an exact diagnosis, which may
be unattainable. [SOURCE: Aman, M. & Gharabawi, G. for the Special Topic
Advisory Panel on Transitioning to Risperidone Therapy in Patients With Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. (2004) Treatment of behavior
disorders in mental retardation: report on transitioning to atypical
antipsychotics, with an emphasis on Risperidone. Journal of Clinical
Psychiatry, 65 (9), 1197–1210.]
EARLY
PAYMENT TO CARERS WELCOMED BY CARERS AUSTRALIA
Legislation recently passed in the Senate to extend
the Carer Allowance to an additional 13,000 non co‑resident carers, has
been welcomed by the President of Carers Australia, Ms Louise Gilmore. This
move was originally announced in the Budget and was due to start on 1st
April 2005. The Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay
Patterson, subsequently brought the legislation forward and non‑resident
carers are now encouraged to apply from September through Centrelink.
"Bringing the payment forward by seven months is welcome as an extra bonus
to those carers who are eligible", Ms Gilmore, said. "Extending the
eligibility is long overdue and one which Carers Australia has lobbied the
Government hard for. This will assist 13,000 carers who, up until now, have not
been eligible for the Allowance because they did not reside with the person
they cared for." The Carer Allowance is worth $90.10 per fortnight to
carers providing a high level of daily care to a person who has a disability,
severe medical condition or who is frail and aged. It is not means tested.
"It goes nowhere near meeting the extra costs of caring or recognizing the
commitment carers make," Ms Gilmore said. Carers Australia has for years
argued that the Allowance needs to be doubled as an interim measure, to better
recognise the financial and opportunity costs of caring. Media contact: Carers
Australia on Tel: (02) 6122 9900. [SOURCE: IDEAS Inc E‑News Issue 18,
2004.]
ACOSS
LOOKS AHEAD AT RETURNED COALITION GOVERNMENT
In its response to the re‑election of the Coalition government, ACOSS congratulated the Coalition on its election victory and called on it to proceed with improvements to family payments promised in the election campaign. However ACOSS urges the government not to make people on disability support pensions the losers of this election. Proposed tightening of eligibility for the Disability Support Pensions would mean many tens of thousands of people with disabilities would have less access to employment support and could suffer other financial penalties. Welfare reform should continue but be consistent with the findings and recommendations of the McClure report. ACOSS hopes that the government and all parties support the independence and policy review role of the Senate. Senate committees have played a great role in shaping debates and providing expertise on policy as well as providing a chance for more public input into the detail of legislative and administrative changes. ACOSS encourages new and returning Senators to maintain the review role of the Senate in examining legislation and policy before it is passed. Media inquiries to Anouk Ride on 0419 626 155. [SOURCE: IDEAS Inc E‑News Issue 18, 2004.]
CHAOTIC ATLAS
CUTS EMBARRASS MINISTER
The Carr Government's devastating funding cuts to the Atlas and Post School Options programs have been ill conceived and poorly planned from the start. Recently under pressure from Shadow Disability Services Minister John Ryan, Minister Carmel Tebbutt detailed a litany of Government errors proving that the cuts are increasingly chaotic, only months away from implementation. "The Ministers spin has thankfully and finally come to an end. I am pleased to see that she now realises how poorly planned the cuts have been," Mr Ryan said. The Minister's admission followed questioning about the extraordinary demands the Government has forced on service providers to deliver programs with less money. "During the week the Minister's department called every service provider in the state and told them they had to provide at least three days service a week with the reduced amount of money. "Its impossible and the service providers have told the Minister that," Mr Ryan said. "I don't understand why the Minister seems so surprised by this, it has been blatantly obvious to everybody since the start that adequate services where not possible with the amount of money the Government was offering," Mr Ryan said. In a further embarrassment the Government only gave service providers three days to invent their budgets. Mr Ryan said that service providers risked missing out on important contracts if they refused to participate in the Government's fanciful charade. The Government must immediately stop these heartless cuts and give service providers, carers and families a proper opportunity to be consulted. In July the Government slashed money for people on the Adult Training Learning and Support (ATLAS) and PSO programs, in some cases cutting money from $23,000 to $9,000.
