1.Progress to Date

What has been implemented so far as part of the Project?
Please describe the outcomes to date and relate these to the outcomes specified in the Funding Agreement.

In our application for grant aid we said

The Physical Disability Council of NSW, working with the partner organisation, Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, will create an innovative partnership to work with and support women with disability. Working together, initially in five areas of the state, we will develop sustainable networks of women with disability that support one another and are supported to effect individual and systemic change intended to break down barriers of discrimination and disadvantage in favour of greater social inclusion.

We said that we would

	Develop and sustain core activity in 5 areas; Hunter Illawarra Sydney North Sydney South Sydney West
	Develop and support three focus groups in addition to our core activity areas;
	Recruit 80 women with disability as active participants in the network during year one;
	Involve up to 50 women with disability in Network activities in core areas during year one;
	Using women trained in the use of the Rickter Scale, interview 50 women with disability who are members of the Network;
	Using the Rickter Scale, create individual and group action plans;
	Train 10 women with disability or women who work with women with disability to be Rickter Scale Practitioners;
	Build networks of women with disability;
	Connect women with disability to broader networks of women;
	Create a website for the Network;
	Foster better communication between women with disability; and
	Establish and support a Steering Group of women with disability.

ACTIVITY REPORT

Develop and sustain core activity in 5 areas

	Hunter
	Illawarra
	Sydney North
	Sydney South
	Sydney West

Supported by the Project Team, women with disability began to meet in week seven of the Project (week beginning 19th April 2004). Groups have been established in each of the core areas. These groups continue to meet on a monthly basis and are supported by the Project Team.

Groups of women with disability are supported to meet on a monthly basis.

· Hunter - Newcastle
Fourth Saturday Starfish Café, The Brewery.

· Illawarra - Wollongong
Fourth Friday Wollongong Women's Centre.

· Sydney North - Gordon
First Wednesday Gordon Library Meeting Room.

· Sydney South - Bexley
Fourth Wednesday Bexley Community Centre.

· Sydney West - Burwood
First Wednesday Burwood Council.

· Penrith
Second Monday Community Connections Building.

· Harris Park
Second Friday Harris Park Community Centre

Each group meeting is attended by an average of four to six women.

The Project Officer (Sharon Smith) supports and participates in every meeting. From time-to-time, the Project Administration Officer (Anastassia Chechoukova) also attends the meetings.

At least one woman with disability from the Project Steering Group also attends every meeting.

In response to demand from women with disability, since the project started, we have established a group in the City/Eastern Sydney. It met for the first time on 22nd August.

In addition, again responding to local demand, the Project Team is working with women with disability in Gosford where a first network meeting will be held on 15th October. We will meet in early September with women in Campbelltown with a view to establishing a group there.

Develop and support three focus groups in addition to our core activity areas

The Project Team has worked to establish the Network in Coffs Harbour. A group of women with disability meets there monthly. The Project Officer supports this group and attends meetings every two months.

In response to local demand, we are currently in discussion with women with disability in Orange, Lismore area and Kempsy with a view to developing additional focus groups in those areas.

We envision that these will be further developed in the second stage of the Project.

Recruit 80 women with disability as active participants in the network during year one

Currently, there are 88 individual women with disability who are members of the Network and 21 organisations working with women/people with disability. Of the individual women with disability, 57 live in the metro area and 31 live in regional NSW. This exceeds our initial target. We will consolidate and build the base of the Network.

Involve up to 50 women with disability in Network activities in core areas during year one

Currently, thirty-five women with disability are actively involved with the meetings of the Network. This represents 70% of the target achieved by month 6 of the project. Each group is committed to involving more women with disability and has taken on some responsibility for promoting the Network to other women with disability.

Train 10 women with disability or women who work with women with disability to be Rickter Scale Practitioners

The Project Staff Team organised a day of training in the use of the Rickter Scale on 16th March, 2004. The training was delivered by Keith Stead, the International Director of the Rickter Scale Company, on his last visit to Australia from the UK.

