Down Syndrome Australia

A big congratulations to Annalise, one of the leadership scholarship recipients at the World Down Syndrome Congress, on her new role as a podcast host! 🎉 Annalise is part of Literacy Legends, a podcast that focuses on raising awareness about low literacy rates in Tasmania. The podcast is created by a team of hosts with disability, who are learning how to make a podcast with help from Powerd Media and Print Radio Tasmania. They are learning how to use a microphone, interview people and tell stories. Each episode shares their own voices and ideas. Watch the video to see Annalise in action and learn more! #DownSyndrome #Inclusion #DisabilityRights

DSA is proud to be a founding member of The National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health. The Centre supports the leadership of people with intellectual disability in their own lives and in the Centre. Find out more about the Centre in this new video. #disabilityhealth #disabilityrights

📢 Read the latest issue of Voice! In this issue, we’re celebrating the incredible events, people and stories that made the World Down Syndrome Congress in Brisbane this past July unforgettable. For those who couldn’t attend, we hope this issue gives you a glimpse into the magic of Congress. And for those who were there, we hope it brings back some wonderful memories! Click the link to read the digital version: https://buff.ly/3NVmalR If you’d like to receive a physical copy of Voice going forward (just like Buddy the dog!), be sure to subscribe using the link above. #Voice #DownSyndrome #DownSyndromeAustralia #WDSC24 #WDSC

At our AGM last week, we said goodbye to two Board members who’ve finished their terms with Down Syndrome Australia. Catia Malaquias OAM has been with us since 2014, offering invaluable advice and support, especially when it comes to advocacy and governance. Her contributions have helped shape DSA into what it is today. Dr. Rhonda Faragher AO joined the Board in 2012. Her expertise in inclusion and passion for advocating for people with Down syndrome have been vital to DSA’s work. Her leadership, particularly as Co-Chair of the World Down Syndrome Congress, has made a lasting impact. We’re so grateful for everything Catia and Rhonda have done and wish them all the best in their next chapters!

DSA supports music and art therapy for people with disability. These therapies provide important benefits to many people, which is why we believe NDIS funding should stay the same. Read this ABC article to find out more about the proposed changes to NDIS funding for music and art therapy, and what it could mean for those who rely on these services. Read the article: https://buff.ly/3Bb7pIn #NDIS #MusicTherapy #ArtTherapy #DisabilitySupport #Inclusion #DisabilityRights Image credit: ABC News: Billy Cooper

🌟 Welcome to our new Down Syndrome Advisory Network (DSAN) Members! 🌟 We are excited to welcome the following new members to the DSAN: - Anna Gray, WA - Annie Lee, ACT - Chris Bunton, NSW - Matthew Marshall, TAS We also want to say a big thank you to the following DSAN members who have finished their term this year. Their hard work and valuable ideas have made a real difference: - Andrew Domahidy, WA - Elise Romaszko, TAS - Kylie Scott, NSW - Lauren Murray, ACT DSAN gives advice to the Down Syndrome Australia Board. DSAN makes sure people with Down syndrome have a voice on important issues that affect them. Learn more about our new DSAN members here: https://buff.ly/3VhiyOH #downsyndrome #advocacy #inclusionaustralia #downsyndromeaustralia

🌟 Join our team! Project Lead - Supporting My Rights We’re looking for a Project Lead to create easy-to-understand resources for people with Down syndrome and intellectual disability to help them navigate their rights within the NDIS. You’ll produce videos, podcasts and online materials with input from people with Down syndrome. You’ll manage the whole process, from planning and production to promoting and sharing these resources, and more. This is a flexible, part-time (0.4 FTE) remote role, lasting until March 2026 with the possibility of extension. Apply by 5:00 PM AEDT, 9 December 2024. View the job ad: https://buff.ly/3CR2EV2 Please share this fantastic opportunity with anyone who might be interested. #downsyndrome #disabilityrights #inclusionaustralia #disabilityemployment

Yesterday, DSA attended a morning tea at Parliament House to mark International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD). The event, hosted by Minister Amanda Rishworth MP, focused on this year’s theme: amplifying disability leadership. The official day will be observed next Tuesday 3 December. Erin Papps, Manager for Advocacy and Policy, attended with self-advocates Michael Cox, a member of the Down Syndrome Advisory Network, and Hugo Taheny, Health Ambassador. This year’s IDPWD Ambassadors include Sean and Marley, two best friends with Down syndrome who’ve taken the world by storm with their online cooking show Beautiful, Tasty, Beautiful. We enjoyed watching their video, along with six others, celebrating the impressive achievements of people with disability across Australia. Minister Rishworth, along with Ministers Bill Shorten, Pat Conroy and Penny Wong, spoke about the ongoing changes in the disability sector, both in Australia and internationally. This included the launch of the Government's new International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, which focuses on the Indo-Pacific region. It was wonderful to reconnect with old friends and meet new people at the event. We look forward to celebrating with our communities next week. #IDPWD2024 #DisabilityInclusion #Advocacy #DownSyndromeAustralia

🌟 The National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health has just launched its new website! DSA is proud to be a founding member of the Centre, which is dedicated to improving healthcare for people with intellectual disability. Check out the website by clicking the link here: https://buff.ly/3CAxBws #Disabilityhealth

Today, we joined Inclusion Australia, ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability at a Parliamentary Forum hosted by the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability. It was a fantastic opportunity to share information with Members of Parliament and ask for their continued support and funding for the Roadmap for Intellectual Disability Health. We were pleased to see MPs including Assistant Minister for Health Ged Kearney, Dr Mike Freelander, Susan Templeman MP, and ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith. Many other MPs and Parliament staff also visited to meet our ambassadors, staff and board members. DSA's Chair, Dr Rebecca Kelly spoke at the event, sharing important insights on the barriers to health care, along with Dr Cathy Franklin (Queensland Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disability) and Jim Simpson (Senior Advocate, Council for Intellectual Disability). We also thank Matthew Mason-Cox, our board member, for attending. With continued support from the Commonwealth Government, we want to see better health outcomes for people with intellectual disability, improved training for healthcare professionals and stronger inclusion in the next National Health Reform Agreement. Thanks to Victoria Brookman and Laura Naing from the Council for Intellectual Disability for organising the event, with the support of Susan Templeman MP. Photo: Dr Cathy Franklin, Susan Templeman MP, Laura (Council for Intellectual Disability), Ged Kearney MP, Rachel Stephen-Smith (ACT Health Minister), Kim (Health Ambassador, Down Syndrome Australia), Rebecca Kelly (Chair, Down Syndrome Australia), and Matthew Mason-Cox (Board Member, Down Syndrome Australia).