I made a submission to the Senate Enquiry into the Draft National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill. The PDF of my submission can be directly downloaded here and the list of all the submissions can be found here.

My submission dealt with 4 main issues:
1. The raising of the eligibility age;
2. Greater representation of the disabled on the NDIS Board and Advisory Council;
3. The need to ensure that blindness and vision impairment is covered by the NDIS;
and
4. Improvement of the decision making and appeal processes.

Many of the issues that concerned me had already been dealt with adequately by others so hopefully the legislation will be improved and form the foundation of a great new scheme.

Dale.

I personally don’t think disability service organisations or disability advocacy organisations can achieve their full potential while they don’t have disabled people in charge. They need to lead the way and lead by example. We, the disabled, need to show other organisations and other employers that we can fulfill management roles and not just menial jobs but high paid meaningful management positions.

I would like to see such organisations move towards employing a disabled person as their CEO in the future.

To me the days of sighted people knowing what is best for us (blind people) must be gone for good. I am really impressed that Emma has taken on Arts Access and hope she makes a success of the position to show the doubters that it is possible.

The full story with video interview can be found here. It is an inspiring story. It covers such issues as transition planning, job shadowing to ensure the new person is ready and the motivating reasons behind the person who stood down.

Setting a positive example is so important to progressing disability employment.

I hope that society is moving past the paternalistic model of disability services where the non-disabled tell us disabled people what is best for us. The disabled need a voice in management roles to ensure our needs, wishes and desires are taken into account.

Dale.

Expression of Interest for employment with the National Disability Insurance Scheme Launch Transition Agency

Do you have a disability or have you worked with or supported someone with a disability?
Do you want to work for an organisation designed to improve the lives of others?

If you answered yes to these two questions, then helping to launch a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) may be for you.

From July 2013, an NDIS will launch in five locations across Australia. This means, an NDIS will become real for thousands of people in South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, the Hunter area of NSW and the Barwon area of Victoria.

The NDIS Launch Transition Agency (the Agency) invites people from all backgrounds (particularly those people with a disability or those that have worked with and supported people with disabilities) to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for employment with the Agency.

The Agency needs experienced and dedicated people to come and work in these sites.

There will be a variety of roles available. These include:

Office administration roles
Management and leadership roles
Customer service and Front of House roles
Finance and procurement roles
Planner roles to help people with disability plan for their current and future needs (Allied Health qualifications required), and
Participant coordination roles to help people with disability, their families and carers coordinate and access supports and services for these needs.

Qualifications and skills for each role will vary. All roles will need people with good communication skills and an understanding and/or lived experience of disability.

Positions are expected to be available from early to mid-2013. A small number of positions may become available in the coming weeks and months. These positions will be offered for a period of up to two years with the possibility of permanent employment with the Agency.

To apply for the EOI, complete the application form here below and email to

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please see the frequently asked questions or phone the NDIS enquiry line on 1800 800 110.

I certainly hope the NDIS Agency employs a lot of disabled people and leads the way in improving employment for the disabled. Currently employment rates of the disabled are very low in the Government sector and this needs to improve rapidly. The NDIS Agency has the chance to set an example and show other employers how things can be done.

Dale.

This sad presumption against a disabled parent is born out in the story found here. A disabled mother was coping quite well looking after her child but the father’s relatives, who were not disabled, and had far greater financial resources, wanted custody and care of the child and unfortunately after a long court battle won out.

It should be in the child’s best interests to be raised by their natural, biological parent unless there is some real real risk of harm or neglect – in this case there was neither.

This is a situation that must be stopped. It has alarming similarities to the stolen generation where children were taken from aboriginals just because of a presumption of incompetence and that others knew better. This is happening again here – welfare agencies and the courts are presuming that the desire and money of better off relatives should triumph over the love and care of the disabled parent.

Victoria’s public advocate speaks out about the situation in this article and it is also well worth reading.

