Media Room

Check out our free fact sheet, and more information about the switchover to digital TV, available at http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php?q=switchover-digital-tv

Take advantage of early bird rates, available until 12 February.

Come along to hear John Howard, Bill Shorten, Senator Rachel Siewert, Graeme Innes and many more.

Go to http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php?q=national-deafness-sector-summit for program of speakers and registration form.

Hope to see you in Sydney on 23-24 April 2010 at the Grace Hotel, York St, Sydney.

Applications are now open for the 2010 Deafness Forum Educational Scholarship (close 12 Feb)

Please see http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php?q=educational-scholarships for application form and details.

If you have any questions, contact our office.

Nicole Lawder, CEO of Deafness Forum and member of National People with Disabilities and Carer Council, with Damien Hale MP and Senator Mark Arbib at the National Disability Awards, 23 November 2009

Announcement from PRIME MINISTER, MINISTER FOR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, ASSISTANT TREASURER, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR DISABILITIES AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES 23 November 2009

The Productivity Commission will investigate the feasibility of new approaches for funding and delivering long-term disability care and support.

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced the inquiry at the National Disability Awards ceremony in Parliament House.

The inquiry forms part of the Australian Government’s ten year National Disability Strategy being developed with State and Territory Governments and in consultation with the National People with Disabilities and Carer Council.

The Productivity Commission inquiry will examine the feasibility, costs and benefits of replacing the current system of disability services with a new approach which provides long-term essential care and support for people with severe or profound disabilities however acquired.

The inquiry will examine a range of options for long-term care and support including consideration of whether a no-fault social insurance approach to disability is appropriate in Australia. It will also examine if a scheme would fit with Australia’s health, aged care, income support and injury insurance systems.

These are complex issues that require rigorous analysis, design and costing. The feasibility
study will assess whether a long-term care and support scheme would be appropriate, practical and economically responsible in the Australian context.

The Productivity Commission will consult widely and will be assisted by an associate commissioner with specialist disability expertise. An independent panel of experts will also be established to advise the Productivity Commission and Government during the Inquiry. The Australian Government will appoint the associate commissioner and the independent panel of experts shortly.

The Productivity Commission will report to Government in July 2011.

Figures released last week by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed that around 2.3 million Australians will have a high level of disability by 2030.

This inquiry is an opportunity to rethink how we support people with disabilities so that they can engage with their community, get a job where possible, and live a happy and meaningful life.

The Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments have adopted a bold vision for the National Disability Strategy - an inclusive Australian society that enables people with
disability to fulfil their potential as equal citizens. We need to harness support across all levels of government to make a difference.

That’s why the Commonwealth is also proposing that the strategy be developed through the
Council of Australian Governments.

This long-term agenda comes on top of an historic increase to Disability Support Pension and
Carer Payment recipients of $70.83 per fortnight for single pensioners on the maximum rate and $29.93 per fortnight for couple pensioners combined on the maximum rate.

The Government has also allocated substantial new funding under the new National Disability
Agreement, with more than $5 billion in funding over five years to the states for specialist disability services, including supported accommodation, respite and in-home care.

This includes the highest ever level of indexation and means that in 2013 the Australian
Government’s contribution will exceed $1.2 billion, compared to $620 million in 2007 under the previous government.

YouTube's parent company Google has announced on its blog that automatic captions are to begin to roll out across the site.

The machine-generated captions will initially be generated in English.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8369941.stm

1 November 2009

More needs to be done to prevent and treat otitis media (otherwise known as middle ear inflammation), which is a major health problem in Indigenous communities and can lead to permanent hearing loss, according to the editor of a supplement on the condition published in the 2 November
2009 issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

See http://www.ama.com.au/node/5081

November 2009 One in Six e-news available now at http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php?q=newsletter-archive

At the recent Annual General Meeting in Brisbane on 30 October 2009, Deafness Forum welcomed a new Parent representative onto its Board of Directors.

Ms Naomi Higgs of South Australia is the new Board member, replacing Ms Sarah Livingstone, who retired from the Board after 5 years of service. We welcome Naomi and look forward to working with her.  With thanks to Sarah for her commitment and dedication and wishing her all the best in her future endeavours.

For full list of Board members or more information see http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php?q=current-board-and-staff

The Senate Community Affairs Committee has already held hearings in Canberra (12 October 2009) and Sydney (13 October 2009) and more hearings have now been scheduled.

Hearings are scheduled for

• Sydney 11 November
• Brisbane 7 December 
• Melbourne 8 December 2009
• Perth 9 December 2009

You can read transcripts of those who attended so far at http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/clac_ctte/hearing_health/hearings/index.htm

Contact the Committee secretariat on community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au if you have any questions or phone the committee secretariat on 02 6277 3515.

It is pleasing to see that more submissions have been made to the Inquiry (around 140 so far) so please send your comments in to the Committee if you have not already done so. 

If you have any questions about how you should make a submission, or what is involved in appearing at the hearings, please let us know and we can help. 

On Friday 16 October 2009, Deafness Forum Ambassador the Hon John Howard AC launched the trial of web Captel in Australia.

See ACE media release here

See also http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2009/s2716082.htm

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/howard-reveals-lifelong-hearing-problems-20091016-h04y.html

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/876487/howard-reveals-lifelong-hearing-problems