The Pro Bono News Kneebone cartoon.The UK CEO of social enterprise giant The Big Issue has warned delegates to a Melbourne disability employment conference to be wary of the personalised care model to be introduced under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. – read the full article here.
Today’s Pro Bono News cartoon. As the post ‘Disability Funding Backflip Fuels Calls for Certainty from NFP Sector’ reports- a number of recently defunded disability advocacy groups, representing 200,000 people with disabilities, have been given ‘transition funding’ until the end of June. This short-term backflip is small change compared to the overall $1 billion cuts to community services.
Regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Mitch Fifield said:
“None of us are served – Governments, providers, participants, potential participants, carers – none of us are served by anything other than a clear-eyed realism in relation to the Scheme.”
As posted on the Pro Bono Australia website ‘The “Stressful” State of the Disability Sector – Report’
Here is this fortnight’s NFP-Kneebone cartoon for Pro Bono Australia news.
This is disability commentator and blogger John McKenna’s tribute to Stella Young, writer, comedian, journalist and disability activist who died last Saturday. Watch Stella’s TED Talk ‘I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much’.
Today’s Pro Bono news cartoon. Abuse of people with disability in institutionalised services was exposed in this week’s 4 Corners – ABC Television program, in particular sexual assault in homes run by Yooralla, one of Australia’s largest disability support organisations. A number of posts on the Pro Bono website give background and more detail of the situation (Independent inquiry call over Yooralla abuse, Yooralla CEO quits, Government rejects Disability Abuse Inquiry).
Mick, Jane and Me, Living well with MS is a book written by Adelaide poet Carolyn Cordon. Mick and Jane are the names of her sticks. Carolyn writes:
When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)/… I wanted to have a book like the one I’ve written here -/a book with the feelings, medicines, processes/ emotions and misunderstandings/ I had to work through/ to find a place of peace within.
Carolyn also created a blog to go with her memoir – click here.
For the book she wanted an illustration at the start of each chapter. Because the book has so much to say: Carolyn’s story, thoughts, ideas, and information, I ended up with many more illustrations than was needed.
Below are a few of the pictures. Together they do tell some of Carolyn’s story.
‘Advocacy and Disability Not for Profits have reacted strongly to suggestions that funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme [NDIS] may be cut back or the roll-out slowed. The Coalition Government indicated for the first time that the National Disability Insurance Scheme may be hit by funding cutbacks as part of so called “budget savings”’. Read more from the Pro Bono news website here.
Pro Bono is the ‘online hub for people engaged with Australia’s Not for Profit Communities’.
Here is my NFP Kneebone take on the report:
There are many young people with disabilities living in nursing homes. The new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) promises a great step forward for supporting people with disabilities getting on with their lives. However, as this Pro Bono News post explains, it will not help those young people in aged care nursing homes as there is already a lack of suitable and affordable housing for all young people with disabilities. Research has found that ’53 per cent of young people in residential aged care received a visit from a friend less than once a year’.
Here is my cartoon for the Pro Bono website:
Here is today’s Pro Bono News cartoon.
The not-for-profit sector is set to do it tough under our new conservative government. The government has said it will abolish the charities regulator (ACNC), and the minister in charge of the new Disability Care (NDIS) is not in the cabinet. Read more here.
On the bright side, the UN World Happiness Report has ranked Australia in 10th place. Read the Pro Bono article here.
Simon Kneebone - cartoonist and illustrator 
