Latest News

• Wheelchair Soccer in North West Melbourne
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities 3CR Radio Broadcast
• Clearer Skies Ahead For Flyers With Disability
• Who’s Singing What this Year?

Wheelchair Soccer in North West Melbourne

Do you use a wheelchair, love soccer and looking for excitement?

Scope, Football Federation of Victoria (FFV) and the Access for All Abilities (AAA) program, in conjunction with Sports Ed Vic, would like to re-establish an ongoing wheelchair soccer program in the North West.

Soccer is one of Australia’s most popular and social team sports. It’s fun and a great cardiovascular workout each week!

They are inviting feedback from individuals, families and community service providers so that they can:

• identify soccer players in wheelchairs in the North West
• gauge level of support for program
• plan the best team they can
• determine most suitable location for players
• develop a team that best suits the needs of the players

If you are interested in helping re-establish wheelchair soccer in the North West, please contact;

• Kerry Tavrou on (03) 8311 4049 or ktavrou@scopevic.org.au, or
• Elyce Carlyle on (03) 9474 1833 or ecarlyle@footballfedvic.com.au.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 3CR Radio Broadcast -
3rd December 2009

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities Broadcast, 3 December 2009, 3CR will dedicate twelve hours broadcasting of content created by, for and about people with disabilities.

3CR is now calling for proposals from people with disabilities who want to share their own stories, record their music and arts, or record other material for broadcast on 3 December 2009.

You don’t need broadcasting experience as relevant training will be provided. If you are unable to access 3CR studios or use their recording equipment, the project team will provide assistance with sound recording and production.

For further information, contact 3CR;

Phone: (03) 9419 8377
Email: currentaffairs@3cr.org.au
Website: www.3cr.org.au

Clearer Skies Ahead For Flyers With Disability

There’s been a long history of people with disability experiencing difficulties when flying around Australia.. Late last year, the Australian Government set up an Access to Aviation Working Group under the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (DOI) to bring together the airline industry (operators and airports), government agencies and organisations advocating for the rights and welfare of people with disability, including NDS.

In particular, the working group is:

• Contributing to the National Aviation Policy Statement (White Paper);
• Contributing to the government response to the report on the Transport Standards Review;
• Advising the government on the practicality and interaction of the existing aviation legislation with the Disability Discrimination Act; and
• Considering other measures and actions that can provide people with disability access to air travel while ensuring the safety and security of all fare paying passengers.

The airlines involved (Qantas, Virgin Blue, Rex, Tiger) have committed to developing voluntary Disability Access Facilitation Plans to improve their communication with people with disability. Regional Express (Rex) has already updated its terms and conditions for the provision of special assistance and these can be read at http://rex.com.au/FlightInfo/BI_SpecialRequirementsConditions.aspx.

The Civil Aviation Act has been amended to make it clearer to aircraft operators their obligations in the allocation of seats, particularly in exit rows, to people with disability. The Disability Discrimination Act is being amended to clarify the carriage of assistance animals in an airline’s cabin.

Following a review of aviation security screening, guidelines for security screeners at airports are being revised. Background to the review and links to the report are at www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/security/aviation/screening/index.aspx.

More detail about the working group, including summary records of meetings is available at www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/aawg/index.aspx.

Who’s Singing What this Year?

The Music Therapy Service at Kew’s Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre has often seen the benefits that patients with quadriplegia experience when taking part in regular music therapy. In November 2008, Music Therapist Imogen Clarke set up a trial singing group in the Spinal Rehabilitation Unit providing instruction in breathing and singing techniques. Lots of fun was to be had using the popular Playstation game Singstar. Members of the group sang along with video clips of their favourite top 20 tunes and practiced voice and singing exercises.

Michael Forbes a current inpatient in the Spinal Rehabilitation Unit at Royal Talbot said

"I have noticed a difference to the way I breathe when I speak and sing. I notice it a lot because I sing to my daughter all the time nursery rhymes, and obviously when I first had this injury I was starting at a very low level. I’d start singing and I’d get through three words and I’d have to take a breath. Now I can generally get through a line of song before I need to. But also that translates to speaking as well."

In addition to the physical benefits of exercising your respiratory system through singing, there are many important social and emotional benefits of singing and group participation. Another inpatient of the Spinal Unit, Daniel Remenyi said

"There was one session where we were all in hysterics really having a lot of fun ... you do just feel a bit better about your position and where you’re at..."

Singing is an activity that is enjoyable to many people and there is currently an opportunity to use this medium in an innovative way to research the long term effects on wellbeing for individuals with quadriplegia.

This singing group was part of the preparatory work for PhD research being conducted by music therapist, Jeanette Tamplin. This research, funded by the Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative, will look at the effect of music therapy on mood, quality of life, breathing and voice. Evidence based research is necessary to provide information about the effect of different therapeutic intervention programs. The results from the study will provide valuable information about the use of singing as a tool to improve the long term wellbeing of people living with quadriplegia.

Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre is part of Austin Health. The above mentioned study has been approved by the Austin Health Human Research Ethics Committee.

Please contact Mara Ferraro, Project Coordinator on (03) 9496 3877 or mara.ferraro@austin.org.au for more details about the research project and if you would like to be involved.