The Project trained a total of 13 women (three more than our initial target). This was achieved at no extra cost to the project. Nine of these are women with disability and four are women who work with women with disability and from the Partner organisations.

All thirteen women, who completed the course, are now accredited as Rickter Scale Practitioners.

In preparation for the series of Rickter Scale interviews with women with disability, the newly accredited Practitioners have since met on two further occasions to develop their skills in using the board. These sessions were organised by the Project Staff Team.

A key objective of the project is to develop individual and group action plans using the Rickter Scale. The crucial first stage in this process has been to develop, and agree, scales of measurement to be used for interviews. Tailoring those measures to the target group (in our case, women with disability) is critically important to ensuring that the interviews, when conducted, produce valid and valuable measures of 'soft indicators' of personal development and growth for the women with disability involved.

During late May and early June, therefore, the Rickter Scale Practitioners and Steering Group members met to discuss the best fit and most appropriate range of measurements. We were assisted in formulating appropriate indicators by the Rickter Scale's developers based in the UK. Final agreement was reached on the scale of measures in June. The customised boards were manufactured in the UK and delivered to Sydney in late July.

Using women trained in the use of the Rickter Scale, interview 50 women with disability who are members of the Network

Women with disability who are members of the Network have been keen to participate as interviewees. Since the arrival of the customised boards, the Rickter Scale Practitioners have started to organise a programme of interviews to be conducted in the next six months. To date (3rd September), 7 interviews have been conducted.

Using the Rickter Scale, create individual and group action plans

Women with disability who attend meetings of the Network discuss issues of concern to them. The range of these discussions have included;

	The impact of impairment (including 'hidden impairment')
	Societal attitudes and expectations
	Body image
	Unemployment
	Poverty
	Home Care and other issues associated with assistance for personal care
	Bank fees
	Doctors and health services
	Menstrual management
	Fertility and pregnancy
	Children
	Access to child-care services and the attitudes and behaviours of staff
	Support to fulfil parenting roles
	Voting and polling places
	The lack of statistics and information regarding women with disability in Australia and NSW
	Schools
	Education
	Bullying
	Department of Housing
	Programme of Appliances of Disabled People (PADP)
	Promoting the Network to other women with disability
	Access to shops and shopping centres
	Ageing
	Homophobia
	Relationships
	Isolation
	Financial costs associated with disability
	Lack of affordable and accessible transport options

Specific plans of action to address these have included

	Writing letters to the CEOs of large chains to request their company's strategies and policies regarding access for people with disability.
	Lobbying for physical access to all polling places and for appropriate and confidential assistance to vote to be made available at all polling places.
	Providing a response on behalf of the Network to a magazine article regarding women with disability, childbirth and parenting.
	Writing a letter for a woman with disability who is a member of the Network in support of her application to Department of Housing.

Rickter Scale Practitioners trained by the Project have begun interviewing women with disability who attend meetings of the Network. As a consequence of these interviews, and of their involvement with the Network, individual women with disability have started to implement personal action plans regarding issues affecting them.

We illustrate the type of changes that are beginning to emerge from this process with these examples

	For some time a woman with disability had been attempting, without success, to make an application for Department of Housing (DoH). She sought information from other women with disability who are members of the Network. Armed with this information, the woman arranged a meeting with her local office of DoH and arranged for an advocate to assist her. She was successful in making an application this time.
	A young woman with disability, after seeking advice from other women with disability who are members of the Network and the Project Officer, has made contact with her local Women's Resource Centre for Family Law advice and to enrol in an assertiveness training course.
	An older woman with disability, after hearing the experiences of other women with disability who are members of the Network, has started using the accessible public transport available in her area for the first time. She reports increased feelings of freedom, choice and control in her lifestyle.
	A group of women with disability learned from another member of their local Network group that there is a timetabled wheelchair accessible bus in the area in which they live. This group then assisted each other to understand the timetable and have plans for using the buses (some of them for the first time in their lives)
	Two women with disability have had conversations with other women at their Network meeting about another local group that they are members of. The women encouraged them to become more active in the management and overseeing of the second group, which the women have now done.