What about the Australian Human Rights Commission? What is their view on this situation?

The AHRC has not spoken officially about the situation yet. The Federal Disability Commissioner, Graeme Innes, is a disabled parent himself so hopefully he will speak out with a strong view.

The AHRC needs to intervene in any of these court cases that arise and defend the rights of the disabled parent.

Please lets not create another stolen generation.

I can also personally vouch for the adverse presumption and negative feelings of Australian welfare departments. I, and my then wife, were applying to become adoptive parents (through international adoption) in Australia. We dealt with 2 different state agencies as we moved house due to my wife’s job commitments during the process. One agency, Western Australia, was entirely supportive and saw no problem with me (I’m blind) becoming a parent.

We unfortunately had to leave WA and the new Department didn’t feel the same way. They were entirely negative and felt there was no way I could look after children on my own, and barely cope with assistance. There are many blind parents coping quite fine but they didn’t seem to care about that. We protested through the Ombudsman and took the matter up with our local member of Parliament and eventually the Department agreed to re-open the case but they had a very hostile attitude and the situation still seemed hopeless.

There just seems to be a real negative attitude to disabled people as parents and a presumption that we can’t cope. Please spread the word that this just isn’t good enough and needs changing.

Disabled parents love their children just as much as anyone else and can care for them just as well as a non disabled parent. Lets get rid of this negative stereotype please.

Dale.

We booked a return flight for 2 people from Sydney to London return with a “free” side trip to Venice return from London. The free side trip was offered as a bonus / enticement when we booked our primary trip.

Now I must admit that we didn’t fully read the booking, no-show and alteration policies of British Airways when we made the booking. This was our fault, but even in hindsight the policies are badly worded and confusing so I don’t think it would have made much difference.

The price for the tickets was exceptionally good – we got premium economy on the long haul trip for the price of standard economy.

A few weeks later we decided that we would really like to end our trip in Spain rather than returning to Venice where we will be starting our trip so I contacted BA on the telephone. We wanted to either cancel the return leg of the Venice to London trip or change the departure point to Spain. The customer service agent checked and told us that such a change (either change) would cost us approximately $4700 each!! This was more than twice the cost of the original tickets! I checked to see if this was the case if we merely cancelling one leg and indeed it was. I left our flights as they were and said I would put my complaint in writing.

I then checked BA’s no-show policy to find out what would happen if we simply didn’t use our Venice to London ticket. It turned out that in the past BA didn’t cancel your next flight for 24 hours but within the last 6 to 12 months they had changed their policy and they now cancel your onward flights within an hour. This meant a no-show was not going to work as we didn’t want to lose the London to Sydney leg of our flight.

So my final request to BA was going to be to just cancel the return leg of our “free” side trip – surely there should be no charge for doing that? After all that would mean BA could resell the seats and end up making more profit! But again contacting British Airways lead to answer that even just to cancel the return leg would cost thousands of dollars.

BA it seems is not focused on the customer – they are unwilling to be flexible and have extremely harsh policies that they are not willing to alter even slightly.

I have put below the online discussions with BA so you can see their answer for yourself. Be warned – BA is very harsh and there is no common sense to their rules.

Also their time for replying is completely unacceptable. They took a very long time to reply and it seems they hope the problem or your will to do something about it will just go away.

We are obviously sticking with our original booking even though it is crazy of BA. We obviously can’t afford to pay their crazy high fee just to cancel a side trip so must use it or lose our whole return trip which is not an option.

