Grete had been living in a domestic violence situation and had experienced physical, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse over many years. After her stroke, Grete’s partner left her and she became a single mother with a disability caring for two young children.

Grete was extremely socially isolated as she had no other family living in Australia and was having great difficulties managing her home, she struggled with undertaking basic tasks such as shopping, cleaning and cooking for her family, and accessing the community. Furthermore, Greta had limited proficiency in English, no understanding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and experienced difficulty accessing mainstream services and was needing to find safe and suitable housing.

Despite the fact she had received support from a hospital rehabilitation team, to access the NDIS, her application to the NDIS was rejected twice.

Grete had also been supported by the same team to apply for Disability Support Pension (DSP), however this and the following appeal was also rejected.

As a result despite her disability, Grete remained on Newstart Allowance and was required to actively look for work, which was extremely stressful.

AMPARO became involved and was able to secure further medical evidence to support another Access Request to the NDIS and in the meantime advocacy supported Greta to access the Qld Community Support Scheme. However not long after this AMPARO was successful in securing access to the NDIS for Greta.

In the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Grete’s partner returned to Australia to live in the same household with her and her children. Greta’s situation became more serious, but she did not feel she had the capacity or resources to find and pay for an alternative living situation and remained living in the same house with her children. Grete was hesitant for the advocate to assist her to apply for Department of Housing accommodation, as her financial situation was very unclear and she was in desperate need for legal assistance.

Over a 15 month period AMPARO’S advocacy was able to:

• Secure a specialist’s assessment and further relevant medical evidence to support a new NDIS Access Request, which was successful.
• Secure a good level of funding in Greta’s NDIS Plan to meet her needs, including adequate Support Coordination.
• Connect Greta with a culturally responsive and skilled service providers who could meet her specific language and cultural needs.
• Support Greta to obtain community legal assistance for advice and support.
• Make a successful application for Greta to receive the disability support pension.
• Applied for and accessed safe, affordable public housing and support for her to move to her new home.

The strong independent advocacy by AMPARO has brought positive and sustainable changes to Grete’s life and has given her new opportunities to care for her children, participate in the local community, build her informal support network, improve her physical strength and gain control over her own life.

Around 200 people with disability rallied in Brisbane and Rockhampton yesterday to raise their concerns about the future of funding for disability advocacy, as part of the Stand with Us! campaign.

Spokesperson for the Stand with us! campaign, Des Ryan, said that yesterday’s turnout shows just how much disability advocacy matters to people with disability.

“Advocacy helps people with disability right across Queensland, including in regional areas, when they’re most in need of help. Help that is not available through any other avenue,” Mr Ryan said.

CEO of ADA Australia and spokesperson for the QLD Disability Advocacy Alliance Geoff Rowe said that people with disability have been heard, but there is more work to do.

“Through the Stand with us! campaign Queensland Government has heard directly from people with disability that access to advocacy is very important in their lives, and they have listened.

“However, the need for advocacy support is ongoing and people with disability and their families need certainty that advocacy supports will be available to them in the future.”

Minister Crawford attended the rally and reaffirmed Queensland Government support for disability advocacy but acknowledged that the two-year funding commitment is a stop-gap measure while an ongoing funding model for advocacy is developed between the state and federal governments.

This work will be guided by a new National Disability Strategy and a Federal Government demand and gap analysis of independent disability advocacy and decision-making supports.

Geoff Rowe said that work towards an ongoing disability advocacy funding model is paramount, and that the NDIS is only one part of the picture.

“The two-year funding commitment is a great start, and the Alliance looks forward to working with government to help develop a sustainable and fair funding model that provides advocacy support for all Queenslanders with disability, not just those who are participants in the NDIS.”