Build networks of women with disability

The Project Team has worked to establish and support regular monthly meetings of eight groups of women with disability that were not meeting before. We are currently working with women with disability in a further three areas to commence meeting during the second phase of the Project.

Six months into the Project, we are already active in more areas than we had said we would be by month twelve of the Project.

The Project Team is also working to ensure that the NSW Network of Women with Disability is building links with other groups working with women with disability. These links include

	Women with Disability Australia (WWDA) - WWDA is the peak organisation representing women with disability at a national level. Our contact with WWDA has ensured publications and research produced by WWDA are available to women with disability who are members of the NSW Network. This connection also provides opportunity for women with disability in NSW to have input into the work of WWDA at a national level.
	People with Disability Australia (PwD) - A woman with disability participated in a national teleconference on behalf of the Network. The teleconference formed a targeted national consultation with women with disability organised by PwD on behalf of the Attorney General regarding the draft United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability.
	Women with Disability Victoria (WWDVic) - The Project Officer and a woman with disability who is a member of the Network Steering Group attended a forum held in Melbourne by the Victorian Network of Women with Disability. The forum aimed to bring together women in the Victorian Network to discuss and develop a model of advocacy for women with disability. This was a great opportunity to meet with a founding member of the Victorian Network as well as the current convener. Both women were very encouraging and provided a history of the Network in Victoria.
	Women's Health NSW (WHN) - The Executive Officer of WHN has been an invaluable source of linkages, information and resources regarding women and women's resources in NSW.

Connect women with disability to broader networks of women

	Getting It Together - The Project Officer assisted NEDA (National Ethnic Disability Alliance) and the Partner Organisation (MDAA) with an Advocacy Forum in Queanbeyan. The event gathered a number of service providers and people with disability to talk about the advocacy needs of people living in Queanbeyan. After lunch, the Project Officer facilitated a session looking specifically at the needs of women with disability. The session was well attended and provided an opportunity and ground-work for a group of women with disability to form with the assistance of local support workers.
	Our Rights Our Voices - Six women with disability who are members of the NSW Network of Disability and the Project Officer participated in this forum brought together by NCOSS and WRANA. The forum gathered input from women for the Women's Report Card Project. The project is reporting to the United Nations on the position of women in Australia as part of the review of Australia's performance on the international Convention on the Eradication of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The Project Officer also assisted by facilitating discussion within talking circles of women with disability.
	International Women's Day - Eight women with disability who are members of the Network and the Project Officer joined the rally and march from Town Hall to Hyde Park. The women made contact with women's organisations keen to work together with the Network on issues of concern to women with disability. One Network member was interviewed on camera by women involved with Reclaim the Night.
	Advocacy Summit - The Project Officer worked with local groups and the partner organisation (MDAA) to hold a forum in Coffs Harbour which brought together people with disability to discuss issues of concern in the area. The Project Officer facilitated a workshop specifically for women with disability. The Coffs Harbour group of women with disability is a result of this work.
	PADP Delegation to NSW State Parliament - Women with disability who are members of the Network supported a delegation to State Parliament to raise the issue of unmet need for the Programme of Appliances for Disabled People.

Create a website for the Network

Women with disability who are members of the Network and the Steering Group discussed with the Project Team what they wanted from a website. As a consequence, the PDCN Web Development Officer has worked with the Project Officer to build the first edition of the Network's dedicated website.

Initially the website is being hosted by PDCN and can be viewed at:

www.pdcnsw.org.au/women/index.html

In the longer term, it is likely that the fully developed website of the NSW Network of Women with Disability will have it's own web presence.

Foster better communication between women with disability

Email List - Working with the Project Staff Team, one of the Network participants took responsibility for developing the email list. After input from and polling of all women with email connection with the Network, the name 'WOMENLIKEUS' was selected. In consultation with the Steering Group, the Project Officer developed the 'Rules of Engagement' for participation in list discussions. The list provides a forum for women with disability to connect with each other and further the goals of the Network. The list is a 'closed' group being only open to women with disability who are members of the Network. The list went 'live' in August. The home page of the list can be found at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/womenlikeus

Newsletter - Network participants are currently working with the Project Staff Team developing the first issue of the newsletter. This newsletter will become a regular publication for the NSW Network of Women with Disability.

