1. Mount Alexander Shire Council
Disability Awareness
Presentation 10th December 2012

2. Topics Introductions What is disability – facts and figures
What is inclusion and how do we become more inclusive?
Impact of disability and barriers to inclusion
Communication strategies and language of disability
Behaviours of concern

3. What do we mean by disability? Disability Discrimination Act 1992
Disability, in relation to a person, means:
total or partial loss of the person's bodily or mental functions; or
total or partial loss of a part of the body; or
the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness; or
the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing disease or illness; or
the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the person's body; or
a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction; or
a disorder, illness or disease that affects a person's thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment or that results in disturbed behaviour; and includes a disability that:
presently exists; or
previously existed but no longer exists; or may exist in the future; or
is imputed to a person.

4. Prevalence We are all on the list! Statistics estimate that :
20% of the Australian population have a disability.
Disability is strongly correlated to age. The disability rate increases with age from
4% of children with disability, to
41% of people aged 65 to 69, and
92% of people 90 years and over.
We are all on the list!

5. Ways in which we think of disability
Medical model
Rights model
Social Model

6. What is inclusion?
Look at the following case studies and consider what they tell us about inclusion

7. Case studies
Kay attends water aerobics. She seems to enjoy the sessions, but once they are over, she changes and rushes off with her support worker to her next activity
Peter is non verbal. He has a communication board but no-one at the centre knows how to use it. Yesterday he became very angry and began yelling and hitting out at people.
Jasmine coaches a basketball team. Her boss has been told she has autism but this has not affected her work. A week ago there was a fire drill and she hasn’t been back since.

8. Inclusion Is more than presence Supports social inclusion
Allows for independence and dignity
Recognises the impact of disability
Takes time and effort
It is not..
Tokenism
Something that only effects certain people

9. So, what is Inclusion? Inclusion is….
Guaranteeing full enjoyment of life without discrimination
Changing the attitudinal and environmental barriers that result in disabling people with impairments

10. What does it mean for us? We are creating barriers to inclusion when……
We make assumptions and don’t clarify them
We do not fully involve someone (i.e. allow just a presence)
We shield individuals or groups to protect them
We do things for other people they can do for themselves or haven’t asked us to do for them
We are supporting inclusion when...
We challenge our assumptions and values
We are willing to overcome our discomfort
We learn to embrace differences
We recognise that people express themselves differently
We advocate and support the public to be more tolerant

11. Impact of disability Physical disability Sensory disability
Wheelchairs, poor mobility, arthritis, cerebral palsy
Sensory disability
Blind or with low vision
Deaf or hard of hearing
Intellectual disability
Communication impairments
Autism
Mental illness
Age related

12. People with physical disability
Mobility issues (note not all people with physical disability use a wheelchair)
Vertigo
Loss of balance
Fatigue
Functional difficulties e.g. with hand movements
Poor bladder function.

13. What causes physical disability?
Accidents which could result in: 
spinal injury
amputation
acquired brain injury affecting motor skills and limb control
Medical conditions such as: 
cerebral palsy spina bifida
chronic fatigue
inherited conditions passed on genetically (for example limb deficiency)
Age

14. Barriers to inclusion Surfaces - uneven, polished
Access – pathways, doorways, door weight, door handles, stairs
Toilet access
Parking
Social facilities
Lack of hoists
Access to information
Objects out of reach
Narrow spaces

15. Communications and people with physical disability
Do not move or touch wheelchair without permission
Move into eye line
Ask if help is needed and accept “NO”

16. People who are deaf or hard of hearing
May be affected by background noise
May miss spoken cues
May miss verbal or sound alarms
Do not all lip read

17. Communicating with people who are deaf or hard of hearing
Get the person’s attention before you speak
Face the person directly and maintain eye contact
Make sure your mouth is visible
Don’t shout, keep your volume up but natural
Use short sentences
Use visual cues and facial expressions
If you are not being understood, repeat message in different words, or write message down
Hearing loops

18. Communicating with people who are blind or have low vision
Identify yourself and ask others to do the same
Address people by name
Explain sudden noises
Don't shout
Talk about what you and others are doing
Show the person where things are placed
Don't move objects without telling the student
Don't pat assistant animals
If you are leaving, tell the person where you are going, and when you will be back
Give clear directions, don't talk about "here" and "there"

19. Intellectual Disability
• Significantly below average intelligence (lQ of 70 or less). The score is obtained from a standardised test whereby 100 is an average
• Shortcomings in everyday life skills. Personal skills such as self care are inadequate compared with other people of the same age and culture
• Disability appears before eighteenth birthday

20. People with an intellectual disability may:
Learn slowly
Have short term memory issues
Be easily confused
Lack social skills
Find abstract and potential concepts hard
Have difficulty concentrating
Give expected or “right” responses
React adversely to change

21. Communications with people with an intellectual disability
Use the same tone of voice and eye contact as for anyone else
Use age appropriate language
Use plain English, familiar words and short sentences
Accept that you may have to repeat information again
Introduce a person to others in a group
Give one instruction at a time
Give positive feedback
Talk in the here and now avoiding jargon and slang

