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The
combined 2nd International Conference
Welcome Please visit www.headcase.com.au for more information on our media presentation submissions Conference Announcement flyer (pdf)
Our Mission Statement The aim of BIA is to work nationally to ensure that all people living with acquired brain injury have access to the supports and resources they require to optimize their social and economic participation in the community. Downloads Strategic
Directions 2007/2009 pdf BIA Members Brain
Injury Association of New South Wales Contact BIA Office Telephone Fax Email BIA
would like to intoduce our new Executive Officer Nick
Rushworth
Would you like to be added to our mailing list to receive information on Acquired Brain Injury? Click
here FAHCSIA The Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) has a regular sector update to keep you informed about FaHCSIA disability issues. It replaces the Reform Agenda and the Quality Assurance newsletters and can be forwarded to any other interested readers. To view disability e-news please go to the link: In this edition: News
Program Updates
Business Services in Action
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Welcome to BIAAbout acquired brain injury Acquired Brain Injury is often called the hidden disability because its long term problems are usually in the areas of thinking and behaviour, and are not as easy to see and recognise as many other physical disabilities. As a consequence, the difficulties people with brain injuries face are easily ignored or misunderstood. Even family members and friends may regard a person with Acquired Brain Injury who exhibits Cognitive problems or changed behaviour, as lazy or hard to get along with. The term Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is used to describe all types of brain injury that occur after birth. There is very little understanding or knowledge in the community about brain injury and the impact it has on individuals and families. Acquired Brain Injury is not to be confused with intellectual disability. People with an Acquired Brain Injury do not necessarily experience a decline in their overall level of general intellectual functioning. Rather, they are more likely to experience specific cognitive changes that lead to difficulty in areas such as memory, concentration and communication. Acquired brain injury is also not a mental illness. Mental illness is an observable abnormality in the functioning of the brain. Brain injury, although it does alter the functioning of the brain, is an observable abnormality in the structure of the brain – a physical condition that causes a change in function. Mental illness does not, by definition, arise from a physical condition. *Definition
courtesy of Brain Injury Association of Queensland BIA is the national peak acquired brain injury organisation representing, through its State member organisations, the interests and needs of people with acquired brain injury, their families and carers. BIA (formerly known as Head Injury Council of Australia) was formed at the first national community based conference on acquired brain injury in 1986. (The Federal Government began funding BIA in 1991). BIA represents all people with acquired brain injury whatever the cause. Literature suggests that most people who experience an acquired brain injury are likely to be within the lower income brackets. Although not always so, societal power structures can mean that their voices are also less likely to be heard. BIA is committed to ensuring that they will be. Home care for young is all uphillNew programs aim to keep young disabled people out of nursing homes, writes Lynnette Hoffman | June 07, 2008 THIRTY-somethings don't belong in nursing homes. Cynthia Sederino is confident of that. Determined to save her 33-year-old daughter, Arianna, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, from that fate, Cynthia sold her property to fund modifications to her father's Melbourne home so she could keep caring for Arianna herself. Wheelchair ramps were added, the shower and bathrooms were modified, handrails were put in and kitchen benches lowered so Arianna could prepare herself food. If she hadn't been able to find the money herself, Cynthia says she'd "still be waiting". And by then it would probably be too late. "There's just so much bureaucratic red tape you've got to go through to get anything done," she said. Victoria has launched a pilot program aimed at keeping young people with progressive neurological diseases such as MS, motor neurone disease, Huntington's, Parkinson's and others out of nursing homes. Arianna Sederino one of 20 patients taking part. To read the complete article visit http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23818251-23289,00.html As appeared in Melbourne's AGE Newspaper.....
Click
here Click
here CONGRATULATIONS National Disability Awards Recipients 2007 The recipients of the inaugural National Disability Awards 2007 were announced by IDPwD Patron Paula Duncan at a gala awards ceremony at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on Monday 3 December 2007. The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP and Parliamentary Secretary, The Hon Bill Shorten MP, presented the Awards and congratulated and thanked the recipients and finalists of the Awards, who were selected from over 290 outstanding applications. The 2007 recipients were: •
Mr Keith Hayes - Community Contribution Award (Person
with disability who has made a significant contribution
to their community)
Dawn
(BINSA) shaking hands with Jenny Macklin MP A
national disability internet portal
is now part of the Australian Government’s website
australia.gov.au.
The website links to information and services on over
700 Australian Government websites as well as selected
state and territory resources. australia.gov.au
also searches over five million government web pages.
The disability
portal provides coordinated access to a range
of online disability-related information and resources:
Centrelink
Carelink
Centres and Directory
CRS
Australia
FaCSIA
including Business Services
Disability
Open Employment Services
Disability
Rights
HealthInsite
JobAble
Information
for individuals and communities and
National
Auslan Booking and Payment Service.
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THE AIM OF BIA IS TO WORK NATIONALLY TO ENSURE THAT ALL PEOPLE LIVING WITH ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY HAVE ACCESS TO THE SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES THEY REQUIRE TO OPTIMIZE THEIR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
Brain
Injury Australia Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page URL http://www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au/index.htm
| This Page was last updated: 1 August 2008
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