Council For Intellectual Disability

"It's important because we are now in 2018 and we need to have more inclusion for people to feel like they have a sense of belonging."

"Now that we’ve made some major advances in NSW, it’s time to turn our attention to Canberra and demand comprehensive action on the healthcare of people with intellectual disability". CID’s senior Advocate Jim Simpson has been awarded the Bob Davis award for his advocacy work in health at the Australian Association of Developmental Disability Medicine conference. Upon receiving the award, Jim said he will be continuing the fight, alongside people with intellectual disability, all the way to Canberra.✊

The NDIS has released three participant booklets to support people with disability throughout their NDIS journey. The booklets are a practical tool to help people with disability, participants, their families, carers and the wider community learn more about the NDIS, prepare for a planning meeting and to implement their plan. Download the booklets, including Easy English versions, here:

"I am constantly amazed by the resilience and humour of people with disability, their family and advocates, even when they are calling during difficult times".
Are you looking for information on disability services and the NDIS, but don’t know where to start? CID's reliable, trustworthy and easy to understand Info Service can help you. Find out more in our blog or call us on 1800 424 065.

Angus is a popular personality in his home town of Broken Hill. He gets out and about in the community, recently finished a first aid course and is now going to TAFE to practise reading and writing.

It's been a great six weeks with this enthusiastic group of job seekers from Disability Services Australia in Bankstown. They have been doing CID’s Become A Leader course to gain the confidence and skills to speak up, set goals and find a meaningful job.

We have created a flowchart to assist GPs and health professionals determine the eligibility of their patients for the NDIS. Included on the rear of the flowchart is further information on the National Disability Insurance Agency and the NDIS application process. If you are a health professional or know someone who is, let them know that this fantastic resource is available: https://bit.ly/2wimS4J

What is it like to be deaf and blind?
Members of the Hunter Deafblind peer group share their stories.

No one should be made to feel “belittled and laughed at”. We need to see an accepting and aware society that treats all people with respect.

How can we improve the mental health of people with intellectual disability? Key recommendations have just been released by a group of experts that has been working on the issue since 2013.

“I wanted to continue in the family tradition of working in the book trade.”
Ben has worked at a book shop for 3 years and shares his story as part of our My Work Matters series.
My Work Matters shows the strengths and contribution people with disability bring to their workplace with the right support.

New research shows almost half of the poorer mental health we see in teenagers with a disability is due to bullying.
"If we could stop the high levels of bullying that adolescents with a disability experience, we could make a big difference to their health, learning and wellbeing.
So school anti-bullying programs need to acknowledge the link between having a disability, being bullied and poorer mental health".

"We need to remove the barriers that stop disabled people from participating in society fully on an equal basis with everyone else".

"People often stare at me. I have built a bit of a wall so I don’t always notice it. Don’t stare at me. Talk to me instead. Find out who I am."
Jack and his peers were thinking about what makes them feel accepted, and they came up with five things, which they called the Inclusion High 5. Jack shares one of the High 5's with us - Being Open and Respectful To All.

Make sure you get along to one of our two Sydney workshops this month: Mount Druitt 23 August or Newtown 27 August. The workshops are for people with disability, their families and carers, and aim to help you: • Understand your NDIS plan • Practise setting goals and speaking up • provide take home tools to prepare for a good life

"CID believes it is very important for every person with intellectual disability to be supported to make their own decision about whether they want a My Health Record."
Every Australian needs to decide by 15 October whether they want to have a My Health Record. Jim Simpson, our Senior Advocate, explains what you need to know.

"Far too often, the narrative around autism focuses on deficits. When you flip that narrative, and provide the right support, there is no limit to what autistic young people can create!"
A mother of a child with autism writes about how her daughter has grown from her involvement in a Team Up project in which she learnt the computer game Minecraft, then taught her peers how to play the game.
"Something truly magical happens when you put autistic kids in an environment where th...ey feel safe, accepted and free to dive deeply into an area of shared passion."
"It has been a beautiful experience from start to finish."
Read her blog on the Team Up website.
Team Up is a project of Council for Intellectual Disability, Community Disability Alliance Hunter, and Diversity & Disability Alliance.
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"We should make sure that more people with disability get a chance to speak at [Parliamentary] hearings. That way politicians can hear directly from the people who are affected by government decisions."
CID recently went to an Australian Parliamentary hearing on how the NDIS can be improved.
We asked Alanna Julian how the meeting went.