22. Communications with people with speech impairment
Speak directly to the person not their carer
Maintain eye contact
Use normal speech, volume and pitch and usual lip movement
Encourage but don’t push the person to express themselves
Accept and respond to all forms of communication
Avoid completing words and phrases for the person
Take time to listen and wait for their response
Ask how a communication board or other device works if used
Ask for something to be repeated rather than pretend you understand when you didn’t
Be comfortable with silence

23. People with autism spectrum disorder
Pattern of behaviour in three key areas
communication,
social interaction, and
imaginative thought.
May also coexist with other conditions or disorders, e.g.
intellectual disability,
speech and language disorders,
anxiety and depression (especially in adolescents and adults), epilepsy, attention disorders,
Tourette Syndrome, and
Down Syndrome

24. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder may:
Need a structured environment
Have problems with social interaction
Have problems with generalisations
Have difficulty with double meanings
Have problems with some noises
Have problems with some lights
React adversely to change
Be fixated on one subject

25. Communication and people with autism spectrum disorder
A structured predictable environment
Rules to aid social interaction
Explain metaphors / words with double meanings
Teach generalisations
Use concrete and visual methods: non verbal cues, pictures
Avoid long strings of verbal instructions
Break tasks into components
Be aware of noises which hurt ears : PA systems, bells, buzzers or scraping chairs
Be aware of fluorescent and flickering lights
Black print on coloured paper to avoid contrast (not bright yellow)

26. Myths and mental health
People with mental health disorders are likely to be violent
People with mental health disorders are not very intelligent
People with mental health disorders are likely to behave oddly

27. Some mental health disorders
Schizophrenia
Bi- Polar Disorder
Depression
Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Eating disorders
Post traumatic stress disorder

28. People with a mental illness may experience:
Lack of motivation
Unexplained anger, expressions of emotion
Have difficulty making decisions
Concentration problems
Lack of confidence
High levels of anxiety
Effects of medication

29. Effects of medication Drowsiness and lethargy Restlessness
Dry mouth/persistent thirst
Problems with coordination
e.g. shakiness/tremors in hands
Involuntary movements of mouth, tongue and other parts of the body
Headaches, nausea
Vision difficulties
Quiet space to rest
Flexible attendance requirements
Frequent breaks, go for walks
Frequent drink breaks
Adapt physical actions to minimise impact of shakes. Talk rather than do as per need
Encourage person to explain this to peers
Empathise, provide outside breaks, place to rest
Provide oral explanations

30. Age related disability
Can (and probably will) happen to all of us
Physical – arthritis, mobility, effects of medication
Sensory – sight and hearing
Poor bladder function
Dementia
Depression

31. Language of disability
Is language important or is it all political correctness gone mad?

32. Language of disability
Use
Don’t use
Person with disability
Disabled person
Person suffering from..
An epileptic/paraplegic
Crippled
Abnormal
Impairment
Handicap
Accessible parking/toilet
Disabled parking/toilet
Seizure
Fit
Uses a wheelchair
Wheel chair bound
Person with an intellectual disability
Mentally retarded
Non- disabled, person without a disability
Normal
Is blind or has low vision
Visually impaired

33. General communication strategies
Remember that a person with a disability is a person- like everyone else.
Speak directly to them not their companion.
Don’t shout or raise your voice.
Be willing to communicate in different ways and to learn how to use new tools for communication.
If you don’t know what to do or say, relax and allow the person with a disability to speak/communicate.
Take time to listen to their response- this is very important.
Be honest, don’t pretend that you have understood them. Ask the person to try again using a different term or ask someone else who knows the person to help out.
Remember, as in any conversation, maintain eye contact as you normally would.
Remember the person is not sick, so the person should be viewed as healthy.
Offer assistance when it’s asked for or if the need seems obvious, don’t overdo or insist on it. Respect the person’s right to indicate the type of help they need.
Always talk to the person in an age appropriate manner and especially not as a child.
Find out the person’s abilities and the things they like to do as a way of getting to know the person better.

34. Written communication
Provide a range of formats
Use pictures and drawings to reinforce words. Use Easy English where possible
Use large font size (16 or 18) and a sans serif font
Page numbers should be the same size as the text
Avoid using blocks of capital letters: a mix of upper and lower case
Separate paragraphs with blank lines
Margins left justified only and the same width both sides
Use paper with a matt finish
Use black text on white paper and avoid red or green text.

35. Enrolments Do we have to include?
No-one is obliged to disclose an impairment

36. Questions to ask Ask everyone (with or without disability):
Is there anything which might prevent you fully participating in this activity?
Is there any support you might need to fully participate?
You will not be discriminated against but failure to disclose may mean we cannot provide the support or medical attention you need

37. Case study
Maria normally attends aerobics with her support worker without incident. On one occasion the support worker cannot attend and Maria becomes extremely distressed, bursts into tears and runs out saying she can’t stay any longer.
How can we assist Maria?

38. Behaviours of concern What is a behaviour of concern?
Why is it happening?
Who can help?
Making your expectations known
Code of conduct
Consideration of dignity

39. Critical incident planning
Safety first:
You
Person concerned
Rest of the community
Keep calm
Do not man handle
Call the police
Debrief

40. Look after yourself
At some point you will feel tired, frustrated, irritable, overwhelmed. This is normal – but don’t react negatively.
Recognise when this is happening
Find someone to talk to
Have a break