Women With Disabilities Australia (wwda)

Report: UK Report on Study Into Human Rights
The focus of this Inquiry has been to establish the extent to which respect for the human rights of individuals is embedded in service delivery in England and Wales today; to look at the barriers to the assertion, enjoyment and delivery of human rights; and to identify models of good practice, opportunities which may be transferable from one sector or organisation to another. Part of the reason for the Inquiry was to inform the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s future strategy to give effect to its statutory obligations on human rights under the Equality Act.
Available for download at:

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/our-human-rights-inquiry/inquiry-report/

Article: Employment for People With Intellectual Disability in Australia and the United Kingdom
Australia and the United Kingdom have implemented similar policy and legislative initiatives designed to enhance the participation of people with intellectual disability in the workforce. However, the results of these initiatives have differed across these two countries because of historical and administrative differences in the management of government-funded employment services for people with a disability. Similarities across both countries include increased funding for employment services for people with a disability, strong policy statements on the inclusion of people with a disability in the workforce, a dearth of meaningful data on the employment of people with intellectual disability, continuing high unemployment rates for this population, and the lack of an outcomes-focused approach to evaluating whether employment services are meeting the needs of people with intellectual disability and their families.
Full Reference: Dempsey, I. & Ford, J. (2009) Employment for People With Intellectual Disability in Australia and the United Kingdom. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 233-243.

Resource: Red Cross Emergency REDiPlan
In December 2009, the Red Cross launched two accessible information guides to assist people with disabilities in preparing their households for an emergency.
Emergency REDiPlan: Household preparedness for people with a disability and Emergency REDiPlan: Easy English both contain an assessment tool for individuals and/or carers, and a household plan for completion. The guides are part of the organisations wider Emergency REDiPlan household preparedness project and follow four simple steps to assist households prepare for an emergency. Other guides in the range include information and practical activities for households, children and seniors.
Audio files covering Red Cross preparedness and recovery materials and large text print formats are also available to assist people with a vision impairment. Emergency REDiPlan materials are not hazard-specific and can be used by households to prepare for all types and scales of emergencies.
Red Cross Emergency REDiPlan guides are free for individual households and are available for download from: http://www.redcross.org.au/ourservices_acrossaustralia_emergencyservices_prepare.htm
Copies can also be obtained by phoning Red Cross in your state or territory or by emailing [e-mail]

WWDA Strategic Plan 2010-2015 Available
WWDA’s Strategic Plan 2010-2015 was published in late 2009. A Summary version has also been published which gives an overview of the key elements of the Plan.
Our new Strategic Plan reflects WWDA’s commitment to promoting and advancing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women with disabilities. It is grounded in a rights based framework which links gender and disability issues to a full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
WWDA’s Strategic Plan 2010-2015 will see our organisation consolidate our role as the national representative organisation for women with disabilities in Australia, and will see us undertaking specific research and policy work in areas identified by our members as a priority. These areas encompass key human rights issues where there are continuing abuses against women with disabilities in Australia, and include: the right to freedom from violence and abuse; the right to bodily integrity; the right to the highest attainable standard of health; and the right to reproductive freedom, including the right to found and maintain a family.
Over the next five years, WWDA will continue to build on our key role in the production and dissemination of high quality information, publications and research on issues relevant to women with disabilities. Inherent in this will be our work to further develop our website as an internationally recognised clearing-house and repository for historical and contemporary information on women with disabilities.
Copies of both the Summary version and the Full version of WWDA’s Strategic Plan 2010-2015 are available from the WWDA website at http://www.wwda.org.au/stratplan.htm or can be obtained by contacting the National WWDA Office.
News Wanted For WWDA-NEWS!
Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) produces this newsletter, WWDA-News, quarterly. If any organisation or individual has any relevant information/news that you would like to share please forward to [e-mail] for inclusion. Each quarter we will send a friendly reminder asking for any valuable input. We look forward to hearing from you.

Join WWDA!
The success of Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) relies heavily on the participation and goodwill of our members. We are always seeking women with disabilities who would like to represent WWDA at government consultations, workshops, forums and committees, as well as helping us in other ways such as commenting on WWDA documents and reports; presenting papers at Conferences; writing articles for our website, becoming members of our Management Committee and so on. WWDA is a Public Benevolent Institution, which means that donations over $2 are tax deductible. Remember, becoming a financial member of WWDA entitles you to nominate for the Management Committee when vacancies arise and/or vote at annual elections.
WWDA’s Membership Form is available from the WWDA website at: http://www.wwda.org.au/member.htm
or by contacting WWDA
Appendix 1

References for Feature Article: ‘Recognition, respect and rights: disabled women in a globalised world’ by Helen Meekosha and Carolyn Frohmader
[1] Connell, R. (2009) Gender In World Perspective, Polity, Cambridge

[2] Ibid

[3] Schur, L. (2004) Is There Still a "Double Handicap”? In Gendering Disability, edited by B. G. Smith and B. Hutchison. New Brunswick.

