ADACAS - ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service

Employment in the Park The ADACAS Team had a fantastic time yesterday at Employment in the Park in Margaret Timpson Park, Belconnen! 🌳❄️ It was great to connect with other providers and NDIS participants, even in the chilly winds. We all enjoyed the activities, a delicious BBQ, and learned some new skills, like how to patch a wall, thanks to Gregory Lackey and the team at #Programmed. Alongside our advocacy work, did you know ADACAS also supports local ACT businesses in developing inclusive workplaces, building disability confidence, and erasing myths and uncertainty when employing a person with a disability? If you’d like to learn more, reach out to us at adacas.org.au/employer! A huge shoutout to the Disability Employment Providers who made the event a success – OCTEC, MAX, atWork Australia Canberra, and the ACT LAC Team from Feros Care. The ADACAS Employer Confidence Program is a Federally Funded Commonwealth Program #ADACAS #advocacy #EmployerConfidenceProgram #NDIS #DisabilityEmployment #EmploymentInThePark #CommunitySupport #Belconnen #cbr #FederalGovernment

Great opportunity to join us at ADACAS

Check out the current vacancy in our NSW Team https://lnkd.in/gh2yiThX

Join our Ally Week to show your support for increased funding for independent advocacy. The lack of additional advocacy funding in the Budget has left many advocacy organisations making hard decisions to limit their supports to the most urgent matters, close valued programs, and let go of skilled staff. That’s why, as we approach critical government decisions, our team is supporting Ally Week. We are asking our colleagues and supporters to help address this urgent crisis. Let's stand together and advocate for the necessary funding to ensure continuous support for those in need. Your voice matters! #AdvocacyCrisis #AllyWeek #SupportAdvocacy #FundAdvocacy #StandTogether #CommunitySupport #ADACAS @jim4rankin @AmandaRishworth @BillShorten

ADACAS Staff Attend the "Turn Up The Volume 2024" Elder Abuse Conference Last week, some of our ADACAS staff had the opportunity to attend the "Turn Up The Volume 2024" Elder Abuse Conference virtually from Adelaide. The conference was a collaborative effort between Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA) and the Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS). Highlights from the Conference The conference featured a range of guest speakers who shed light on the uncomfortable truths about elder abuse and neglect. For too long, the mistreatment of older Australians has been allowed to worsen without substantive and cooperative efforts to generate change. With the number of older Australians expected to double in the next 25 years to around 9 million people, it’s never been more important to: Repudiate ageism Uphold the principles of equality Confront our nation’s shame regarding elder abuse Our Commitment at ADACAS At ADACAS, we are committed to supporting older persons and addressing elder abuse. Our services are designed to provide advocacy, support, and guidance to those who need it most. Find Out More To learn more about how ADACAS supports older persons and combats elder abuse, visit our Elder Abuse - https://lnkd.in/g55vavx4 If you wish to make a referral to ADACAS, please visit our Make a referral - https://lnkd.in/gWksQ9ey #ADACAS #ElderAbuse #TurnUpTheVolume2024 #EAAA #ARAS #Advocacy #SupportOlderAustralians #EndElderAbuse #Equality #Ageism

Thanks to Allison Salmon from The Centre for Impact and Change for presenting to the #ADACAS staff today. It was great to learn about the importance of measuring the impact our efforts against our objectives of those we are serving. "At its heart, impact measurement helps your organisation understand and then communicate what is driving change". #ADACAS is looking forward to continuing to work with Allison and her team. To find out more about how Alison and The Centre for Impact and Change can support your organistaion visit https://lnkd.in/gMATaMwg #ADACAS #Advocacy #Change #socialimpact #Community #canberra

Celebrating Disability Pride Month with #ADACAS Disability Pride Month is a time to champion and celebrate individuals with disabilities. This month is crucial for taking pride in who we are, and not being undermined by ableism and ignorance. It's a time to address issues related to education, employment, and the uninformed comments that many people with disabilities face. Why Disability Pride Month Matters Disability Pride Month, observed every July, aims to raise awareness about people with disabilities and celebrate their unique identities. The event was created to commemorate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990 in the USA, which made discrimination against people with disabilities illegal. The Disability Pride Flag The Disability Pride Month has its own flag, each colour representing a different aspect of the disability community: Green: Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities Blue: Mental illness White: Sensory disabilities Yellow: Neurodiversity and developmental disabilities Red: Physical disabilities The diagonal line symbolizes cutting through barriers faced by people with disabilities, contrasting with straight lines that keep the community isolated. The black background honours those who have died due to ableism, violence, negligence, suicide, illness, and other reasons. Our Commitment at ADACAS At #ADACAS, we advocate for the rights of all people with disabilities. We provide Disability and Mental Ill Health advocacy services that are trauma-informed and culturally safe, addressing the growing demand and complexity of cases. Last year alone, we supported our community with over 6,000 hours of advocacy. Programs and Support In addition to our advocacy services, we support our communities through: The Disability Employer Confidence Program, where we support local ACT businesses to grow their confidence to hire, support and retain staff with a disability. Supported Decision Making for younger people in the ACT, has been running in selected ACT schools where we have support younger Canberrans to make informed decisions who traditionally have not had the capacity to do so. We are committed to promoting self-determination and look forward to supporting more members of the community who identify as having a disability or mental ill health. We listen to their concerns and provide the support needed to benefit from our services. To find out more how we can support you, visit www.adacas.org.au to find out how we can help you! #DisabilityPrideMonth #ADACAS #Advocacy #DisabilityRights #CommunitySupport #MentalHealthAdvocacy