On 14 November 2012 I lodged a complaint and got following response:

Thank you for contacting British Airways.
Our Customer Relations team have received your correspondence and have created a case for you. Your case ID is 10472885. This is personal information and only you will be able to discuss the details of your case with our Customer Relations Executives. If you wish, you can of course authorise someone to contact us on your behalf.
Please be assured, we will be in touch with you again in the very near future. Thank you for your patience while we look into the issues you have brought to our attention.
Regards
British Airways Customer Relations

On 25 November 2012 I received a reply as follows. I hasten to add that this reply only came after I tweeted BA on Twitter and chased them up:

Dear Mr Reardon
Thank you for your email dated 14 November 2012 about the fee charge on making amendments in your booking.
It became increasingly difficult for us to absorb the extra administration costs and other overheads when people book and then change, and we now have no choice but to pass some of this on. We regret that we have had to introduce this charge.
I would like to inform you that when you book your ticket we work out the fare that applies under our tariff on the date you pay for it. The fare will be for travel on the specific dates and itinerary shown on your ticket. If you make any changes either to your itinerary or your dates of travel, this may increase the fare, and you will be asked to pay the difference in fare, along with the applicable change fee and service fee.
For specific concern you have raised, I would be grateful if you could again contact our local Reservations centre as they deal with all pre-travel enquiries and they will be able to give you individual assistance. Please contact them on 1300 767 177 and give your booking reference number when you call. This will ensure you will be given a speedy response to your issue.
I see you have already spoken to one of my colleagues in local Reservations team and remain disappointed about the situation. As my colleague has already explained, regretfully we cannot help further on this occasion. However, I will log your comments and the next time this policy is reviewed we will take your feedback into account.
Once again, thank you for contacting us and giving me an opportunity to respond to your concerns. I hope this will not deter you from flying with us in the future.
Best regards
Afreen Chougule
British Airways Customer Relations

I completely understand that there has to be a charge for the ability to make a change – however the computer system could do it for us surely and a fee of $30 to $50 would be reasonable. NOT the thousands of dollars that BA is asking for. Cancelling one small leg of the larger journey does not cost them anything and in fact lets them make even more money by reselling the seats.

I entered further comments to BA on 14 December 2012 as follows. I will update this post with BA’s further reply if I receive one:

Hi,

Thankyou for your reply but it is very unsatisfactory.

Your online computer system could handle all alterations for you and hence not incur additional admin costs.

In any event I am just asking to cancel one leg of a journey – I am not asking for a refund at all. It would seem that this would be to BA’s advantage as you can then resell those seats which I cancel and earn extra income. There is simply no need to re-ticket the whole journey.

Your terms and conditions for cancelling part of a journey are very difficult to understand and we did not realise you were so strict on a partial cancellation.

In any event thanks for your response and I shall publish details of our incident on my blog so others can learn of your harsh policy.

Dale.

So be warned! British Airways is completely unreasonable with their policies and does not understand customer service. We have no choice but to fly back to Venice at the end of the holiday so we can then fly back to London and not lose our London Sydney flight. A completely absurd outcome.

BA, if you are reading this, then please contact me to resolve this in a more sensible and common sense fashion.

* – I have now received a further reply from BA on 17 December 2012 but it does absolutely nothing to resolve the problem. It seems to be a stock standard reply trying to pacify the customer. I really wish they would explain their crazy policy:

Dear Mr Reardon
Thank you for writing back to us. I am sorry to learn that you are unhappy with the fees that you are charged on making amendments to your booking. Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.
When our customers tell us we have not met their expectations, we first apologise and then use the feedback provided to help us improve the service we offer in the future. Your comments about the fees charged for making amendments in your booking are particularly relevant and I know that our concerned team will value your insight.
I would like to reassure you that we do listen and take account of what our customers tell us. I have now recorded the details of your complaint. A group of Senior Managers from across the business look at the problems our customers face, and how we can improve. Some issues are easy to fix quickly, and some may take a little more time to put right. We want to iron out the difficulties, and our Chief Executive expects us to make continuous improvements across all areas of our business for our customers.

I would like to inform you that many of our policies are based on comments we have previously received from our customers. We know expectations continuously change though, and this is why your feedback is so important to us. We have a manager responsible for our booking policy. I have passed your comments to them. They will look at all the feedback we have received about your booking and use it to help them improve the policy in future.
Thank you for contacting us and for giving me an opportunity to look at your case again. I hope our decision will not deter you from flying with us in the future.
Best regards
Afreen Chougule
British Airways Customer Relations

Dale.