BROKEN BODIES, BROKEN SPIRITS ‑ THE BULLETIN ‑ FEATURE ARTICLE (EXCERPT)
Web address: www.bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/bulletin/site/articleIDs/A12B1504E0E84C14CA256F250080C841
By Vincent Morello (20/10/2004)
Federal and state governments agree more should be done for the disabled. It's just that each wants the other to pay for it. While they squabble, millions go unspent, needless suffering multiplies and the lives of those who do most of the caring unravel. And it doesn't look like changing any time soon. Parents call it soul‑destroying; those who can speak for themselves describe it as the most demeaning of experiences… Whatever the origins, severe or profound disability affects more than 650,000 Australians under the age of 65 – people who require daily or constant assistance with self‑care, mobility and communication. Last year, $3bn was spent nationally on disability services. Some received the help they needed; most didn't and kept quiet; and some got nothing. They all acknowledge that living with disability is a lifelong battle but it's the begging for government assistance they find most soul‑destroying… In 2000 the Commonwealth and the states pledged additional budget funds to people with disabilities. The money was committed to addressing what is called unmet need and was spent over the two fiscal years from 2000‑2002. But one state came up short. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that the 2000‑01 NSW budget increase was at least $39m below the figure previously agreed on. This conservative estimate did not include the usual 10% annual budget increase that is considered separate from the unmet need funding. DADHC explained this by saying that departmental restructuring had resulted in the "merging of three different financial systems" and that "the accounts for the new department have not yet been audited". The AIHW did not track the second and final year of this ancillary agreement but the states and Commonwealth report that same expenditure to the Productivity Commission. NSW came up short again. This time it was $80m under foreshadowed expenditure for 2001‑02. And again, no mention of the normal 10% budget increase seen every year from 1995 to 1999. Conservatively speaking, at least $119m in funding for people with disabilities in NSW appears not to have been spent – or at least not to have been accounted for in any way that provides a transparent insight into expenditure levels in this area. All disability services are funded on a recurrent basis. Governments cannot decrease budgets from year to year since a person's level of disability almost never diminishes. And though accounted for on a yearly basis, state budgets are determined for five‑year periods. DADHC would not release its recent 2002‑07 numbers to The Bulletin. But if the same rate of assumed under-spending were projected into the next five years, the discrepancy would grow to at least $600m. Neither the AIHW, the Productivity Commission nor the NSW Ombudsman could cast any light on this anomaly, while the NSW Council of Social Services told The Bulletin it was almost impossible to confirm when and where disability funds were being spent, based on DADHC's public accounting methods.
ROUND WHEELS, BAD TRIP – SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (EXCERPT)
By Joseph Kerr (4/11/04)
A NSW Government inquiry has
found a shortage of wheelchair taxis, leaving users facing long delays - if
they come at all. The shortage of vehicles - there are 451 wheelchair cabs in
NSW, about 7 per cent of the total fleet - is despite Government incentives to
push the networks to provide such taxis among their fleets. Conventional taxi
plates can cost up to $440,000 in NSW, according to a report from the Ministry
of Transport's Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Taskforce, but wheelchair plates cost
only $1000 a year in lease fees to operate in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
A special booking system for wheelchair users is run by the taxi networks. But
some wheelchair taxi users complain it is unreliable, forcing them to make
private arrangements with taxi drivers they are comfortable with. "You
spend half your life sitting in a gutter somewhere waiting for a taxi to
come," says Ross Turner, the attendant care co-ordinator at the support
group ParaQuad. "I don't rely on [the booking service] to get me a
taxi." At the heart of the problem, according to many in the industry, is
money. "What we do know is that the drivers of wheelchair taxis aren't
making any money from wheelchair work," says Taxi Drivers Association
spokesman Michael Jools. To make money they often take able-bodied passengers,
including big party groups. The greatest problem, says Jools, is that drivers
often have to travel long distances to pick up a wheelchair passenger who has
booked over the phone, and they aren't making any money getting there. The
chairman of the task force, John Whelan, agrees that one of the causes of the
"paucity of supply" is that drivers aren't paid enough to take
wheelchair passengers. "It's clear we need incentives for drivers to do
this work," he says. The taskforce is considering imposing a levy on all
taxi trips to generate some extra money to fund improvements to the wheelchair
service. One solution is introducing a "universal" cab to Sydney that
would take anyone regardless of whether they were in a wheelchair or not.