Try A Trade Day Success with ADACAS and Programmed! In collaboration with #Programmed, the #ADACAS Employer Confidence Program kicked off its first Try-A-Trade Day last week at Hume. Our clients, along with participants from #PCYC, took on various tasks from mowing and brush cutting to leaf blowing, painting, and concrete cleaning. The program covered a myriad of garden maintenance aspects, giving everyone a chance to get hands-on experience. On day two, the focus shifted to planting small vegetation and putting the final touches on the foyer's paintwork. Beyond honing practical skills, this initiative nurtures unity and instils a strong sense of safety awareness among participants. It serves as a pathway for individuals to delve into their passions and explore potential career avenues. After lunch on day two, participants were rewarded with a graduation ceremony where they received well-deserved certificates. These certificates not only acknowledge their remarkable contributions but also empower them to proudly showcase their accomplishments to others. Special thanks to #JessRidley, Field Operations Manager ACT #MEGT, and Maryanne from #MEGT for supporting this initiative with a brief overview of #apprenticeships and further training in the ACT. #ADACAS #EmployerConfidenceProgram #TryATradeDay #GardenMaintenance #SkillsDevelopment #CommunitySupport #CareerPathways #ACT #Hume #PCYC #MEGT #Programmed #Employforability #AtWork #SkillsACT #ChrisSteele #ACTGovernment #DSS #ILC #EmployforAbility #AtWorkAustralia

#ADACAS would like to give a big shout-out and thanks to ACT Education and Jake Naylor, Director, Inclusive Educaton ACT Education for inviting our Disability Employment Program Officer, #KarenWeir to present at the ACT Inclusive Education's Student Voice Forum at Shirley Smith High School in Kenny, ACT on Wednesday. Karen shared her experiences over many years of engaging with Young People in the Disability Employment sector and the numerous examples of where she has heard first-hand the bad experiences they have had at school. This includes students being teased by other students about their disability or the challenges faced by teachers trying to accommodate students' complexities with their disabilities. Karen concluded her talk by emphasizing the importance of ongoing commitment and engagement around disability in our education system: "School shapes us for life, and if we have bad experiences at school, this will affect us in our futures. Today is a unique opportunity to start to improve your experiences and those of the students who follow you." Today's forum, "People," was the first of three upcoming forums for ACT school students. This will be followed by Forum 2, "Practice," in August and Forum 3, "Place," in December. The Strategy Action for today's forum was: Children and young people with disability (+ Allies) have a say in inclusive education reform, and their insights are used to inform quality improvements. This strategy was achieved by young people participating in five activities: 1. Getting to Know Each Other 2. Who am I - Identifying, recording, and sharing personal strengths 3. Inclusive Education - Developing, recording, and sharing personal definitions 4. Safe and Connected - Identifying the aspects of an inclusive school 5. Taking Action - Sharing and gathering insights Thank you again to ACT Education for this opportunity to engage with and support the voices of young people in shaping inclusive education! To find out more about ACT Educations disability inclusion strategy. https://lnkd.in/gfF33A7M #ACTInclusiveEducation #StudentVoiceForum #InclusiveEducation #ADACAS #Advocacy #YouthEmpowerment #InclusiveSchools #EducationReform

Thanks to the Team at atWork Australia in ACT! The #ADACAS team had the pleasure of attending the "All Inclusive First Steps to Success" event hosted by #atWorkAustralia at the Lake View Room, Communities @ Work, 245 Cowlishaw Street, Greenway ACT. This event aimed to foster increased collaboration between NDIS providers, Local Area Coordinators (LACs), and atWork Australia, a leading Disability Employment Services (DES) provider. It was fantastic to be part of an initiative that created a one-stop shop for providing comprehensive information about available supports and local employment opportunities for NDIS participants with current or future work aspirations. We had the opportunity to support participants with valuable information from NDIS providers and LACs, while also gaining insights into local labour market trends and available services. Thank you to everyone involved for making this event a success! #NDIS #EmploymentSupport #CommunityEvent #atWorkAustralia #DisabilityServices #LocalEmployment #GreenwayACT #communitiesatwork