Submissions are now open from individuals and organisations to be involved in the development of the Australian Design Guidelines for Access and Inclusion in Residential Development. The Australian Human Rights Commission, in partnership with Churchill Research Fellow, Kim Samuel, and the Winston Churchill Trust, is preparing a research report on best-practice approaches to the delivery of inclusive and accessible housing. The resulting Guidelines will be “the first of its kind developed for the Australian policy and regulatory contexts, integrating, and building on existing minimum accessibil ..read more

Written by Tammy Milne – PDA’s TAS Director My own experience. In 2022, and as a result of a poorly constructed council footpath, I fell from my mobility scooter and landed on the road.  Fortunately this accident occurred outside a repatriation hospital, so I was quickly attended to by nursing staff from the hospital. An ambulance was promptly called and I was taken to the local public hospital, where I was diagnosed with a broken finger and bruised ribs.  Imagine how, as an able bodied person, you would cope with this sudden pain on your left side from bruised ribs and and sporting ..read more

Be involved in the design and implementation of the new model to ensure greater regulation of NDIS providers and workers by making a submission to the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce. Your involvement and contribution will help them to better understand NDIS participants’ thoughts around the NDIS Review’s proposed registration and enrolment model – including this revision’s ability to uphold the rights of people with disability. Submissions close 11:59pm 28 April 2024. For more information or to make a submission, go to: https://engage.dss.gov.au/ndis-provider-and-worker-regist ..read more

With so much news hitting us daily, keeping up to date with information and stories can seem overwhelming. Physical Disability Australia helps by bringing the news to you as it happens and in one location. If you haven’t already checked out our PDA Discussion Group Facebook page, we encourage you to visit, join our community and be kept informed on issues affecting Australia’s disability community. Be kept in the loop quickly, easily and now. Head across to https://www.facebook.com/groups/physicaldisabilityaustralia and make sure that you follow us. PDA has its finger on the pulse of Australia ..read more

On Wednesday 3rd April 2024, PDA’s Executive Officer, Simon Burchill, joined Radio 2ser Breakfast to discuss the Federal Government’s recently announced Public Transport Accessibility Standards. Hear him talk about these changes, whether they’ll have a positive impact, why the government is so late to meet the standards, and what we can do about it. https://2ser.com/public-transport-reforms-with-simon-burchill ..read more

I spoke with a friend who recently returned from an overseas holiday and, whilst he had a fantastic time away, many of his stories were peppered with the frustrations of travelling as a person living with disability. From packing, to organising travel and accommodation, finding accessible tours and things to do, how organised do you need to be to enjoy the holiday? Do you have any tips on how to make the most of your travel experiences? Do you organise everything yourself or do you have a go-to travel agent who does all the groundwork for you? What was your best holiday experience and what was ..read more

Did you know that Physical Disability Australia is a national peak Disability Peoples Organisation (DPO) that is run by people with physical disability for people with physical disability? PDA was established in 1995 and is one of a tiny handful of Australian disability organisations that actually has a footprint in every one of our country’s States and Territories – both in terms of representation and membership. Our organisation’s goal is to enable every Australian living with a physical disability to realise their full potential and we strive to achieve this by advocating to government, cre ..read more

If you missed PDA’s (or just want to watch it again) “When do you stop being nice?” presentation, you can now find it on our YouTube channel by going to: https://youtu.be/e15yQCDd6AY In this powerful presentation, the ways that we are impacted by the actions or views of others (whether well meaning or otherwise) are explored and we’re introduced to some valuable tools to use when being nice is not an option. Along with our PDA presenters, qualified counsellor Dorte Dyrbye will provide support, tips and resources to assist you in overcoming situations and people who need to understand that kind ..read more

Physical Disability Australia believes that knowledge is power and that everyone has a story to tell. Our posts highlight news and happenings that directly impact Australia‘s disability community and our blogs, presentations and webinars ensure that we are informed and that ideas and experiences are shared. Feedspot recently released its 35 Best Australian Disability Blogs and Websites and the PDA Team is absolutely wrapped that we were once again named in the Top 10 (https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_disability_blogs/). A big thank you to Feedspot for this recognition. With our incredible ..read more

Whilst Tom Cruise may have inadvertently shot himself in the foot when he told 60 Minutes’ Peter Overton to “put his manners back in”, these words from a 2005 interview have stuck with me and maybe shaped me a little. When someone is inappropriate, oversteps the mark or is blatantly rude or controlling, why do so many of us not confront them or let them know that they should put their manners back in? How can we bring about change, chisel at ableist attitudes, improve behaviours, and educate people on the errors of the ways in which they interact with those of us living with disabilities, if w ..read more