If you would like to:

• Move into your new home in Tasmania as soon as you and your belongings arrive in Tasmania
• Avoid the costly and unsettling option of temporary accommodation while you search for your home in Tasmania
• Be confident that the suburb or town you have chosen suits the lifestyle that you wish to create in Tasmania
• Save the cost and hassle of travelling to Tasmania in advance of your move to inspect properties
• Avoid the disappointment of inspecting properties that are not nearly as good as the photos on the internet
• Avoid the difficulty of inspecting properties with children in tow
• Get valuable time back to do other things, while you have someone do the search and the follow up with agents for you

… then engaging Settled In Property Search Services as your Tasmanian property consultant makes a lot of sense.

Settled In can search for your new home in Tasmania and prevent you suffering from stress, anxiety and burn out! My wife, Jo, will personally take care of all your needs and ensure your house move is smooth and stress free.

Jo can do the searching for you. She will help you find a new house to buy and live in – one that suits your needs.

Jo will ask you your preferences, including:

• the style of property
• number and size of rooms and layout
• quality of fittings and fixtures
• desired location, travel times and facilities close by and much more

Jo will help you decide on the ideal location for you and present you with a short list of properties that meet the requirements you have asked for.

Have you found a house in Tasmania that you think is suitable but you need someone to inspect it for you?

Jo’s House and Location Assessment service is a service for anyone who has found a property or two they like the look of and want an independent assessment of the house and the location. This is
the ideal service if you currently live at the other end of Tassie, interstate or overseas. Save the time and cost of travelling to view the property by
asking Jo of Settled In to view it on your behalf. Jo’s property assessment services are available in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport or any town or region of Tasmania.

If you want to know more about how the property market works in Tasmania, common questions around buying a property in Tasmania then I suggest you check out Jo’s page on property in Tasmania.

If you have already made the wise decision that you would like Jo to help you with your search then you can get in touch with her here: Contact Jo of Settled In for buying property in Tasmania assistance.

The home purchase search service that Jo of Settled In Home Search offers includes:

• An assessment of your requirements
• Suburb profiles for each suburb you select for the search
• Property research and the selection of properties best matching your needs
• Detailed and regular reports of the search progress. Includes key details about each property, photos, map and floor plan where available
• Inspection of properties that appear to meet your requirements and development of a shortlist of properties that best meet your requirements
• Local Council resident’s pack (if available)
• Additional days for search and inspection quoted on request

I highly encourage you to contact Jo and get a fixed price quote and discover exactly how she can help you with your own personal property purchase search. You can have an obligation free chat with Jo, via telephone or email, and learn all the details and see exactly what is on offer. Why not contact Jo now and start saving time and money and enjoying a stress free Tasmanian home purchase !

Thanks,
Dale.

The Hobart Waterfront

If you want to know more about living in Tasmania, moving to Tasmania or relocating to Tasmania then I highly recommend that you check out my wife’s business, Settled In Home Search and Relocation Services.

Settled In offers information, advice and services for everyone thinking about living in Tasmania. She can take care of the whole move and make moving to Tasmania a stress free experience.

Settled In also offers services to help you if you are buying a house in Tasmania or renting a house in Tasmania.

If you just want to discuss living in Tasmania or ask any questions about your move to Tasmania then we have setup a Tasmanian discussion Blog and encourage you to come and read the Tasmanian blog and share your experience and learning with others.

Settled In Relocation Services Tasmania covers the whole of Tasmania so whether you are moving to Hobart, Launceston, Devonport or Burnie we can assist you with your planning and move.

Jo is also offering a Free moving to Tasmania checklist which has over 117 tips and things to not forget to help you when planning your move.

We look forward to hearing from you and discussing Tasmania. Jo and I were both born in Tasmania, love Tassie, and look forward to helping you enjoy the Tassie lifestyle.

