Voice for Choice

25/10/2025

We're sure many you agree.

Anne Hollonds has used her term as National Children's Commissioner to rally for the right of children to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

Her 3-year project enabled over 1000 children have a voice on important matters that affect them, so they could inform government policy and service systems. Commissioner Hollonds:

‘Genuinely listening to children and taking their views into account leads to better public policy that can meet the needs of children and their families we are trying to help.’

‘Participation is not just about listening to a child. We need to listen with intention – the intention to act on what we have heard. Governments make better policies when they listen to the children and young people who most need the help.’

Find out more about the Supporting Quality Engagement project: https://loom.ly/KErt1fs

25/10/2025

We couldn't agree more!

09/10/2025

Age shouldn't define who we are and what we can achieve.

Yet not everyone sees being older as a positive thing. This attitude is ageism and it's a form of discrimination. It can negatively affect someone's health, confidence, job opportunities and community participation.

It impacts real people’s lives – and we can all take steps to change it.

Take the ‘Am I Ageist?’ quiz to reflect on your own attitudes.

🔗 https://www.everyagecounts.org.au/quiz 🔗

Then:

✔️ Speak up by calling out ageist assumptions or language.

✔️ Include older people to participate, be heard and contribute.

✔️ Start conversations about respect and inclusion.

Together, we can build a society where everyone is valued, connected and respected – at any age.

Find more information about ageism awareness at https://www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/news/embrace-ageing

03/10/2025

25/09/2025

“We are pleased to see a commitment to a person-centred, rights-based assessment process that understands people with disability as whole people — not just diagnoses.” – PWDA Board Director, Alexandra Bignell.

PWDA welcomes the announcement of a new support needs assessment tool and the Government's commitment to ongoing co-design.

We are encouraged by the decision to licence the I-CAN version 6 tool and adapt it in collaboration with the disability community.

However there are important questions that remain unanswered.

We are seeking clarity on behalf of our members on:

1️⃣ What qualifications will assessors be required to hold, and how will training be delivered?
2️⃣ Will participants still have the option for reports and recommendations from their trusted providers considered?
3️⃣ How will the needs assessment report be translated into a participant budget?
4️⃣ How will complexity be defined and identified, particularly where budget size does not reflect complexity or risk?
5️⃣ How will the tool be accessible to all participants, adapted for people with communication support needs, and include support for decision making?

PWDA looks forward to continuing to work closely with the NDIA and our community partners to ensure the dignity, rights and diverse experiences of all people with disability are upheld.

Read full release: https://buff.ly/5ZO482Z

25/09/2025

The Federal Government has released details about some important changes to the NDIS.

From mid-2026 the Government is proposing to introduce a new support needs assessment processes. While this change were introduced in legislation in October 2024, it's only now that we are learning about the proposed steps.

We will be providing our community with updates and information about these changes as they evolve.

Read our statement in response to today's announcement here.

https://www.amaze.org.au/2025/09/amaze-response-to-the-new-supports-needs-assessment/?utm_content=sked_68d4d88e10f838abeb067428&utm_medium=social&utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook

22/09/2025

This week is Migraine and Headache Awareness Week, led by our friends at Migraine & Headache Australia.

Our 2025 National Women's Health Survey recently found that 30% of women in Australia are living with migraine, and a further 13% are likely to have recently experienced undiagnosed migraine.

Despite its prevalence and impact as a leading cause of disability for women, support and research in this area are still lacking.

Together with Migraine & Headache Australia, we’ve created new resources to help women living with migraine (link in comments).

It’s a step forward, but greater investment and national awareness are urgently needed. Women living with migraine deserve better support.

22/09/2025

14/09/2025

****Update ****
All advisor positions for this University of Western Australia research project have now been filled.
The team received a very high number of expressions of interest and is grateful for the enthusiasm and support from the community. On behalf of the research team at UWA, thank you to everyone who shared their interest and helped spread the word.
******

We’re excited to share this opportunity from a research team at The University of Western Australia.

Are you an Autistic young person (aged 12–21) living in Australia? They invite you to join their research team as an advisor in a new project!

This program aims to find out and understand what supports Autistic teens need and want when exploring being Autistic. Together, the team will also work to develop a support resource to meet these needs and fill gaps in current services.

This project is led by researchers from the University of Western Australia, in collaboration with a diverse team of Autistic, neurodivergent and non-Autistic researchers across Australia and the UK.

As an advisor and part of this research team, you’ll share feedback and ideas to shape the project, guide what’s done and how, help make sense of the findings and co-create materials and resources.

For more information on what being an advisor means and how to get involved, visit:
https://uwa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4V2Q3UNVbf097hQ

09/09/2025

Hot off the heels of the recent Four Corners story into misguided investment in the NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) market, Brent Woolgar and Jeramy Hope from the SDA Alliance explore the future of SDA investment (it’s not all bad news!)

09/09/2025

Join our next Easy Read training on Friday 19 September!

This training teaches skills you need to make Easy Read documents.

Help your clients make informed choices by giving them information they can use!

Learn more and register today: https://cid.org.au/event/easy-read-express-sep/

04/09/2025

As the social media ban for under 16's approaches, there are many interesting discussions to be had. How will it work? How will it impact children under 16? How can schools and parents best manage the ban?

If you'd like to know more, join Suicide Prevention Australia’s webinar for a lively discussion on AI & Digital Safety on 22 September at 12.30 pm. Register now: https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=106