Disability, Human Rights & Social Equity

This week in Melbourne is the inaugural Disability, Human Rights and Social Equity Conference.

The hosts are the Social Equity Institute, which is part of the University of Melbourne.

Check out the program. It makes incredible reading. There is such a diverse range of issues to hear about.

The Plenary sessions are:

Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Disability Advisor in the Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice of the World Bank Group. Disability rights a trigger for social equity

and

Emeritus Professor Ron McCallum AO, University of Sydney, former Chair, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Monitoring Committee: A Domestic and International Analysis

 and

Professor Mary Crock, Professor of Public Law, University of Sydney
Making Every Life Count: International Law and the Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Displacement

And that is just the start.

There are various streams and topics to keep the conversation going, including 

Conflict, Violence and the Right to Safety

Mental Health

Language, Literacy and Behaviour

Governance and Service Provision

Acquired Brain Injury & Supported Decision Making

NDIS

Creative Arts

Health

Financial Issues

Criminal Justice

I have the privilege of having my poster accepted for the conference. I look forward to catching up with familiar and new faces. Later, I will share some of the amazing thoughts, ideas and discussion from the conference here.

The Twitter handle for the conference is #socialequity16

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Access Easy English

Consultant – Speech Pathologist
Telephone: 0466 579 855
Email: cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

Website: www.accesseasyenglish.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accesseasyenglish (our recent projects)

Twitter: @accesseasyengli 

2016 census and impact for people with low literacy

Recently it was announced the 2016 Australian census will be going ahead.

But it will be online.

In the attached information, it is acknowledged that there will be some people who will not want to do it on line, but they expect over 2/3 of all households to use the online version.

It is difficult to see how these numbers/data add up, when the ABS(1) has data that tells us that 44% of the adult population has non functional literacy. Of more concern is that the same research in 2013 also identified 63% of the adult population has non functional technology based problem solving literacy (that means using the computer to access information and interpret meaning). Of that number over 12% were unable to participate in this part of the research, as they were unable to access the basic requirements if using a computer, and only

A number of yrs ago research identified significant proportions of people can access computers, but mostly it is social media. (2) This data was focused on young people 'so called first generation computer users.' ACMA (3) research from 2010 identified people over 55 are over-represented in the non-functional users of computers and technology group. Remember too, this data was collected from people who do identify as literate.

Are the silent non-functionally literate in our community going to be able to be properly included in the census data collection.  These are the people who demographers and planners do need to know about.

So who are these people?

Can you identify them in your community also. Here are some examples.

1. Retired man, highly literate, who left the workforce over 20 yrs ago. Has access to a computer but only uses the internet for emails

2. Married woman with mild intellectual disability. Uses a mobile phone to contact her husband (using voice) they do not own a computer

3. Elderly country lady. Does not own a computer

4. Woman with mild intellectual disability. Lives on her own. Does not own a computer. Uses a mobile phone for conversation (but not text)

5. Woman who owns a computer can use it for a variety of word and document based tasks. Does not have access to the internet.

6. Clients in a CRU. There is a computer in the staff room, but no one who lives in the CRU accesses the computer or internet.

7. People who live in a CRS. Do not have access to a computer or the internet. May be able to access at their local library, but will they be able to read the information, without support?

8. People who have English as a second language.

Anyone who does not regularly access a computer has additional vulnerabilities around completing forms, and security and "what if I put in the wrong thing , by accident"

May be 2/3 of households do have the skills to do something online.... but do they have the confidence to do this task online?

Let the census data collection agency know your concerns for people you know, or people you support. Only then will change happen. Ask them to make sure an Easy English version of the census is available. We need everyone to be included and participate. It is a Right.

Cathy Basterfield

Access Easy English

0466 579 855

cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

References

(1) ABS (2013) Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)

ACMA (2006)   Australia in the Digital Economy Participation

Norman and Skinner (2006)   eHealth Literacy: Essential Skills for Consumer Health in a Networked World

The importance of Social Connections - Speech Pathology Conference 2014.

This week has been the Australian Speech Pathology Conference in Melbourne. I attended 1 day of the conference, and have come away with some great insights across the breadth of Speech Pathology practice.

Of particular note was the Keynote Speaker, Associate Professor Jacinta Douglas, who presented the Elizabeth Usher Memorial Lecture. The title of her address was

"Placing therapy in the context of the self and social connection."

Associate Professor Douglas works in a rehabilitation setting primarily. However her research has wide reaching implications for all Speech Pathologists. In particular, anyone working in a Human Rights framework and Social Inclusion and Social Justice for all.

She identified Social Connections as being paramount to ones needs in returning to the community after an Acquired Brain Injury. This is just as critical in working with any individual with communication needs.

Social Connections and social relationships also have significant power and make a difference in

·         Health mortality;

·         Emotional well being;

·         Self identity.

She noted – “even 1 really good relationship makes a difference. 

In her research she asked people who had more successfully re-integrated into the community after their Acquired Brain Injury,  how do you get Social Connections?

There were 6 critical elements identified

·         family  - which may lead to other connections;

·         friends;

·         paid carers - these do have boundaries. But also don't devalue these, particularly if you are unable to replace them with any other connections;

·         pets;

·         social snacks – these are tangible reminders of what we have done. They could be photos or awards or objects of significance;

·         self narrative - in particular, for those who have their literacy skills, in this climate of technology, the use of Facebook, online groups, blogs or their own websites.

These 6 elements can be seen as being as highly relevant to all members of our community.

Now, think about the people in your world - how socially connected are they?

How can social connectedness be developed, to improve the persons sense of well being?

Talk to Cathy about how you can use Social Connections to improve communication and well being for the people you support in the community.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Speech Pathologist

Access Easy English

0466 579 855

cathy@acesseasyenglish.com.au

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

Equality before the law. Comment from the UN

A recent comment and interpretation of Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, 2006 helps dispel some myths for individuals in their own countries and how the law is applied, is now available.

Article 12 is Equal Recognition before the Law.

In this recent interpretation, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities highlights the importance of supported decision making.

In fact it goes further and states that supported decision making, and access to information to assist the person make a decision is paramount to the interpretation of Article 12.

It states:-

"Supported decision-making must be available to all. A person’s level of support needs (especially where these are high) should not be a barrier to obtaining support in decision-making;

(b)          All forms of support in the exercise of legal capacity (including more intensive forms of support) must be based on the will and preference of the person, not on what is perceived as being in his or her objective best interests;

(c)          A person’s mode of communication must not be a barrier to obtaining support in decision-making, even where this communication is non-conventional, or understood by very few people;

(d)        Legal recognition of the support person(s) formally chosen by a person must be available and accessible, and the State has an obligation to facilitate the creation of support, particularly for people who are isolated and may not have access to naturally occurring supports in the community."   Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Eleventh session, 31 March –11 April 2014, General comment No 1 (2014)

                       

The document from the committee also goes through many of the other articles of the convention and how these relate to the interpretation of Article 12.

Read the article from Disability Scoop and the embedded link for further details.

 To assist supported decision making for people with low literacy, access to written information the person can understand is paramount. 

Talk to Cathy about how to meet your obligations for access to written information.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield.

0466 579 855.

cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

Presentations from PLAIN conference, 2013

With just over 2 weeks since the PLAIN conference in Vancouver, presentations are starting to come available on the internet.

The paper I presented in partnership with Mark Starford, from The Board Centre,(US) has been uploaded for your viewing.  Our paper Plain Language for Democracy and Citizenship is available at  http://www.slideshare.net/plain2013

You can contact me with any questions, or requests for resources or references mentioned in the presentation.

Cathy
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855