Our services are cheaper than you might think – full details on the website – and will save you a lot of time and money so they really pay for themselves.

Moving house and starting a new life can be very stressful and confusing but we are here to make it all easier for you. We will help with all the details and can do as much or as little as you want. Check out the testimonials on the website and see how we have helped others like you.

Many thanks and we look forward to helping you.

Dale.

If you would like to:

• Move into your new home in Tasmania as soon as you and your belongings arrive in Tasmania
• Avoid the costly and unsettling option of temporary accommodation while you search for your home in Tasmania
• Be confident that the suburb or town you have chosen suits the lifestyle that you wish to create in Tasmania
• Save the cost and hassle of travelling to Tasmania in advance of your move to inspect properties
• Avoid the disappointment of inspecting properties that are not nearly as good as the photos on the internet
• Avoid the difficulty of inspecting properties with children in tow
• Get valuable time back to do other things, while you have someone do the search and the follow up with agents for you

… then engaging Settled In as your Tasmanian relocation consultant makes a lot of sense.

Settled In can search for your new rental property in Tasmania and prevent you suffering from stress, anxiety and burn out! My wife, Jo, will personally take care of all your needs and ensure your move to Tasmania is smooth and stress free.

Jo can do the searching for you. She will help you find a new house to rent and live in – one that suits your needs.

Did you know that nearly all property managers will not allow you to rent a property until either you or your representative (Jo) has inspected the property. This means you can’t just find a house on the internet and sign a lease over the internet – there is far more to it than that and that is where Jo can save you time and money.

Jo will ask you your preferences, including:

• the style of property
• number and size of rooms and layout
• quality of fittings and fixtures
• desired location, travel times and facilities close by and much more

Jo will help you decide on the ideal location for you and present you with a short list of properties that meet the requirements you have asked for.

Have you found a house in Tasmania that you think is suitable but you need someone to inspect it for you?

Jo’s House and Location Assessment service is a service for anyone who has found a property or two they like the look of and want an independent assessment of the house and the location. This is
the ideal service if you currently live at the other end of Tassie, interstate or overseas. Save the time and cost of travelling to view the property by
asking Jo of Settled In to view it on your behalf. Jo’s property assessment services are available in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport or any town or region of Tasmania.

If you want to know more about how the rental market works in Tasmania, common questions around leasing a property in Tasmania then I suggest you check out Jo’s page on property in Tasmania.

If you have already made the wise decision that you would like Jo to help you with your search then you can get in touch with her here: Contact Jo of Settled In for moving to Tasmania assistance.

The home rental search service that Jo of Settled In Home Search offers includes:

• An assessment of your requirements
• Suburb profiles for each suburb you select for the search
• Property research and the selection of properties best matching your needs
• Detailed and regular reports of the search progress. Includes key details about each property, photos, map and floor plan where available
• Inspection of properties that appear to meet your requirements and development of a shortlist of properties that best meet your requirements
• Assistance with tenancy applications and documentation required
• Local Council resident’s pack (if available)
• Additional days for search and inspection quoted on request

I highly encourage you to contact Jo and get a fixed price quote and discover exactly how she can help you with your own personal rental property search. You can have an obligation free chat with Jo, via telephone or email, and learn all the details and see exactly what is on offer. Why not contact Jo now and start saving time and money and enjoying a stress free move to Tasmania!

Thanks,
Dale.

Unfortunately the New Sydney Hotel in Hobart has also handled a situation badly. The full details can be found here.

The lesson to be learnt is that you must regularly monitor your social media presence, and deal with complaints in a respectful and professional manner. Of course the New Sydney Hotel could have handled the initial incident at the Hotel better.

I personally haven’t eaten at the New Sydney for quite some time as the last time I ate there I wasn’t impressed – this customer service incident just makes it worse.

And social media is for interaction – it seems that these businesses didn’t really want feedback or discussion on their Facebook pages. Your Facebook page can’t just be an ad page after all.