"It's the simplest way ahead because you don't have to [have different]
plates. You get improved service for everybody, not just people in wheelchairs
but older people, young mums with prams. It has a better appeal,"
Whelan says.
NEW FERRY TERMINAL EXPECTED TO OPEN
BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Newcastle’s new $1.3 million ferry
terminal, providing access for disabled people is expected to open before
Christmas. The terminal is immediately to the west of the present Queens Wharf
site. A centrepiece of the project is a new twenty-five-metre-long by
nine-metre-wide steel pontoon. The pontoon, full of ballast water for better
stability will be connected to Queens Wharf by a 15 metre covered gangway. Work
began in July to upgrade the Newcastle ferry terminal after agitation from
Stockton residents who felt trapped and unable to use the convenient harbour
service. Recent wet weather has delayed the project, as trapped moisture during
painting can lead to corrosion. Disability access problems at Stockton were
solved after the opening of a $1.2 million terminal in December 2002. The cost
of the new terminal will be twice that of the original estimate, because the
more exposed Newcastle site presented a greater engineering challenge than
Stockton. [SOURCE: Mike Scanlon - Newcastle Herald 9/11/04]
SOME KIDS CAN’T LIVE AT HOME WITH THEIR MUM AND DAD
There are many children in our area who are in need
of a safe and secure home environment because they are unable to experience
this in their own homes. This may be due to abuse, neglect or family breakdown.
The NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS) is looking for people who can
provide crisis, short term, respite or long term care for these kids. We are
especially looking for foster carers for children who have disability
backgrounds and understanding of a child who has special needs and assistance
in their intellectual, sensory, physical and emotional lives. Children need
carers who can provide stability and can help them through the different and
sometimes challenging stages of their lives. You can be single, married, with
or without children of your own and from any cultural background. It is
important that you have experience with children. DoCS staff will work closely
with you and support you with ongoing training and allowances. For more
information contact Rob, Mariam or Cheryl on Tel: (02) 9245 1757.
CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING
Several companies and businesses have recently
contacted the Hunter Volunteer Centre wishing to participate in “employee
volunteering”. If your organisation has jobs or projects suitable for working
bee‑style ½ day to full day corporate volunteering days, then we would
like to hear from you. Projects can be several days in duration overall, but
must be able to be broken down into single‑day projects. These projects
need to be well planned out, reasonably straightforward and supervised as
required. They can include trade work, plumbing, electrical, building, etc.
Examples of interested businesses include: a company with 30 trades based
employees and a banking organisation with 3 employees. Other companies have
asked for information on the type of roles available. Please call Andy
Macdonald on Tel: (02) 4969 4577 if you have opportunities you would like to
discuss.
BOOK
REVIEW - SPECIAL FAMILIES SHARE THEIR STRUGGLES AND JOYS
“Lessons
from my child” by Cindy Dowling, Neil Nicoll and Bernadette Thomas. Finch
Publishing, 216pp, $24.95.
“It was very difficult to put this lovely, lovely book down. Co‑written by two mothers of disabled children and a psychologist, “Lessons from my child” is a collection of stories as told by parents from around the world of children with intellectual and physical disabilities. Life is never easy or simple for these families. The reality they experience and embrace is a demanding one. But while it may be an over‑simplification, the overwhelming emotion is love and it is this that carries them along the roller-coaster ride of their lives. For many people, one of the hardest stages of life with a disabled child is accepting the loss of their dreams for a healthy son or daughter. The grief is almost akin to losing a child completely, and “Lessons from my child” shares plenty of stories that raise this issue. But the moment of joy most of these parents experience when they are able to see the gift their child brings them is just as emotional and the stories sharing this are uplifting. This is a wonderful book for any parent, and it will certainly help parents of a child with a disability see they are not alone.” [SOURCE: Maryanne Church - Newcastle Herald 23/10/04.]
NB The Disability Infoline eNews passes on
information received and does not guarantee or endorse the services or events
publicised in its e-News. The Disability Infoline is a non-profit organisation
staffed by volunteers. Evadne Lewis (Editor), Mark Grierson (Coordinator),
Disability Advocacy Service Hunter (DASH) Inc. Suite 3 Level 1 408 King St,
Newcastle West, NSW 2302, Telephone (02) 4927 0111 or web: www.dash.org.au.