Family Advocacy

The workshop is about achieving mainstream education for kids with developmental disabilities.
The focus is on the state system and topics include:

achieving a happy and rewarding life for your child;
how to approach a school;
Department of Education supports available within the school system that can assist in making inclusion successful.

There is group work to practice new skills, the opportunity for questions and a chance to meet other families in the local area.

One of the Kids - the High School Experience is a workshop about education as part of a whole life and looking at what is needed to achieve an inclusive education at high school.

Topics covered will include:

having a vision for the future
the benefits of kids with disability being included in mainstream classes
barriers and opportunities presented by high school
ideas about how inclusion can work
friendship.

This weekend event expands on and adds to material discussed at One of the Kids and One of the Kids High School. It is for parents who believe that their sons/daughters should be welcomed, supported and taught in the regular class of their local school, irrespective of the nature and degree of disability.

This is a weekend workshop for people who have attended a one day workshop and want to build on that information. It takes people further in identifying strategies which challenge barriers that face people with disability, and touches on skills needed to deal with the political system. It's a great opportunity to link with other families.

An included life is the kind of life most people take for granted. It is what we want for all people we love and care about: a ‘good life', an ordinary life in which there is love, belonging, security, friends and good health. This kind of life, however, has been historically denied to people with developmental disability. This day will involve the use of personal and other stories to paint a picture of what an included life is, and to talk about how change can happen. It will highlight some of the pathways and tools that can be used to create opportunities for the ‘good life'.

Are you looking to enhance your ability to stand up for the rights of your family member or friend with developmental disability?

Join us to discuss:

¨ what advocacy is;

¨ why advocacy is needed;

¨ the essential elements of advocacy;

¨ how to advocate;

¨ strategies to work on.

Common examples of when advocacy skills may be used are when a family member is starting school, looking for work, leaving home, seeking medical help or wanting to spend their days in a meaningful way.

The workshop will also provide an opportunity to meet other people from the local area.

Shaping the Future is a weekend workshop that aims to provide the families and friends of people with disability with ideas and information to assist them to achieve positive social change in the life of their family member.

Topics covered include: the essential elements of advocacy, strategies to increase the impact of advocacy, the frameworks and operations of the political system and moving advocacy efforts from the private to the public sphere.

This workshop will also be held in the following locations in May 2010

This workshop will also be held in the above locations in May 2010

Come along and be inspired!

Research suggests that people with disability develop more skills and relationships when they are supported to be valued members of their communities.

The workshop will explore how Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) can provide a useful approach to developing welcoming communities where everyone has a place. ABCD is a methodology that seeks to uncover and highlight the strengths within communities. The ABCD approach seeks to help people discover, map and mobilise their local community's assets.

Ted Smeaton who is presenting this event has over 20 years experience in supporting the development of inclusive communities in Australia and internationally. He believes that in order for communities to be healthy and strong they need the talents, gifts and passions of everyone.

One of the most common concerns for families is the uncertainty about the future for their family member with disability.This workshop will identify the ways families can plan for and provide a secure future.

It discusses ideas about creating a vision, making a plan and developing a circle of support.

The workshop will be presented by Jeremy Ward who is the parent of three young adults, the eldest of whom has disabilities and requires assistance to live independently. He has many years experience working in advocacy organisations with people with disabilities and families. He is a former member of the Queensland Guardianship and Administration Tribunal.

Jeremy works to help families and people with disability to develop their vision for now and the future, to plan towards making that vision a reality, and to develop ways to safeguard that vision and the individual when the family is no longer able to do so.

Moving out..from planning to action is a workshop that will assist families to start or progress their thinking and planning for their adult family member with developmental disability to move into a home of their own with appropriate and adequate support.

The workshop will provide examples of how other families have gone about supporting a family member to move into a home that suits their needs. There will be some practical steps you can take now as well as some longer term strategies. Detailed resources will be distributed on the day.

Bob Lee, who is presenting this workshop, has been involved in providing services for people with disability since 1978 and since 1984 has been actively involved in advocacy efforts aimed at protecting and defending the rights of people with disability.

Bob Lee will draw on his many years experience to discuss the impact of the interplay between ‘the community' and those who are closely involved in the lives of people with disability-both family members and support workers. Bob will argue that the community has an indispensible role to play in safeguarding the lives of vulnerable people and will explore the way families and workers can embrace opportunities to remove rather than construct barriers.

Examples will be shared of how people with disability can be supported to be welcomed as valued members of their own communities.

Bob's presentation precedes Family Advocacy's Annual General Meeting (AGM) that starts at 1.30 pm. Bob will also be the guest speaker at the AGM. If you are interested in attending the AGM as well as the workshop, please let us know at the time of registration.

After school - what then? is about preparation and planning for when a student with disability, who will need ongoing support, leaves school.

This is an important workshop if a person with developmental disability in your family:

is leaving school (year 12) in 2009 or
is in years 9, 10 or 11 and you are planning for life after year 12.

The focus of the workshop is on the system of funding and support. It will cover information about Commonwealth and State Government responsibilities as well as those of non government service providers who are approved to support school leavers.

Topics covered will include:

achieving a positive future for young people leaving school
what other young people have achieved with their funding
levels of funding and how it is allocated
the different forms of support arrangements that are available
how to make informed choices about the future
government guidelines and how they affect school leavers.

Morning tea, lunch and materials are provided.

This workshop will be helpful for a parent, adult brother, sister, other relative or friend of a person with developmental disability.

Call for more information or to register on 9869 0866 or 1800 620 588 (Free call for NSW non metro callers).

On 4 May 2010, Family Advocacy is hosting a presentation by international speaker Jeff Strully. The day will be of interest to families and workers as Jeff explores the relationship between people with disabilities, families and workers and how people with disability could be better supported.

Jeff is well placed to deliver this presentation from the perspective of both a parent and from his role in a service organisation which adapted to a more personalised approach.

Family Advocacy are pleased to be able to offer the opportunity of Jeff being in Australia to share his knowledge and insights.

To register please see details on the flier.

This 3 hour workshop will provide information useful for families who would like their child with disability to attend an ordinary mainstream school, with appropriate support.

It will be particularly relevant for families of children with developmental disability preparing for school or in their early school years.

Hear about:

ideas for choosing a school
the transition process
possible supports your child could access
your relationship with the school
relevant research

...and more!

On August 10 in West Ryde we invite you to participate in a conversation with Jill Hole from Homes West and Greg Lewis from My Place about supporting people with disability to have homes of their own.

Both presenters have insights around supporting people with disability to live in homes of their own and to be actively involved in their communities.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity.

To register on-ine please click here

We are holding Information sessions in July and August where we will discuss opportunities for creating rich lives for people with disability and how you could find Family Advocacy helpful.

Come for morning tea and a chat that could provide you with ideas, contacts and information.

The session will be held from 9.30am until 10.45am.

There is no cost to attend but please ring to register on 02 9869 0866 or
1800 620 588 (non metro callers)

Resourcing Families event Gaining control and acting with vision will be presented by Dr Michael Kendrick.

The pivotal role of families will be explored and Michael will assist families to consider and assert their own natural authority as they help their family member to pursue their dreams.

To view flier & for more information click here.