Establish and support a Steering Group of women with disability

Establishing the Network's Steering Group was one of the first priorities of our development plan. The women who form the Steering Group come from a range of backgrounds and represent the diversity of women with disability.

Members of the Steering Group are

	Yvonne Batterham - Yvonne is an older woman. Yvonne is also deaf. Yvonne works as a Deafness Educator.
	Ann-Mason Furmage - Ann-Mason is a woman with physical disability. She is also on the Management Committee of PDCN. Ann-Mason has an extensive background as an accountant and financial controller.
	Lori Grovenor - Lori represents women with disability in rural NSW. Lori is blind. Lori is active in public speaking regarding blindness.
	Sharon Kohn - Sharon has a psychiatric disability. Until recently, Sharon worked as a Consumer Support and Liaison Representative for NSW Health.
	Alix Rainnie - Alix is an older woman with physical disability. Alix is on the Management Committee of PDCN.
	Uma Raj - Uma is a younger woman with vision impairment. Uma works as a Project Officer with the Regional Advocacy Project of our partner organisation, MDAA. Uma is from a CALD background.
	Kim Rowles - Kim has physical disability and is on the Management Committee of PDCN. Kim works as a Disability Teacher/Consultant for NSW TAFE.
	Diana Qian - Diana has physical disability and is from a CALD background. Diana works as the Information Officer for Council for Intellectual Disability.
	Ros Sackley - Ros is an indigenous woman with vision impairment. Ros works as a teacher at Eora College.
	Kim Walker - Kim is a woman with intellectual disability. Kim works for the Intellectual Disability Rights Service.
	Maggie Wilson - Maggie has acquired brain injury and has been involved in a range of womens projects including the establishment of the Parramatta Support Group for women with brain injury.

The Steering Group of the Network began meeting on 18th February and continues to meet on a monthly basis. The Steering Group oversees and guides the work of the Project Team and its members are actively involved in the development of the Network.

Project Team

	Project Officer Sharon Smith
	Administration Officer Anastassia Chechoukova
	Voluntary Worker Bronwyn Moye

This is an update of the work we've done in developing the NSW Network of Women with Disability.

It covers our first 8 months until December 2004.

1.Network Membership

The NSW Network of Women with Disability is open to any individual woman with disability living in NSW.

The membership of the NSW Network of Women with Disability continues to grow and develop.

Our total membership is now 117 women with disability (37 more than our target) confirming for us the value of such a Network in the lives of women with disability living in NSW.

Twenty organisations have also requested involvement.

We continue to work to ensure the participation in the Network of women with disability from CALD backgrounds. Our membership survey indicates that 25% of women from CALD backgrounds.

We are also pleased to note that 35% of women live in rural and regional areas of NSW.

2. Local Meetings

Nine groups of women continue to meet in the core activity areas.

Women attending meetings expressed the wish to continue to meet on a regular basis. As a result, these groups meet every month and are supported by the Project Team.

Groups of women with disability meet on a monthly basis in;

	Burwood
	Campbelltown
	Coffs Harbour
	Gordon
	Kogarah
	Newcastle
	Penrith
	Sydney City
	Wollongong

Since the commencement of the gatherings, we have made some adjustments to locations and times of the meetings in response to local need.

Each group meeting is attended regularly by an average of four to six women. A number of other women also attend on a more occasional basis.

The Project Officer (Sharon Smith) supports and participates in every meeting. From time-to-time, the Project Administration Officer (Anastassia Chechoukova) also attends the meetings.

At least one woman with disability from the Project Steering Group also attends every meeting.

