Peter's Story - Every Australian Counts

When They're Counting on US!

As a person with a disability I count myself blessed for being born in Australia, I find it difficult to imagine, myself being born in a country such as India, where no services exist and people labelled as ‘lame’ often are abandoned at birth because the child has no potential to support the family.
Back home in Australian I enjoy the blessings of being part of my family and the freedom to play an active role in my community. However, not every person with a disability is so fortunate. Many families live in a constant state of kaos as they struggle to meet the needs of their child who has a disability. It is usually the case the parents remain responsible for the child’s ongoing care well into their adult years. By which time their other children have established independent lives.

Even more heart breaking, are the stories I hear and read about of people who acquire a significant disability in later life. I hear stories from people who medical professionals deem beyond worthy of the same medical attention as an able bodied person, because of their ‘perceived’ limited ability to participate in the community.

Sadly the only option for some people, who acquire a profound disability during their adult years, becomes a life in a nursing home, where they are the youngest resident by twenty or thirty years.
Whether or not a person has a family who have the capacity to care and support a person with a disability should not be the sole determination of whether a person with a disability lives in the community or ‘in care’.

The sad reality in Australia at present is the types of support services available to individuals with a disability or families who care for a member of their family who have disabilities is dependent on so many variables. This area things such as where you live (different formulas apply in different states.); the type of disability (for example access to appropriate therapies for children with Cerebral Palsy are much more accessible, than children who have Autism, even when the child’s needs are greater), general community support plays a huge role in determining the quality of life some with a disability can have. If a community as a whole can advocate for a person’s needs then supports are developed.
Despite advances in human rights and disabilities standards, inequality for service provision and support carry a wide gap between one person with a disability and another. At present gaining any type of assistance is a game of chance. You fill in the paper work, jump through the various hoops and hope for something, often the tiniest percentage of what you actually need. The randomness of the successful outcome has no rhythm or rhyme to it. It’s like playing lotto sometimes your numbers come up, but often they don’t.

But thankfully after much shouting, protesting, submissions, interviewers, a royal commission things in Australia look set to change and people with a disability look like having the same access to services regardless of whether they live in Wollongong, Darwin or a cattle station in Western Australian. Sadly in my home state of Queensland the fight to join the National Disability Insurance Scheme still continues. However, the persistence and victories won by my fellow campaigners in other states helps me hold out for hope.

Meanwhile we continue to don on our red t-shirts, hold up our ‘Every Australian Counts!’ signs, and walk the streets until our voices too are heard. We will continue to write to our members of parliament, make phone calls, talk to the media, continue to share our stories, until we too have our needs covered by a National Insurance Scheme. Please visit http://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/about/ for information on the National Disability Insurance scheme and the recommendations of the productivity commission.
As we continue to echo the phase Every Australian Counts, until everybody will a disability has access to the same support and assistance as the peers living anywhere in Australia, including outback Queensland then you can join us at http://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/home/. Even better come join us on Friday 26 October for a disabilityTEA somewhere in this great south land, or even hold your own, and let people know Every Australian Counts.

This my friends is an example of what we at BAD#12 call The Power of We! The collective power a choir of voices can achieve. While it is difficult for an individual to create change when enough individuals speak or act together the real change can and does occur.
To day we bloggers around the world are uniting to spread the message that we do hold the power to change the world! I encourage you not just to read my story, the story of other bloggers around the world via visiting the http://blogactionday.org website.

Remember on the world stage of social change YOU’RE VOICE COUNTS!

STOP AND THINK BEFORE YOU BUY PINK!

Escaping the fact that’s its breast cancer awareness month in October has become as difficult as escaping the endless, Christmas commercialism  that once was isolated to December, but increasing seems to invade our lives all year round, losing its traditional Christian message, so much that I meet a growing no. of Christian who boycott celebrating Christmas. Let’s face it Jesus wasn’t born in December away, so celebrating his birth on 25^th of December in the mist of all the hype has become meaningless.

The question now bring raised by cancer survivors is has the ‘pink ribbon campaign’ become a victim of its own success. Are companies now just printing a pink ribbon on their products as a branding or marketing tool? And how is the money actually benefiting women who have breast cancer or early detection of breast cancer?

Supporting the McGrath Foundation

It sadden me to say their are companies and fundraiser out their who are sprouting the message for their own profits to the point that organisation who are fundraising put ‘pink’ buyer beware on there websites and their are now websites who publish a list of genuine fundraising  merchandise. The best way to ensure your donation dollar gets to where it is needed is by direct donation to the  Cancer Council in your state or well establish charities with a proven track record such as the National Breast Cancer Network  or Mc Grath Foundation. These genuine organisation build awareness and give direct support to women and fund raise all year round.  So you don’t need to fall trap to ‘think pink’ scammers, take you donation dollars outside the month of October if you wish. I recommend you buy your pink ribbon gear here.

"A pink ribbon on a item does not always mean your supporting women with Breast Cancer"

Today via a blog I follow I was me aware of the original meaning of ‘the pink ribbon’.  In a way was it was worn as a honour badge as a symbol of being a survivor of the disease known as breast cancer. Later it was worn as a symbol of solidarity worn by victims families and friends.  In its humble begins the pink ribbon was not about fundraising.  It was a powerful symbol of survival with a determination to defeat Breast Cancer.

Sadly in today’s commercialization of everything the original ideals held for the pink ribbon are lost. The hang on our dresses, shirts and ties like candy canes on a Christmas tree.  Pink is now the color of money, not a symbol of survival. Just like Christmas, pink October has fallen victim to branding and commercialism.

Together We Stand

Each year I am involved in hosting a Girls Night In typically recognised as ‘another breast cancer fundraiser event’ which it is not!  The Queensland Cancer Council’s Girls Night In Campaign is first and foremost about education of all types of cancers specific to women!  Of which, yes Breast Cancer is one, however at Girls Night In we’re also about educating women about cervical and ovarian cancer.

You can support my fundraiser here

By far the biggest threat to these cancers is early detection through education and early screening. This not only save lives but potential cost to the Health System, if we raise money bravo! It’s always seen as an addition.  I too am sadden in the past it was about reaching my target.  Now its – don’t want to donate, cool! Come hang out with the girls and remind yourself to be proactive about your health.  That’s why, I pack my girlfriends goodie bags with information showing them how to do self-examinations.  Hey, you can creatively do something like this yourself, simply designing a postcard or writing you girlfriends a letter.  You may end up being a life saver and that’s better than any donation amount. 

Although I having the girls over on Saturday night. It is not a fundraiser! It’s our night to enjoy being girls. I have chosen this year to host my fundraiser in November away from all the ‘pink ribbons’.

For me October is a chance to stop!  Take stock! Do the girl talk thing! Check our check-ups are up to date! And well party!!!!!

Our girl's night 2011

We’re having a craft night and will sell what we make at my pink Christmas and donate the money to the Queensland Cancer Council.  You can make a direct donation to them at My secure fund rasing page

So when you out and about and see a pink ribbon, STOP! Reflect on its original intent. Ask is that where you want your money to go?  Any by all means if the answer yes, or you need that particular items anyway, then I happy for you to make you purchase.  All I’m asking is you STOP AND THINK BEFORE YOU BUY PINK!