If you've interacted with JFA Purple Orange in the past 12 months, we want to hear from you in our annual survey! Share your thoughts on what we are doing well and how we can improve in the ways we work and communicate with you and the disability community.
Registrations for JFA Purple Orange's SKILL regional workshops are now open! This is a series of FREE workshops for people living with disability, family members and allies. Topics will cover how to live your best life, getting the most out of the NDIS, and more.
The South Australian Safeguarding Task Force was established in May 2020 to investigate gaps in safeguarding practices for people living with disability in SA. The Task Force's interim report, which addresses gaps and provides recommendations on safeguarding practices, is now available.
Applications are now open for the JFA Noske Christmas Fund! The JFA Noske Christmas fund distributes grants of up to $150 to assist eligible adults living with physical disability, acquired brain injury or degenerative neurological disorder, to celebrate Christmas.
We have submitted our recommendations to the National Transport Commission about its review of guidelines for trials of automated vehicles in Australia.
As Australia relaxes its COVID-19 restrictions, we know that it is important to hear from people living with disability about their experience as they may have different perspective, challenges and insight. So we reached out to five people, who each live with a different disability, about their thoughts and their tips on managing anxiety and stress as restrictions change.
In our final video of the self-advocacy series with Our Voice SA, Gavin and Libby tell us about making your own decisions.
Purple Orange talk to Our Voice members Gavin Burner and Libby Crawford on why it is important that everyone knows their rights.
Covid-19: It feels very odd to say this is the upside of this terrible horrific thing that's happening
Not only are many people living with disability feeling really well equipped to handle the pandemic, but for some, there has been a surprising silver lining.
Read a transcript of this podcast here.
When Ellen Fraser-Barbour was 19, she decided to travel on her own to India. Everyone told her it was a bad idea.
"You are crazy," they said. "You are deaf. You are blind! You can't travel on your own!" But Ellen decided that was their anxiety. It wasn't her anxiety. So she persevered with her plan.
Listen to the newest Purple Orange podcast episode on the link above.
Read the story and see photos of Ellen's trip to India here.
I have travelled to New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom, but one place I really enjoyed was London. I was in a long-distance relationship with an Englishman at the time, and that gave me the courage to visit the UK, knowing that I was going to stay with someone I knew. To my surprise, many of the old buildings I visited had better disability access than I thought they would.
It’s the law in the UK that major tourist attractions must provide information on disability access through the publication of Access Guides, which are usually available online, and printed copies are available onsite too. These are guidebooks with information on accessibility, transport and information for parents.
I was able to plan my trip more effectively because of the access information available online. I was able to decide that yes, there are some things that I’m not able to see because some buildings are 1000 years old and there are stairs or uneven surfaces, but there is enough that I can see and do that will be worth the admission fee.
Because of my experiences in the UK, I feel that a lot can be done in Australia to make things more accessible to everyone. It would be helpful if it was law for tourist attractions to have accessibility information on their websites because this is information that people like me look for when planning travel. It all comes down to educating people as well. I have noticed in Australia that most people are unsure what an accessible room is.
Accessibility and inclusion are things that I’m passionate about – I’ve been working with Baptist Care SA for 2 years, helping churches become more inclusive and accessible to everyone. I have also written several reviews on TripAdvisor from the point of view of someone with a physical disability, to enable other wheelchair users to have the knowledge required to plan their travels. My review is sometimes the only one that mentions wheelchair access. I was even quoted in a blog written by TripAdvisor about “top tips for visiting the world’s top museums".
We want to see a world where everyone is included, respected and gets a fair go in life. We can't get there without acknowledging that our office sits on the land of the Kaurna people. Like people living with disability, we recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people continue to experience inequality and division. We want them to know we are their allies. We believe their culture, history, diversity and deep connection to the land deserves our highest respect.