Women With Disabilities WA Inc (WWDWA Inc) joins with other disability advocacy organisations in WA in being deeply concerned about the article in 2 September’s edition of The West ‘WA’s own services best for disabled’.
The organisation believes that it is counter to the original principle of self management to have able-bodied professionals and politicians who don’t personally use the services under trial speaking on behalf of people with disabilities.
There is little evidence in any of the articles that promote the WA My Way scheme that the real experts were interviewed – people with disabilities who are actually using the My Way scheme.
Chair of WWDWA Inc, Ms Zeliha Iscel, said: “One of the central tenets of the disability rights movement is “nothing about us without us”. The current WA My Way and National NDIS schemes both fail to embody this principle and therefore are at risk of failing people with disabilities and our families.”
Ms Iscel stressed that the reality of the My Way and NDIS trials is a lot more complex than the current media reports and government spokespeople have made it out to be. She further emphasised, “It is far too early to be making definite statements about which trial is the best for Western Australia.”
Coordinator of WWDWA Inc, Ms Rayna Lamb, says there is a risk of people with disabilities being steamrolled into the NDIS My Way scheme because of the WA government’s insistence on WA exceptionalism, regardless of what is actually best for people with disabilities.
Women With Disabilities WA Inc strongly urges the media and government spokespeople to go directly to the people with disabilities and those who support us to get real experience and knowledge on how both trials are running so far. Ms Iscel said: “To do anything less is to treat people with disabilities as perpetual children who are not permitted a voice in our own lives. In 2015, this is unacceptable”.
WWDWA Inc is run by women with disabilities and provides systemic advocacy and peer support for women with disabilities. http://wwdwa.org.au/
Media Contact – Rayna Lamb, WWDWA Inc Coordinator, 9244 7463 or 0413 857 953

25 September 2014

Women With Disabilities WA Inc Joins Other Community Organisations In A Call to Remove Exhibitions that Stigmatise People with Mental Health Issues

Women With Disabilities WA Inc is deeply concerned that the Royal Agricultural Show has two Family and Kid’s Show Attractions that stigmatise people with mental health issues.
“Bethlem” and “Asylum 3D Spinning Horror” both take stereotypes of people with mental health issues as an object of fear and entertainment.
It is estimated that up to 50% of Australians will experience mental health issues at some point in their life time. Stigma is a major problem to people seeking help and experiencing recovery.
According to leading suicide prevention organisation Lifeline, suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44. People who are struggling with suicidal feelings are often afraid of seeking help for fear of mistreatment by mental health professionals and institutions.
The exhibitions make light of the dark history of institutional abuse of people with mental health issues and other disabilities. Bethlem actors in the exhibit stereotype consumers as dangerous, unpredictable, physically different from others, while the exhibition encourages consumers to be viewed as a tourist attraction and as an object of fun for the general public.
The Royal Show is Perth’s largest community event and with an estimated 400,000 people children and families viewing these exhibitions will significant undermine stigma reduction efforts in our community.
WWDWA Inc urgently calls on the Royal Agricultural Show and sponsors to:
Immediately close the sideshow exhibitions, and to
Issue an apology to the public for hosting attractions that misrepresent people with mental health issues as an object of fear, humour and entertainment

For more information and media enquiries please contact WWDWA Inc Coordinator Rayna Lamb on 9244 7463 or email rayna@wwdwa.org.au

“In Australia, we do a lot of talking about disability.
But we don’t always talk about the important things.
What it’s like to live our lives.
What its like when people do things ‘for’ and ‘to’ us, not ‘with’ us.
What its like to have ‘special’ things for ‘special people’, instead of being part of the rest of Australia.
We want to talk about the things that matter. To us, not them.
We want to say it out loud.
And if they’re not listening, we will say it louder.”

You can find copies of starecase on the starecase website

They want to hear from all people with disabilities. If you have something to say about living with a disability, they want to publish it!

·Have you wondered how it works or wanted to do an interview yourself?

Come along for a short (3 hours) session on how to conduct a radio interview.

Topics discussed include

·Research

·How to form questions

·Tips for conducting an interview and much more.

When: *Friday 15th March from 1:30-4:45 pm *

Where: *Morley Training Centre*

*22 Russell St. Morley*

If after attending the session you are interested in gaining further radio experience, you should consider participating on EthnicAbility.

‘EthnicAbility’ is a radio program about disability and ethnicity, produced and presented by the Ethnic Disability Advocacy Centre (EDAC).

For further details and to RSVP, contact Zel on:

Mob: 0413 813 885

Email: zel@edac.org.au

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Have a read and tell us what you think. Have you had similar experiences?