[4] United Nations, Some Facts about Persons with Disabilities. Accessed online October 2009 at: http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.shtml

[5] International Labour Office (ILO) (2007) Equality at work: Tackling the challenges. Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. International Labour Office, Geneva.

[6] Ibid, p. 44.

[7] Thomas, P. (2005) Disability, Poverty and the Millennium Development Goals: Relevance, Challenges and Opportunities for DFID. Final Report of the DFID Disability Knowledge and Research (KaR) Programme. Accessed online October 2009 at: http://www.disabilitykar.net

[8] McMullan, B. (2008) Disability, Disadvantage and Development in Asia and the Pacific. Transcript of speech given at the Australian Disability and Development Consortium Conference 2008, Canberra. Accessed online October 2009 at:

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/media/release.cfm?BC=Speech&ID=6598_4444_4031_1552_4691

[9] World Bank (2009) Gender and Disability. Accessed online October 2009 at: http://go.worldbank.org/O14DRFLK90

[10] Ibid.

[11] International Labour Office (ILO) (2007) Op Cit.

[12] United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Women with Disabilities and International Development. Accessed online October 2009 at:

http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/gender/wwd.html

[13] International Labour Office (ILO) (2007) Op Cit.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Nagata, K. (2003) Gender and disability in the Arab region: The challenges in the new millennium. Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol.14, No.1, pp.10-17.

[16] United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) (2003) Gender and Education for All: The Leap to Equality. UNESCO Publishing, Paris, France.

[17] ibid.

[18] United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Op Cit.

[19] Groce, N. (1997) Girls and women with disability: a global challenge. One in Ten, Vol.14, No.2, pp.2-5.

[20] United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Op Cit.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Department for International Development (DFID) (2000) Disability, poverty and development. DFID, London, UK.

[23] United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2006) The State of the World’s Children 2006: Excluded and Invisible. UNICEF, New York, USA.

[24] United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) (2005) Violence Against Women: Facts & Figures. UNIFEM, New York.

[25] Department for International Development (DFID) (2000) Op Cit.

[26] United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2005) State of World Population 2005: The Promise of Equality - Gender Equity, Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals. UNFPA, New York, USA.

[27] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (2008) UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva, Switzerland.

[28] Ibid.

[29] United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Op Cit.

[30] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2009) Submission to the National Human Rights Consultation. WWDA, Tasmania. Available online at: http://www.wwda.org.au/subs2006.htm

[31] Ibid.

[32] Ibid.

[33] Ibid.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Dowse, L., Frohmader, C. & Meekosha, H. Intersectionality: Disabled Women. In Easteal, P. (ed) Women and the Law (forthcoming).

[36] Krug, E., Dahlberg, L., Mercy, J., Zwi, A. & Lozano, R. (Eds) (2002) World report on violence and health. World Health Organisation, Geneva.

[37] United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) (2005) Op Cit.

[38] Watts, C. & Zimmerman, C. (2002) Violence against women: global scope and magnitude. The Lancet, 359, pp. 1232-1237.

[39] Krug, E., Dahlberg, L., Mercy, J., Zwi, A. & Lozano, R. (Eds) (2002) Op Cit.

[40] Raye, K. (1999) Violence, Women and Mental Disability. Mental Disability Rights International. Washington DC.

[41] Nosek, M., Hughes, R., Taylor, H. & Howland, C. Violence Against Women With Disabilities. In Marge, D. (Ed) (2003) A Call to Action: Ending Crimes of Violence Against Children and Adults with Disabilities: A Report to the Nation. State University of New York, Upstate Medical University; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Syracuse, New York.

[42] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2009) Submission to Inform the Development of the Framework for the National Women’s Health Policy. WWDA, Tasmania, Australia.

[43] Dowse, L., Frohmader, C. & Meekosha, H. Op Cit.

[44] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2009) Submission to the National Human Rights Consultation. Op Cit.

[45] United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2005) Violence against Disabled Children: Summary Report. UN Secretary Generals Report on Violence against Children: Thematic Group on Violence against Disabled Children, Findings and Recommendations. Convened by UNICEF, New York, July 28.

[46] United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2005) Op Cit.

[47] International Labour Organization (2009) Training Manual to Fight Trafficking in Children for Labour, Sexual and Other Forms of Exploitation. International Labour Office, International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), Geneva.

[48] Wonacott, P. (2004) QuanQian’s Tale: In Beggars’ Village, Disabled Girl Fell Into Con Man’s Net. Wall Street Journal. New York, New York. Dec. 7. Easter edition: A.1.

[49] International Labour Organization (2009) Op Cit.

[50] Rousso, H. (2003) Education for All: A Gender and Disability Perspective. A report prepared by Harilyn Rousso, CSW, Disabilities Unlimited, for the World Bank.

[51] Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation (NYOF) (2004) accessed on line August 2006 at www.nyof.org/aboutNepal.html

[52] Rousso, H. (2003) Op Cit.

[53] Roeher Institute (1994) Violence and People with Disabilities: A Review of the Literature. Prepared by Miriam Ticoll of the Roeher Institute for the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Health Canada, Ontario.