Dale.

I have just learnt of an excellent American campaign to help the situation regarding employment of the disabled.

I wish we had a campaign like this in Australia to help the disabled and I think it is an excellent example of what we could replicate here with success.

From the campaign website:

“We each have a role to play and benefits to gain by improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities. I know – you’re wondering, “Me? What can I do to make a difference?” You (yes, YOU) have the power to shape attitudes about ability, to mentor a young person with a disability, to change the way people think about disability and employment and ultimately, to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The ideas we perpetuate about disability and employment impact successful employment outcomes – either individually through our own positive or negative beliefs about ability or through the assumptions of others who have the power to make employment decisions.

Myths about disability and employment and attitudinal barriers and negative stereotypes continue to impact employment opportunities for qualified people with disabilities. We can all do our part to change these misperceptions by reminding young people with disabilities that they have the skills to pursue meaningful careers and play an important role in America’s economic success. We can also encourage employers to recognize the value and talent people with disabilities bring to the workplace, as well as what can be realized by fully including everyone. Every day, people with disabilities can and do add value to America’s workplaces.

So what can YOU do to support this effort and improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities?

site to access resources to assist in recruiting, retaining and advancing skilled, qualified employees and by sharing the important message that, “At work, it’s what people can do that matters.””

The Campaign’s goal of promoting positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities is highly commendable.

The Campaign for Disability Employment is a collaborative effort among several disability and business organizations that seek to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent they bring to the workplace, as well as the dividend to be realized by fully including people with disabilities at work.

Do check out the website as we can all learn a lot from it.

Dale.

Universities are not using social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc) effectively.

At present the usage of social media is being controlled by marketing, public relations and branding departments rather than by academics.

Social media has the potential to greatly assist with knowledge dissemination and the participation of the community in research and dissemination of research.

Mark Smithers has written an excellent article on this topic and I encourage you to read it.

Social media policies of Universities are far too restrictive in my opinion and need re-thinking to encourage the use of social media by academics.

For an excellent article on how University social media policies can get you into trouble and how Universities are trying (unsuccessfully in the main) to control their online reputations check out this article by Inger Mewburn and read the comments because one of her scenarios is expanded on by the actual person concerned and it is very worrying.

Let me know what you think,

Dale.

There is a story here about how adding orange juice to Champagne can land you in jail – a bit tongue in cheek but I agree with the sentiment.

True French champagne is far too good to be ruined like that – it should be savoured and enjoyed!

We are going back to France next year and really looking forward to our trip to the Champagne region.

Dale.

You can check out the full Times Higher Education University rankings here.

The University of Melbourne is the top Australian University, followed fairly closely by the Australian National University.

University rankings don’t tell the full story of course but they certainly effect marketing, student demand and prestige.

Dale.

A big dispute arose concerning the provision of free drinking water – tap water not bottled – to an otherwise paying customer.

Now I personally don’t like drinking water as I don’t like the taste but I know many people want it / enjoy it. Most restaurants don’t charge for providing tap water either.

The real problem here is how Gilby’s Restaurant responded to a customer complaint when the restaurant didn’t want to provide free drinking tap water.

You can read the full details here.

The Facebook page where the dispute took place has been deleted now but the linked blog post gives you all the details and demonstrates the restaurant has no idea as to how you should handle a legitimate customer complaint.

Gilby’s Restaurant certainly needs to improve its customer service and attitude to continue to survive.

Dale.

Announcing a NEW Exclusive French Wines Expo with importer Ross Duke in Hobart Tasmania

I would like to let everyone know about a great wine tasting that is going to take place soon at Cool Wine in Hobart Tasmania. It will take place in the Oval Room in the Mid City Hotel just next to Cool Wine and should be a great experience. Hobart and Tasmania are often left off the map by mainland businesses and we need to support them when they take the chance and include Tasmania in their wine tasting calendar.