3. Womens Involvement in the Running of the Network

Women are involving themselves increasingly in different aspects of the Network as well as forming links with other women with disability they meet at the gatherings;

	A woman from one of the local groups has joined the Steering Group and others have asked how they can be involved
	Women who are students at TAFE and uni have expressed an interest in connecting with each other
	A woman has offered to host the Network website
	Women are promoting the Network in their local areas and amongst their broader contacts
	Women are taking a leading role in advocacy work - writing letters together and on behalf of the Network
	One of the local groups often plans social events inviting everyone else in the Network
	Women are assisting each other in practical ways and with information, supporting each other's advocacy and providing moral support at meetings.
	Women are assisting with the practical administration work involved in supporting the Network.

4. The Steering Group

The Steering Group of the Network began meeting on 18th February and continues to meet on a monthly basis.

The Steering Group oversees and guides the work of the Project Team and its members are actively involved in the development of the Network.

The members of the Steering Group were;

	Yvonne Batterham - Yvonne has joined the Steering Group from one of the local groups. Yvonne is deaf. Yvonne has an extensive background in deafness education.
	Ann-Mason Furmage - is a woman with physical disability. She is also on the Management Committee of PDCN. Ann-Mason has an extensive background as an accountant and financial controller.
	Lori Grovenor - represents women with disability in rural NSW. Lori is blind. Lori is active in public speaking regarding blindness.
	Kim Rowles - has physical disability and is on the Management Committee of PDCN. Kim works as a Disability Teacher/Consultant for NSW TAFE.
	Diana Qian - has physical disability and is from a CALD background. Diana works as the Information Officer for Council for Intellectual Disability.
	Ros Sackley - is an indigenous woman with vision impairment. Ros works as a teacher at Eora College.
	Kim Walker - is a woman with intellectual disability. Kim works for the Intellectual Disability Rights Service.
	Maggie Wilson - has acquired brain injury and has been involved in a range of womens projects and was a core member of the Parramatta Support Group for women with brain injury.
	Milanka Zivanovic - an older woman with vision impairment. Milanka is on the Management Committee of our partner organisation, MDAA. Milanka is from a CALD background.

4. Links and Alliances

We continue to build connections and alliances with broader networks of women;

	Women's Health NSW (WHNSW) The Executive Officer of WHN continues to be invaluable source of linkages, information and resources regarding women and women's resources in NSW. We are also working with WHNSW to identify a list of information about access features which women with disability would like to know when they are thinking about using their local Womens Health Centre. The list will be used by WHNSW to gather access information on member centres and this will be made available to women. WHNSW is also assisting women to establish the mothers' sub-group.
	Bessie Smythe Foundation We have been approached by the Bessie Smythe Foundation to assist with reviewing one of their key resources - a questionnaire - to ensure that is accessible to women with disability. Bessie Smythe are also involved with assisting the mothers' sub-group.
	Premier's Council for Women We were approached by the OfW to assist them with holding a focus group for women with disability as part of their investigation on behalf of the Premier's Council for Women around the experiences of women in relation to housing and transport. The OfW wanted to make sure that the report included experiences of women with disability. The focus group took place at Harris Park on 25th September, 2004. The focus group provided the OfW with much valuable information and provided Network participants with another opportunity to express themselves as women with disability to decision makers.
	Family Planning Association (FPA) We are assisting FPA to review their Fact Sheets and ensure that they include information relevant to the needs and experiences of women with disability.
	Zonta We have begun to connect with Zonta. Zonta is an international network of business women. Zonta members support a range of local activities for women. They have asked us to speak at some of their gatherings in the new year.
	Women with Disability Australia (WWDA) WWDA is the peak organisation representing women with disability at a national level. Our contact with WWDA has ensured publications and research produced by WWDA are available to women with disability who are members of the NSW Network. This connection also provides opportunity for women with disability in NSW to have input into the work of WWDA at a national level.
	People with Disability Australia (PwD) Ann-Mason participated in a national teleconference on behalf of the Network. The teleconference formed a targeted national consultation with women with disability organised by PwD on behalf of the Attorney General regarding the draft United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability.
	Women with Disability Victoria (WWDVic) The Project Officer and a woman with disability who is a member of the Network Steering Group attended a forum held in Melbourne by the Victorian Network of Women with Disability. We'd also like to recognise the generous support offered by;
	Bexley Community Centre,
	Burwood Council,
	Coffs Harbour Community Village,
	Harris Park Community Centre,
	Kogarah Council,
	Kuringai Council,
	Macarthur Disability Services,
	Paraquad Newcastle Branch,
	Penrith Disability Resource Centre,
	Rockdale Council and
	Wollongong Women's Centre. These organisations have assisted us by providing space for women to meet at no cost as well as promoting the Network.

