Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013

Tribute to Nelson Mandela 

Nelson Mandela 

1918 - 2013 

Painted by Judith Baker

Judy's Website Art of Aquarius 

Visionary

Freedom Fighter

Nobel Peace Winner

Former President of South Africa 

Personal Hero 

My awaking to the political climate in South Africa and the social injustices the natives suffered as a result of English domination happen in 1992 when I read Bryce Contrary's Power of One. Mandela himself needs not introduction as the freedom fighter through personal imprisonment gave all to unite a nation both black and white! 

"No one us born hating another person because 

of the color of his skin,

or his background, or his religion. 

People must learn to hate,

and if they can learn to hate,

they can be taught to love,

for love comes more naturally 

to the human heart than its opposite."

Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013

A personal hero who help shape the compassion I feel for my fellow man.  I do not mind who I was born but I love the person I have become because of those who have walk before me a faced there own injustices. As I remember the life another remarkable human being, I am humble and inspired to continue to work towards my own dream to see equality and social inclusion of all people in Australia.

The best tribute I can give to Nelson Mandela is to spread his message of equality.

In writing this post I join with bloggers around the world inspired by Nelson Mandela and others who walked before us, to raises social justice issues which still need highlighting.  The march towards equality continues. 

Australian Government's Continue to fail people with disabilities

When we think about the violation of Human Rights, we rarely stop to remember that these violations are occurring within our own boarders.  Our thoughts wander to those countries who imprison people without charge. Yet there are several people currently serving indefinite time in Australian Prisons, because our legal system deems them unfit to stand trial.  This usually occurs when a person has a significant intellectual or psychological disability.

Access to the justice system for people with intellectual disability in Australia was just one issue the UN Commission for Human Rights raised with a delegation from Australia last month.  Others issues included, the percentage of people with disabilities living in residential care and the lack of alternative supported accommodations. 

Within this population women with indigenous backgrounds are more likely to experience rape and repeated sexual abuse. Often these women have little concept of what life holds outside their ‘homes’ receiving no support from sexual health services and certainly no access to justice system.    I know all too well from personal experience even when a victim of sexual assault is able to make a complaint and provide evidence, the police strongly discourage you from making formal charge especially when the accused in intellectually demisted.

The current Australian Government’s plan to ensure the rights of people living with disability and to move them and their families towards full social inclusion is the National Disability Scheme. While this scheme will go a long way towards, the improvement in access to medical assistance, early intervention, daily living needs, more appropriate accommodation for younger Australians, access to education and employment.

It does not to address the rights and living conditions of long term residential program residents and increased the protection of women in their care against assault. The government has failed in the recognition of the lack of access to the justice system particularly among those currently placed in residential care and diagnosed with mental illness, nor has it produced and viable alternative for the imprisonment of offenders who are unable to understand the judgital system.

Currently people with an intellectual disability or needing assistance are ineligible to vote, unless they can prove the ability to do so. In other Western countries it is on the government’s responsibility to prove the person’s incapacity to vote.

The Commission for Human Rights also expressed concerns over the non existence of planning to assist and care for in the event of a natural disaster. My own experience having been to two floods in the last five years has lead to very limited support during this period.  Most support services are suspended while staff, deal with their own crisis. People with disability while to faces with the effects of disaster still need assistance to get out of bed,  be feed and showed.  No planning has occurred to address their needs.

People with disability because of lack of community understand and little social inclusion, have no natural support system. Finding themselves further isolated and neglected during natural disasters. All levels of government continually fail to ensure the Human Rights people living with disability and mental health issues are provided.

It saddens me that I need to use my world blog action day post to highlight the systemic violation of Human Rights that people living with disability face in a prosperous nation such as Australia. 

Put your hand up for ability!

"The ideal of equal opportunity holds no water unless it truly 

includes all people, including people with disabilities."

K. Martinez

Human Rights means equality

Access For All

"The ideal of equal opportunity holds no water unless it truly 

includes all people, including people with disabilities."

K. Martinez

World Blog Action Day is now only five days away.

Those who follow my blog will know the theme this year is 

is Human Rights 

As a advocate for people living with disability in Australia, I can tell you first hand that the rights of people with disability in Australia are often abuse. The likely hood of abuse increase for those living in residential facilities and group homes. Currently there are over 6,000 people with disability under the age of 40 in nursing homes. These facilitates and the programs are designed for those in their late 70's, 80's and 90's.

Younger people under 40 rarely have the opportunity to access the community and there only interaction is with people twice their age.  The incidence of likely emotional, finical, physical and sexual abuse increases if you are female and further escalate in you are of indigenous or Torrist  Straight decent.  , 

It is a shock to head that there is such a high incidence of people living within Australia who are denied so much access to basic humane rights and recently the Australian Government received a negative report card from the UN Commission on Human Rights.  Many human rights areas are not covered specifically for people living with disabilities under Australian Legislation. 

Please join me to learn more on October 16, 2013.  

Debbie    

Everyone has potential!

October 16 2013 is Blog action day! Its a day where bloggers around the world link up through social media to draw attention to a single issue or event. This is the 4th year I have participated in the event.    Every blogger taking part in the event has a badge to signified their participation. For more information visit the website

  The theme for 2013 is HUMAN RIGHTS. When I think of human rights I naturally thing of issues such as children sold in to sex slavery, the treatment of women in the third world; restrictions on religious practices and children captured by the IRA in Africa. 

However, human rights issues are involved wherever a restriction on individual choice is made.  To read more on current Human Rights concerns for the UN visit their Human Rights Page. 

Right now, it may shock you to know a large Human Right  Issue is emerging here within Australia. 

It's the issue I wrote about in last years blog post for Blog Acton Day or BAD#12. The National Disability Insurance Scheme or the  NDIS. Since that time the NDIS has undergone a name change and current under trail in five states around Australia, and will be phase in across all states over next five years.  Recently here in Australia we had an election and the new government has reverted back to the name of the NDIS.

For the first all levels of government across Australia recognized that people with disability and their families have the right to CHOICE. This recognition brings us into line with the UN charter of Human Rights. In making this recognition Australia highlights the are different possibilities for individuals, regardless of the nature of their disability and the level of impairment.  

However Australia has a long road to travel insuring the Human Rights of all Australian's living with disability have all their basic Human Rights meet. Even in Australia people living with disability are three to four times likely to be living below the poverty live, have little say about their residential address, are denied basic medical treatment on the bases they are already disabled, 1 in 3 women with disability experience some form of sexual assault with is higher among women living in residential care and most preputaters are male staff.           

This is a no frills approach to disability care. 

• No choice in meal times
• Little choice in what they eat.
• Set shower times
•   Clothing chosen for them
• Set activities

These are major breeches in the UN's charter to Human Rights. Breeches that could cost Australian its position on the security council.  Other issues include better access to the community, transport, education, skills development, full employment and  equal pay issues.  It is undeniable that Australians with disabilities continue to have restricted choices and at high risk of abuse from those who care for them.   

Hearings and reports to the UN have recently taken place. On blog Action Day I am going to tell you some person stories of breeches I know of in terms of Humane Rights.