The Disability Trust’s Post

After participating in a workshop organized by several groups including Time2Shine Healthy Cornwall, Cornwall Down's Syndrome Support Group - CDSSG Talk more Cornwall CIC, Disability Cornwall & I0S The National Down Syndrome Policy Group, I am delighted to witness a broader segment of our community engaging in politics. Positive changes are being made in voting processes to better accommodate individuals with disabilities. Electoral officers are now trained to assist disabled voters, and friends or caregivers can accompany them to the Polling Station. Planning is crucial if reaching the polling station is challenging; allow ample time and remember to bring your polling card. Various forms of identification are accepted for collecting your voting slip. It is disheartening to hear about the difficulties faced by our communities with disabilities due to council cutbacks and the strain on family members providing around-the-clock care. I empathize with the stress they endure and wish I could offer more support, but for now, I am here to listen. The eagerness of individuals with disabilities to engage in politics is truly inspiring, especially in a climate where apathy is prevalent. Those who are most vulnerable in society are advocating for change to enhance their quality of life. https://lnkd.in/eaPh8a9e

Just published, my recent report showing that Needs Assessment and Service Coordination providers (NASCs) have been chronically underfunded for disability services, with recent uplifts barely covering the effects of inflation, and failing to account for the growing complexity of their client base or increasing expectations of tailored service delivery in line with the principles of Enabling Good Lives (EGL). The data shows that the NASCs have largely protected clients from the impact of underfunding by implementing efficiency improvements, but with these now exhausted, access and service sustainability are under threat. Over 90 percent of New Zealand’s disability community relies on the NASCs to access support, so underfunding of these services will have a widespread impact. Simone Newsham https://lnkd.in/gU5W-yNQ

Deserving young leader - click below and read his story

Happening now! Access Living, with the support of the Ford Foundation, has spent 18 months in conversation with survivors of gun violence in Chicago. Specifically, people who acquired disabilities due to gun violence. Today we launch our findings, both in conversation with Joanna Hernandez of WTTW, and with a white paper containing our data and other findings. We are invigorated to begin this important and, as the paper discusses in detail, vitally important work. As a disability organization, as a Center for Independent Living, and as an organization dedicated to disability justice, we are committed to furthering the independence and empowerment of these undeserved members of the disability community. Read the paper here: https://lnkd.in/g_Rzsk4E

Our conversation series, KUT Considers, is discussing Disability in Texas in partnership with the “Texas Standard.” Join us for this free community event, Jan. 24, at The Long Center. Shelly Brisbin will lead our panel of experts, including Nancy Crowther, Texas Parent To Parent and Sashikala Nisankarao in conversation on some of the top issues affecting the 3.5 million Texans who live with a disability. #DisabilityAdvocacy #DisabilityEducation #DisabilityTransportation https://lnkd.in/gN3_SAtB

🌟 Embrace Your Journey, One Step at a Time 🌟 At Coast2Coast Disability, we believe that every journey is unique, and it's important to move at your own pace. Whether you’re working towards greater independence or simply looking to enjoy each day more fully, remember that progress isn’t about how fast you go—it’s about how far you’ve come. 🛤️✨ Our Personal Care Services are here to support you on this path. We’re dedicated to providing compassionate, individualised care that empowers you to live life on your terms. Whether it’s assistance with daily activities or just a helping hand when you need it most, we’re here for you. Let’s embrace each moment together, with the understanding that it’s okay to take your time. Your journey is yours alone, and it’s worth celebrating every step of the way. 🌼💪 🔗 Learn more about our Personal Care Services and how we can support you on your journey at https://lnkd.in/gD756WFv #Coast2CoastDisability #PersonalCare #YourJourneyYourPace #DisabilitySupport #Empowerment

The Beauty of Social & Community Participation You Haven’t Yet Known Before opting for NDIS social and community participation, you need to understand its beauty. Read this discussion now to learn about it in detail. #supportworker https://lnkd.in/dKRtf8Ng

Hi all, please see below for the information regarding the next barwon disability housing network meeting!

Stay off your phone! A guide for disability support workers.   Check out this great guide for disability support workers!   🗨️ VALID's Community Development team and Advocacy WA have teamed up to create a fantastic peer-led 15-minute video or written resource designed to boost the skills of support workers.   This resource isn't just for support workers, coordinators, and app-based platforms – it's also for individuals who employ support workers.   The goal of this resource is to: · Enhance the level of support provided by support workers to individuals as they engage in community activities. · Improve communication between individuals and their support workers. · Encourage greater involvement from people with disabilities in the community. Check it out here: 🎥 Video: https://lnkd.in/gxYXZvDJ 📝 Written Resource: https://lnkd.in/gcmQ8MSF   📱🚫 #StayOffYourPhone #DisabilitySupport #VALID VALID

Community-building takes time. It requires trust, patience, collaboration, mutual respect. It is not efficient and often is a process marked by error and confused by trouble shooting. Over the past year, I have worked within a advocacy group called the Disability Alliance, preparing our annual event, Disability Week, that will take place October 14th through the 17th (see our website for details: https://lnkd.in/g9eetiZf). The Disability Alliance is a group made up of faculty, staff and students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. (Alison Graettinger, Amber Andrews, Helene Houston-Reed, Isaac M. EllieAna Hale, Shannon Wheeler, Makini King, Sally Ellis Fletcher, Z Kemp, Alexis Petri, Skye VanLanduyt, Brittany B., Maxim Terekhov, Carla Marquina and many more) We are a diverse bunch and, among us, we have many talents. Part of the challenge of working in a collective like ours is learning about each person, finding moments to share space to listen to their experiences, appreciate their voice. These are not moments you can fake, or recreate at a whim. Respecting one's place, meeting them where they are or organizing a location to meet, somewhere in the middle, is not easy. But when it happens, when you connect and work on something meaningful, together, it is a big deal. #disabilitycommunity #disabilitydiversity #disabilityworks