5. Other Events and Activities

	Our Rights Our Voices Six women with disability who are members of the NSW Network of Disability and the Project Officer participated in this forum brought together by NCOSS and WRANA. The forum gathered input from women for the Women's Report Card Project. The project is reporting to the United Nations on the position of women in Australia as part of the review of Australia's performance on the international Convention on the Eradication of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The Project Officer also assisted by facilitating discussion within talking circles of women with disability.
	International Women's Day Eight women with disability who are members of the Network and the Project Officer joined the rally and march from Town Hall to Hyde Park. The women made contact with women's organisations keen to work together with the Network on issues of concern to women with disability. One Network member was interviewed on camera by women involved with Reclaim the Night.
	Getting It Together The Project Officer assisted NEDA (National Ethnic Disability Alliance) and the Partner Organisation (MDAA) with an Advocacy Forum in Queanbeyan. The event gathered a number of service providers and people with disability to talk about the advocacy needs of people living in Queanbeyan. After lunch, the Project Officer facilitated a session looking specifically at the needs of women with disability. The session was well attended and provided an opportunity and ground-work for a group of women with disability to form with the assistance of local support workers.
	Advocacy Summit The Project Officer worked with local groups and the partner organisation (MDAA) to hold a forum in Coffs Harbour which brought together people with disability to discuss issues of concern in the area. The Project Officer facilitated a workshop specifically for women with disability. The Coffs Harbour group of women with disability is a result of this work.
	Strengthening Our Advocacy Sharon and a member of the Steering Group attended a forum held in Melbourne on 22nd June by the Victorian Network of Women with Disability. The forum aimed to bring together women in the Victorian Network to discuss and develop a model of advocacy for women with disability. The forum was attended by 70 women with a range of disability from across Victoria. This was a great opportunity to meet with a founding member of the Victorian Network as well as the current convener. Both women were very encouraging and provided a history of the Network in Victoria.
	PADP Delegation Network women voted unanimously to endorse the PDCN letter seeking increased funding for PADP. A delegation of women (some as Belligerent Barbies) also supported the delegation to Parliament on 24th June.
	Reclaim the Night (RtN) Women from the Network joined the rally in Sydney and Newcastle on 29th October. Two women in Newcastle were involved with organising their RtN. They also spoke at the rally. The report of the Newcastle RTN can be read on the website at; www.pdcnsw.org.au/women/04/newcastle.html
	PDCA Conference In November 2004 our project grant made it possible for a young woman with physical disability to attend the PDCA conference in Western Australia.
	Mothers with Disability A group of women with disability who are mothers have formed a subgroup around issues related to pregnancy and mothering with disability. One of the women has been working on gathering together web-based resources relating to pregnancy and mothering with disability. These resources will be made available via the Womens Network webpage. This subgroup is being supported by Womens Health NSW and the Bessie Smythe Foundation.
	International Day of People with Disability Women were invited to a Morning Tea at Parliament House hosted Sylvia Hale. Thirteen women attended and use the opportunity to forge links with Ms Hale as well as to raise issues of importance to women with disability in NSW. Nine women then went for lunch and spent the afternoon together in the city. The day was rounded off with an invitation extended by the group who meet in the city to all women in the Network to join them for a Cocktail Happy Hour. Twelve women from all areas of the Network attended. Everyone agreed that it was a very successful day. Two more women took the opportunity to join the Network as well.

6. Building Communication