Disability support beyond the NDISSummary

• The event talked about General Foundational Supports which are supports outside of the NDIS.
• The hosts Sara and Todd presented a model of three “buckets” of support: mainstream services, the NDIS, and Foundational Supports. Each of these supports are different, but they all help people live a better life.
• Catherine McAlpine from Inclusion Australia talked with Sonia Hume, a self-advocate and member of Speak Out. Sonia shared her 20-year journey of gaining confidence and skills through her involvement with Speak Out, an organisation that provides information, advocacy, and support.
• Her journey began with getting individual advocacy help for a legal issue and progressed to attending and speaking at conferences and self-advocacy groups. Sonia’s story showed that building confidence and skills takes time.
• Todd then interviewed Katrina who has worked with VALID and they discussed how you make decisions and the importance of having clear information and talking with family and friends.
• Finding people in similar situations, often through peer support, was also discussed – you can watch last month’s event all about peer support here.
• The event made the confusing topic of Foundational Supports clearer and talked about the need for more funding to provide these services including (but not limited to):
  • Access to useful, clear, and up-to-date information
  • Advocacy
  • Capacity Building
  • Peer Support
  • Decision making

Our SpeakersSara Gingold

Sara is the Editor-in-Chief of DSC’s Resource Hub. She personifies the voice of DSC in her own passionate style and prides herself on her research skills and fact-finding ability. Diagnosed with ME/CFS in 2012, Sara’s lived experience of disability shines through in her work and she is a highly skilled, authoritative NDIS commentator. She began her career overseeing innovative Cambodian education projects and has quickly become an indispensable part of the DSC team.

Todd Winther

Todd is a political nerd with an academic background in political leadership, party politics, and disability policy who has taught these subjects at multiple universities. He is an NDIS Participant with a severe form of Cerebral Palsy. Todd spends every day of his life fighting for the political and human rights of people with disabilities. It is his mission and his passion. Todd uses his personal experiences and storytelling to empower others and create a more equitable world.

Catherine McAlpine

Catherine McAlpine is the Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Australia, the national representative organisation for people with an intellectual disability and their families.

She is a respected leader in the disability community, with previous senior roles in state and national advocacy and not-for-profit disability organisations.

She brings personal experience to her role at Inclusion Australia, where she has led the organisation through a period of growth and collaborative change during the Disability Royal Commission and the recent NDIS Review.

Sonia Hume

Sonia is the Members president of Speak Out and is the TAS member for Inclusion Australia’s Our Voice Committee.

Sonia has worked on multiple projects at Speak Out, she has advocated for the rights of parents with intellectual disability and has taught people about their rights.

In 2019 Sonia was part of the Civil Society delegation that travelled to Geneva to present to the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Rights of Persons Living with Disability (CRPD).

Sonia loves birds and has a pet cockatiel called Pippy.

Sonia is passionate about standing up for herself and others.

Katrina

Katrina has been working with VALID (VALID is the Victorian peak advocacy organisation for adults with intellectual disability). Katrina has been doing various programs but most recently she was interviewing residents about how services providers help them to speak up in their homes.

She is active in a local drama group and is passionate about helping others through self advocacy and empowerment.