Selina Gerner’s Post

I’ve always found disability simulation training activities concerning. Simulation activities are usually conducted with good intentions, to give people insight into life as a disabled person. However, there are too many negative consequences of simulation such as, reinforcing deficit-based perceptions of disability and provoking fear and pity toward disability. I therefore, in my PhD set out to consider a different way of providing experiential learning opportunities. I wanted to find out how to convey the reality of disability from a social model perspective, without the negative consequences on disabled people. I therefore reproduced social barriers experienced by disabled people, creating role reversal experiences. I wanted to discoverh how to improve outcomes of disability awareness-type training, enabling genuine change and action. Please come along to my first post-PhD seminar presenting the findings of my research study exploring the influence of role reversal activities on disability inclusive planning and practice. This study was carried out in a local government organisation. NSW Office of Local Government NSW Department of Communities and Justice Disability Council NSW Local Government NSW #Disability #DisabilityInclusion #ActionResearch #LocalGovernment #DisabilityActionPlans #DEI #Equity #Inclusion #WorkplaceLearning #WorkforceCapability #SocialModelOfDisability #experientialLearning #DisabilitySimulation

Did you know that in 2023, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed a bill that establishes July as Disability Pride Month? Our latest blog discusses the history of this month https://lnkd.in/eWVHS28c 

Day 1 at the National Disability Services Executive Leaders Conference! Today, I had the privilege of attending this confernce to hear the findings from the latest NDS State of the Sector Report 📊. The data paints a challenging picture: Only 30% of providers made a profit in FY24 💸 Just 27% expect profitability in FY25 🧮 Over 20% of providers are considering exiting the sector due to financial sustainability concerns ⚠️ These figures underscore the immense challenges in the disability services sector, particularly with uncertainty around future pricing models and the reform journey ahead. But it’s not all grim! 🌟 Nearly 100% of providers see opportunities to improve procedures ✅ Close to 90% are planning to grow their client base 🚀 Hearing from Michael Perusco, the new CEO of NDS, and Louise Glanville, the new Commissioner of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, was reassuring. Their commitment to stabilising the sector offers hope for providers continuing to achieving quality care outcomes for participants 🙌. It’s clear there’s a long road ahead, but hearing from those who disability services has made the world of difference today reminds me why this work matters 💙. Looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow

Peter Bacon FIEP, CEO of Disability Employment Australia (DEA), kicked off the pre-conference workshops with an insightful discussion on the policy landscape. He emphasised key messages from the Disability Royal Commission, Australia’s Disability Strategy, the NDIS Review, and the Employment Whitepaper. Peter urged DES providers to reflect on several critical questions: ✅Are people with disabilities at the heart of your governance and decision-making structures? ✅Have you co-designed models with people with disability that are flexible, person-centric, and strength-based? ✅How have you trained your staff? ✅What is your plan to attract participants, including new groups? ✅How have you integrated DES and NDIS, and what has worked well? ✅Do you have evidence of supporting employers to be more inclusive? He cautioned against using a delivery model that closely resembles mainstream employment services. Peter stressed that having a well-evidenced delivery model, co-designed with people with disability, is crucial for securing new contracts. 👉Stay up-to-date with insights from the ‘Ready for Reform’ conference on our LinkedIn page and follow live updates on X/Twitter. https://x.com/prospert_au  

This submission to the review of the Australian Disability Strategy (ADS) supports the intent and actions of the Strategy. However, it argues that there is room for improvement to ensure better outcomes and effectively address the inequities and discrimination faced by children and young people with disability. This submission highlights four key recommendations to improve the delivery of the ADS: 1. Amplify the voices of children and young people with disability. 2. Drive transformational change in inclusive education and early intervention. 3. Embed accountability measures. 4. Prioritise cross-government collaboration. The submission calls on all involved to ensure this review results in renewed commitment from all levels of government, greater investment in data gathering, sharing, and reporting, and better accountability and transparency. 

Are disability benefits at a crossroad? In a recent green paper, proposals for cutting Personal Independence Payment (PIP) have surfaced, raising critical discussions about the future of disability support in the UK. The plans underline the need to review current systems, yet they spark a larger conversation around the adequacy of benefits for those with disabilities. While reform can be a gateway to efficiency, we must ask: at what cost? A cut on paper could translate to a cut in life quality for many. As someone deeply invested in advocating for fair social policies, I believe it's paramount that we engage in these dialogues openly. It's not just about the here and now; it's about shaping a compassionate, inclusive society. What's your take on the proposals? How do we balance the budget without compromising on our duty of care? Let's share knowledge and perspectives. #DisabilityRights #SocialPolicy #Inclusion

There are an estimated 2.1 million Australians of working age who have a disability but only 48% of those are employed. At KPMG we believe empowering people with disability means removing barriers and creating a culture for everyone to thrive. Today, we are incredibly proud to launch our second Action and Inclusion plan. Developed in collaboration with the Australian Disability Network and drawing on internal feedback, our three-year plan is an evolution of the work started in our first plan and accelerates the removal of barriers impacting our people with disability. The new plan will focus our work on uplifting the career development of people with disability, improving the accessibility of our end-to-end recruitment processes, and is a multi-year approach to enhancing the accessibility of our technology and deepening our relationships with clients to progress disability inclusion across corporate Australia. We asked a few of our people to share their journey as our people with disability at KPMG and what this new plan means to them, you can read their full stories in our plan.

What inequities do disabled people face? Share your thoughts! We encourage everyone in the disability community to respond to the Request for Information (RFI), from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which seeks input to help steer the development of the Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity. OSTP is asking the public for feedback to understand the full scope of inequities faced by disabled people and the gaps in our current knowledge. Ultimately, the agenda will support the government in making data-informed policy decisions to advance equity in all areas—including health, employment, education, and other areas—for people with disabilities. You may submit comments until July 15, 2024.   Learn more and submit your comments: https://lnkd.in/gKEe2Age

This post on Instagram today excited me until I read that the advisory group will be made up of and I quote: ‘Representatives of the disability sector and experts in children’s development and disability’. Firstly I want to say I absolutely value professional experience, as a mother of a child with a disability I can’t speak highly enough of people who work in the sector and expert specialists progressing research and improving outcomes for children. However, the concern here is that (correct me if I’m wrong) there isn’t children (who are now adults) who are in this advisory group. Nothing about our children without them! Can we please include and amplify children’s voices in every space that impacts them directly. Far too long systems have been designed that don’t work for children because of their exclusion in critical consultation phases such as this. Bill Shorten the best experts in disability and experiencing NDIS are people living with disability everyday, collaboration will ensure the NDIS will work for everyone.

What Inequities Do Disabled People Face? Share Your Thoughts! We encourage everyone in the disability community to respond to the request for information, or RFI, from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which seeks input to help steer the development of the Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is asking the public for feedback to understand the full scope of inequities faced by disabled people and the gaps in our current knowledge. Ultimately, the agenda will support the government in making data-informed policy decisions to advance equity in all areas—including health, employment, education and others—for people with disabilities. You may submit comments until July 15, 2024. Learn more and submit your comments at https://bit.ly/3yQg1CD