My Choice Expo and Easy English resources

Thanks to the many people who came and chatted to me during the day at the My Choice Expo run by VALID www.valid.org.au

It was great to see so much interest in Easy English, where to find current resources, and also how to begin to implement within organisations.

I had a Powerpoint of some national and international resources . Links to some of the more talked about ones are below. If I have missed something you wanted a link to, let me know.

1. Office of the Public Advocate, Victoria                                                               www.publicadvocate.vic.gov.au/publications/431/

2. Change People, UK       
   www.changepeople.org/buy-our-resources/
   and their free resources     
    www.changepeople.org/free-resources/

3. Special Girls Business and Special Boys Business, South Australia        www.secretgb.com/products

4. Books without Words, UK   
www.booksbeyondwords.co.uk/sites/default/files/bw2013Catalogue_web.pdf

5. Feeling Safe, Being Safe US        
www.brcenter.org/lib/lib_pdf/SP_IN_FSBS_Worksheet_EN.pdf  
and
www.brcenter.org/lib/lib_pdf/SP_IN_FSBS_Magnet_EN.pdf

Cathy
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
www.accesseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855

Having a Say conference and Our Choice Expo

Early next month, 5 - 7 February 2014, VALID will be running their annual Having a Say, 2014 conference. http://www.valid.org.au/conference/default.htm The conference is held in Geelong, Victoria. If you have never attended this conference before, it is a fantastic conference for consumers and professional alike, with many "Come and Try” sessions and also many presentations by people with disabilities.  Check out the program.  The preliminary program is available on line at the VALID website at the moment http://www.valid.org.au/conference/pre_program.pdf .

I am presenting a paper on Thursday 6th February in the afternoon on

“Why information on services must be in Easy English"  

It will also be an opportunity to hear about the International Communication Project 2014, which Speech Pathology Australia www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au is coordinating at an Australian level.  You can find out how you can participate and increase awareness of the needs of people who have difficulty communicating, including your own communication needs.

On the last day of the conference,  VALID are also running an “Our Choice EXPO” on Friday 7 February 2014, at The Pier, Geelong. The “Our Choice Expo” will focus on providing people with information on what is available and possible, through the National Disability Insurance Scheme & National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). The Expo runs from 11am -7pm with free entry. http://valid.org.au/

 

 I will have a stand at the Expo, and would love to meet some of you there. Access Easy English is registered with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). http://www.ndis.gov.au/

Cathy 

Cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

0466 579 855

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

National Disability Insurance Agency

With the change of our Federal Government in 2013, DisabilityCare Australia has been renamed the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) http://www.ndis.gov.au/

It is the new national disability insurance scheme in Australia, and has been running test sites in various areas in Australia.

The test sites are raising some significant and important issues for clients and families attempting to access services.

In addition professionals, and specialist therapists are finding there are many and varied hurdles and issues in the implementation of the NDIA.

At the recent Heads of Government meeting in Canberra, the NDIA was discussed. Premiers need to formally report back to the Federal Government at their next meeting in February.  Our professional associations, support networks, and advocacy groups need to be letting their MP’s and the government know what the first 6 months have been like.  What are the positive changes and what are the negative changes?

Cathy is a registered provider for the National Disability Insurance Agency. 

Ask your case planner about how to use the services of Access Easy English.

Cathy has specialist skills, knowledge and expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, both aided and unaided communication, Behaviours of Concern, Easy English, and other areas.  Cathy can provide assessment, implementation and training support.

Cathy Basterfield

 cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au 

0466 579 855

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au