UN Study on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Girls With Disability
The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ms. Catalina Devandas Aguilar, is compiling a significant report on the sexual and reproductive health rights of girls with disabilities which will be presented to the 72nd Session of United Nations General Assembly.
Networks of people with disability, organisations and Government can contribute to the report by completing a questionnaire available from the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights website.
Submissions close 20 May 2017
WWDA Welcomes New Management Committee Members
Following the WWDA Annual General Meeting earlier this year, WWDA has welcomed several new members to our Management Committee. We will be introducing our new members over the next few weeks.
In other Committee news, Management Committee member Margherita Coppolino is heading off to the World Dwarf Games in Ontario, Canada this August. Margherita has previously competed at the games and this year she has been training hard for the weight lifting events. WWDA wishes her all the best!
Policy and Submissions
- WWDA made a submission to, and endorsed, the Australian NGO Coalition Submission to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Review of Australia Fifth Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, prepared by the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Kingsford Legal Centre.
- WWDA is writing a submission to Labor’s Gender Equity consultation.
- WWDA is providing a submission to the the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities report on the sexual and reproductive health rights of girls with disabilities which will be presented to the 72nd Session of United Nations General Assembly.
- WWDA has provided extensive content and design feedback to Medibank Health Solutions on the draft changes to the 1800RESPECT website.
Collaboration
- WWDA endorsed an open letter from Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) to the Foreign Minister and Attorney General calling for Australia to become a state party to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESCR).
- WWDA and DPO Australia have met with a range of Federal politicians regarding the call for a Royal Commission into violence against people with disability. Most recently, Carolyn Frohmader met with Senator Catryna Bilyk in Hobart.
Have Your Say
The Right to Independence and Inclusion
The United Nations Committee that overseas the Convention on the Rights of People with Disability (CRPD) have released their Draft General Comment on the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community (CRPD, Article 19).
General Comments help Governments and other stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of what a specific human rights article means and how it can be implemented.
In the Australian context, Article 19 of the CRPD has particular relevance as we move toward a full NDIS roll-out and as many call on Governments to address housing affordability issues.
Organisations can make submissions regarding the Draft General Comment up until 30 June 2017.
First Peoples: Living Our Way
Our friends over at First Peoples Disability Network are hosting a conference for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability to come and learn how they can engage with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and share their stories.
The conference will run 23rd to 25th May 2017 in Wagga Wagga and sponsored registration is available for First Peoples with disability. Registrations close Friday 19th May 2017.
Visit the conference registration page for more information.
Disability News
A new approach to disability in the workplace (University of Melbourne)
Sages, villains and seers: Mapping disability in science fiction and fantasy (Bitch Media)
The intersection of ageing and disability (United Nations)
‘I’m tired of people being scared of my face, which is why I’m putting it on TV‘ (SMH)
From Our Members
Do you write, blog or create media?
WWDA and WWDA Youth Network are happy to promote creative and engaging work by our members on our Facebook pages, websites and in this newsletter. Let us know if you have something you would like to share or if you have found a resource or website you think others might be interested in.