Arthritis and disability

Executive summary: Arthritis Australia commissioned the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at UNSW Australia to carry out research on the lived experience of people with arthritis related conditions. This report outlines the methods, findings and implications of the research. Arthritis is the second leading cause of disability and the most common cause of chronic pain in Australia; it is the most prevalent long-term health condition, affecting 3 million people or about 15 per cent of the population. Studies are available on the health costs and loss of productivity associated with arthritis, but not as much is understood about the extent to which arthritis is associated with disability–who is affected, how people are affected, what helps people cope with their condition day to day, and how support services can be improved. Improving understanding of the disability impact of arthritis is particularly important given the transition in Australia to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the impact this may have on service availability and delivery

Evaluation of Services Our Way

An evaluation of Services Our Way, a NSW Government service model designed to build the capacity of Aboriginal people to have greater access to mainstream and disability services and encourage self-directed support. Overview Services Our Way is a NSW Government service model designed to build the capacity of Aboriginal people to have greater access to mainstream and disability services and encourage self-directed support. The Social Policy Research Centre was commissioned to evaluate the Services Our Way pilot in Nowra, New South Wales, and did so through interviews with families and service providers. Services Our Way had positive impacts on Aboriginal people with disability and their families. The program helped Aboriginal people access a range of services, meeting immediate priorities of the families. The program was successful in engaging with the Aboriginal community using a culturally appropriate approach – an approach which could be shared with other staff and services to improve the appropriateness of service delivery more broadly. Through the program, families were able to access support and services to participate in social, economic and cultural activities, that helped strengthen and support community and social relationships. The evaluation could not determine the degree to which families transitioned to mainstream services – the research found that families had urgent needs to be met prior to transitioning to other services. The Services Our Way program in Nowra was a pilot, which developed from the initial concept in response to local needs. The evaluation identifies a range of issues in providing person centred approaches to Aboriginal people with disability and their families and communities which should influence the future directions under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).&nbsp

Good Practice in Supported Decision Making for People with Disability: Desktop review of the evidence for best practice principles for supported decision-making

The Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) contracted a research team from the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at UNSW Australia to identify and develop evidence-based good practice guidelines for supported decision-making, compliant with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which have practical application and work across systems such as justice, mental health, health and child protection. This is a desktop review of the relevant literature to inform the study. This report presents the findings of the desktop review

Supported accommodation evaluation framework (SAEF) guide

High hopes for the NDIS are that people with disability will be able to live as independently as they choose, with the housing of their choice, and with the paid support that suits their preferences and life goals. Research conducted by the Social Policy Research Centre for the NSW government about disability housing support that is like the NDIS found that most people did achieve some positive outcomes. Least change was evident in people’s interpersonal relationships and employment, and some people did not live in housing that met their needs.&nbsp

Effect of pre-harvest fruit bagging on yield, postharvest quality and shelf life of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cv. BARI Tomato-2

Fruit bagging protects fruits from pest infestation and multiple biotic and abiotic stresses during development without reducing yield. It also can potentially improve the quality and market value of fruits. Hence, the present study aimed to determine the effect of pre-harvest fruit bagging on the yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cv. BARI Tomato-2. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications that constituted the various treatments- T0: Control (no bagging), T1: White paper bag (single layer), T2: Brown paper bag (double layer), T3: Non-woven fabric bag, and T4: Jute bag from October 2021 to March 2022. The results showed that the non-woven fabric bag had the highest fruit length (57.79 mm), diameter (57.81 mm), number of fruits plant-1 (55.9), yield (4.06 kg plant-1), vitamin C (24.63mg/ 100g-1), and lycopene content (0.12 mg g-1). The maximum insect incidence (18.41%) was recorded in control and the minimum was counted in T3 (2.17%). The highest total soluble solid (6.73%0Brix) and dry matter (8.63%) were observed in a white paper bag. The highest mean color score (6.08), firmness (26.81%), and shelf life (13 days) found in fabric bags outperformed non-bagged fruits. The fabric bag showed maximum net income (21.12 TK) and the highest benefit: cost ratio (2.36). Thus, the fabric bag was the best for improving the physical and chemical qualities of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) among the various fruit-covering materials

Submission to the Productivity Commission on Disability Care and Support

The authors of this submission welcome: • the proposal for a scheme to provide long term care and support on an entitlement basis, • many of the accompanying features of the approach outlined, including the no fault basis of provision, the inclusion of aids and equipment, and the recognition of the need to include the full range of support services, • the acknowledgment of unmet demand and the need for significant new funding.Centre for Disability Research and Polic

Unfitness to Plead. Volume 1: Report.

This has been produced along with Volume 2: Draft Legislation as a combined document Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 3(2) of the Law Commissions Act 1965 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 12 January 201

Submission to the Productivity Commission on Disability Care and Support 11 May 2011

The authors of this submission welcome the Productivity Commission (PC) Draft Report and many of the key features of the proposed NDIS including: • the proposal for a scheme to provide long term care and support on an entitlement basis, • many of the accompanying features of the approach outlined, including the no fault basis of provision, the inclusion of aids and equipment, and the recognition of the need to include the full range of support services, • the acknowledgment of unmet demand and the need for significant new funding. Our comments on the draft report are made in the spirit that we endorse the main directions of the proposed scheme, which would be of great benefit to the Australian people, most especially people with disabilities and their families. We sincerely hope that governments will respond positively and promptly to the vision laid out in the Draft Report. We offer constructive criticism to maximise the chances of the scheme’s success, in terms of enabling people to access the supports they need, on an equitable basis. In this submission we focus on 5 areas: 1. Eligibility and assessment 2. Assessment Tools 3. Overcoming access and equity barriers for Aboriginal communities 4. Research and Data 5. GovernanceCentre for Disability Research and Polic

A revaluation of the cultural dimension of disability policy in the European Union: The impact of digitization and web accessibility

Reflecting the commitments undertaken by the EU through the conclusion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 not only gives a prominent position to accessibility, broadly interpreted, but also suggests an examination of the obligations for access to cultural goods and services. The European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 expressly acknowledges that EU action will support national activities to make sports, leisure, cultural and recreational organizations and activities accessible, and use the possibilities for copyright exceptions in the Directive 2001/29/EC (Infosoc Directive). This article discusses to what extent the EU has realized the principle of accessibility and the right to access cultural goods and services envisaged in the UNCRPD. Previous research has yet to explore how web accessibility and digitization interact with the cultural dimension of disability policy in the European Union. This examination attempts to fill this gap by discussing to what extent the European Union has put this cultural dimension into effect and how web accessibility policies and the digitization of cultural materials influence these efforts