[54] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2007b) 'Forgotten Sisters - A global review of violence against women with disabilities'. WWDA Resource Manual on Violence Against Women With Disabilities. Published by Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Tasmania, Australia.

[55] Ibid.

[56] Beverly Frantz, Allison Carey, and Diane Nelson Bryen, 2006, Accessibility of Pennsylvania’s Victim Assistance programs. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Vol.16, No.4.

[57] United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2003) Addressing violence against women: piloting and programming. UNFPA, New York, USA.

[58] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2007b) Op Cit.

[59] Dowse, L. & Frohmader, C. (2001) Moving Forward: Sterilisation and Reproductive Health of Women and Girls with Disabilities. Published by Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Tasmania, Australia.

[60] Susan Brady, John Briton and Sonia Grover (2001) The Sterilisation of Girls and Young Women in Australia: Issues and Progress. A report commissioned by the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and the Disability Discrimination Commissioner; Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Sydney, Australia, Available online at: http://www.wwda.org.au/brady2.htm

[61] Linda Steele (2008) Making sense of the Family Court’s decisions on the non-therapeutic sterilisation of girls with intellectual disability; Australian Journal of Family Law, Vol.22, No.1.

[62] ‘Non-therapeutic sterilisation’ is sterilisation for a purpose other than to ‘treat some malfunction or disease’: Secretary, Department of Health and Community Services v JWB and SMB, 1992, 175 CLR 218; 106 ALR 385.

[63] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2007) Policy and Position Paper: The Development of Legislation to Authorise Procedures for the Sterilisation of Children with Intellectual Disabilities. Available at: http://www.wwda.org.au/polpapster07.htm

[64] For an overview of WWDA’s work on Sterilisation, see: Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities at www.wwda.org.au/sterilise.htm

[65] See for example: Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No 9 (2006): The Rights of Children with Disabilities, UN Doc CRC/C/GC/9 (2007); Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding Observations: Australia, UN Doc CRC/C/15/Add.268 (2005) [46(e)]; Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1994) Persons with Disabilities: CESCR General Comment 5 (31). Eleventh session, 1994. See also Teena Balgi, Annie Pettitt, Ben Schokman and Philip Lynch (2008) Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity: Action: NGO Submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Australia, Prepared on behalf of the Kingsford Legal Centre; the National Association of Community Legal Centres, and the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, p 89.

[66] In considering Australia’s report under Article 44 of the CRC (Fortieth Session), the Committee on the Rights of the Child encouraged Australia to: ‘prohibit the sterilisation of children, with or without disabilities’, United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, Fortieth Session, Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties under Article 44 of the Convention, Concluding Observations: Australia, CRC/C/15/Add.268, 20 October 2005, paras 45, 46(e).

[67] See for example: S McKay-Moffat (2007) Disability in Pregnancy and Childbirth. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh; O Prilleltensky (2003) A Ramp to Motherhood: The Experiences of Mothers with Physical Disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 21-47; V Radcliffe (2008) Being Brave: Disabled Women and Motherhood. Dissertation for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Disability and Gender, School of Sociology and Social Policy, The University of Leeds, UK; Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2009) Parenting Issues for Women with Disabilities in Australia: A Policy Paper. WWDA, Rosny Park, Tasmania. Available online at: http://www.wwda.org.au/subs2006.htm

[68] See for example: Dowse, L. and Frohmader, C. (2001) Op Cit.

[69] Claudia Malacredia (2009) Performing motherhood in a disablist world: dilemmas of motherhood, femininity and disability. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp 99-117.

[70] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2009) Parenting Issues for Women with Disabilities in Australia: A Policy Paper. WWDA, Rosny Park, Tasmania. Available online at: http://www.wwda.org.au/subs2006.htm

[71] Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) (2007) Email correspondence to WWDA from members regarding parenting support for women with disabilities in Australia [unpublished].

[72] Johnston, G. (2008) Disability and development. Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood International. Issue 62, Summer. Accessed online November 2009 at: http://www.dppi.org.uk/journal/62/goodpractice.php

[73] See for example: Biza Stenfert Kroese, Hanan Hussein, Clair Clifford and Nazia Ahmed, (2002) Social Support Networks and Psychological Well-being of Mothers with Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 15, pp 324-340; Marjorie Aunos, Georgette Goupil and Maurice Feldman (2003) Mothers with Intellectual Disabilities Who Do or Do Not Have Custody of Their Children. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp 65-79; Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Rachel Mayes and David McConnell (2008) Towards acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disability as parents. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp 293-295.

[74] See for example: International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID) (2008) Parents labelled with Intellectual Disability: Position of the IASSID Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities, Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 21, pp 296-307; Gwynnyth Llewellyn, David McConnell and Luisa Ferronato (2003) Prevalence and outcomes for parents with disabilities and their children in an Australian court sample, Child Abuse and Neglect, Vol. 27, pp 235-251.

Contact:
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)

PO Box 605, Rosny Park,

Tasmania 7018 AUSTRALIA

Ph: [phone]

Email: [e-mail] Web: www.wwda.org.au