In the meantime, the Alliance will work with Queensland Government on processes to allocate the $8.1 million and continue to provide disability advocacy support where it’s needed.
Stand with us! visit www.standwithus.com.au

Media contacts:

Geoff Rowe, ADA Australia E: geoff.rowe@adaaustralia.com.au P: 0474 774 273

Maureen Fordyce, AMPARO E: maureen@amparo.org.au P: 0401 600 245

About QLD Disability Advocacy Alliance

A number of independent disability advocacy organisations across the state have joined forces to form the QLD Disability Advocacy Alliance, who are collectively calling on the Queensland Government for continued funding support for individual, citizen and systemic disability advocacy.

The Alliance includes:

Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Disability Network of Queensland (ATSIDNQ)

AMPARO Advocacy

Capricorn Citizen Advocacy

Gold Coast Advocacy

Independent Advocacy NQ

IRASI – Ipswich Regional Advocacy Services Inc

Mackay Advocacy

Queenslanders with Disability Network

Rights in Action

SUFY – Speaking up for You

TASC – The Advocacy and Support Centre

There was a five-year-old boy who went to his first football training. He was excited. He was happy. Until …his coach told him “why don’t you stay at home. You can’t kick a soccer ball, this is not a place for you”. But he didn’t stay at home. He didn’t stop. He didn’t let this discrimination hold him back. After many years the boy became a Paralympic football player. This boy was me!

I have big dreams. I have always dreamt of becoming the first President of Somalia who has a disability. This dream to change the history of Somalia is still with me. I want all young people to have free education so they can go to university and get a job. I am taking steps toward my dream and am studying Criminal Justice at Griffith University.

I consider myself very lucky to have a close family that is very positive and supportive towards me. My Mum has also faced many challenges in her life – living in a refugee camp, having seven children and having a child with a disability. Yet she never treated me differently or made me feel different to my other siblings. When I was young it was hard to accept my condition. My Mum taught me to accept my condition. She told me my condition is from the creator. I have realized there are so many ways to accept my circumstance and live well with my disability. We are all brought into this world for a reason and have the ability to do whatever we want with our lives!

I always try to be uplifting now, but when I look back at my young self, I did not feel so positive. I experienced a lot of discrimination and abuse from friends. When I played football with them they told me, “you can’t even kick the ball so why don’t you stay at home or be a keeper”. Everybody goes through difficulties in their lives but people with disability have many other challenges and things they cannot do at all. I want to write about why having a disability is difficult.

The reason why I have joined AMPARO is so I can learn to assist my plan along with my career goals. It is an opportunity for encouragement, a chance to keep building confidence and develop my skills in areas like leadership. My second plan is to share my story and encourage other people with disabilities to pursue their dreams. People with disability have been hidden away or experienced abuse, ignorance, discrimination and prejudice. I think AMPARO Advocacy is an important organization that stands up for the rights of all people with disability to live in the community, with choices equal to others.

Born in Sri Lanka, Don came to Brisbane in 1974. His professional life was in personnel management here and overseas in London. Over the years Don has been involved in many community organisations, including: the Qld Youth Orchestra Council, Queensland Braille, the Writing Association, and the QLD Narrating Service and was the former president of the Sri Lanka Society of Qld.

Don was the inaugural President of AMPARO Advocacy in 2004 and provided outstanding leadership in that position until stepping down in 2018. Don with other early members was instrumental in the development of the vision, values and beliefs that guide the important work of the organisation. In recognition of his significant contribution and commitment to AMPARO and the multicultural sector, Don was awarded a Qld Multicultural Award in 2008.

As a leader Don has always led from alongside, he has been pivotal in guiding the development of AMPARO as an independent advocacy agency and has always showed great sensitivity and support towards his fellow committee members and to all the staff.

It was Don who coined the term the AMPARO Family, to include all those who are involved with and support AMPARO’s vision and work. In 2018 after 14 years, Don stepped down as President but remained in the role of vice-President to mentor the new President of AMPARO Advocacy.

Don retired from the Management Committee of AMPARO in 2019 and his stewardship of AMPARO Advocacy is reflected in this video he kindly developed with the assistance of Alexandra Duarte a QUT Social Work student on placement with AMPARO and Jen Barrkman another member of the AMPARO management committee.