Featuring 22 super wines- Rhone, Burgundy and Champagne-

Directly imported by Ross-French Wine Centre, Melbourne.

Ross, with incredible French wine knowledge, will be on hand to explain the wines. Light food, from Karen Goodwin Roberts will be served. A fine prelude to a good night out!

When and Where:

Friday 31st August, at the Cool Wine tasting room from 6-8pm.

$55 includes 22 premium small maker wines and food. Bookings essential- to Cool Wine.

And for people like me who love French Champagne the tasting will include 3 grower Champagnes from Ross.

I highly encourage you to contact Cool Wine and make a booking for this great tasting.

By the way I got Ross and Tim together for this tasting so lets support this importer and a local Tasmanian business as well. Ross wasn’t going to initially include Tasmania in his Australian wine tasting schedule but we have persuaded him and now need to support the event.

Cool Wine is a great wine shop and I am pleased they have partnered with Ross to bring us this great French wine tasting in Hobart. And you can also email Cool Wine to join their weekly email newsletter.

Dale.

Here are the details I received from the Government:

Tender to conduct an audit of disability research in Australia

Consultants are invited to submit a proposal to conduct an audit of disability research in Australia.

Funding will be awarded to a consultant to conduct an audit on Disability Research to be completed within 12 months.

Apply for Funding

Applicants must submit a Tender Proposal and Tender Response Schedule electronically to the email address provided. Through eTendering the Consultant is providing an electronic signature in accordance with the Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (NSW) and is taken to have accepted any conditions shown on the NSW Government eTendering website. No hard copies will be accepted.

Applications must be received by 5pm, 17 July, 2012 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

The documents can be downloaded from this eTendering website (Tender reference number DPRWG 12.02) at https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/?event=public.RFT.list

Disability Research & Development documents to download

The Cover Sheet

Tender Specification

Tender Response Schedule

Conditions of Tendering for an Audit of Disability Research

Tender Agreement

National Disability Research and Development Agenda

A complete Tender Application must consist of the following:

* A Tender Response Schedule

* A Tender Audit Proposal

* Any additional documentation as required.

Prior to submission of a Tender application for funding an Audit on disability research, applicants are to ensure they:

* Read all relevant reference material

* Liaise with their administering institution, if required, to identify any specific requirements that the institution may have.

Key dates

The key dates for the Tender for the Disability Research Audit are as follows:

* 12/06/2012 – Tender Applications Open
* 17/07/2012 at 17:00 hours AEST – Tender Applications Close

==========================================================

You can contact me via E-mail, Skype dale.reardon or Twitter @DaleReardon.

I have been to many cafes and restaurants recently and in the next few weeks I will try and get these reviews online. I have noticed lately that many cafes and restaurants are charging what I consider expensive amounts for entrees, main courses and deserts – $30 upwards for mains, $20 upwards for entrees and $15 upwards for desert. Personally I consider these prices expensive and in return I expect a quality experience with terrific food and quality service. At some places I am disappointed to say that I have been let down and been disappointed.

It seems that some restaurants and cafes put forward the excuse that they are casual as an excuse to try and justify their lower service and quality standards. Bluntly put this is just not good enough!! You can have a casual atmosphere but if you are going to charge expensive prices then I expect quality. You can be casual but still professional.

I know that many restaurants and cafes use University students as waiters and waitresses who don’t want to make a career out of their waiting skills. However they can still take pride in their job and do a professional service. Professional waiting is a skill that takes experience and training. If you are a business owner then invest in your staff and business and ensure that your waiters get appropriate training. It will pay off in better reviews and better customer satisfaction which in turn leads to word of mouth recommendations which are the best form of marketing.

So if you own a restaurant then don’t think you can get away with sloppy service just by claiming you are a casual establishment – even casual cafes and restaurants can provide great professional service and quality food.

Alternatively you can lower your prices to more accurately reflect your standards and attract a different market. I personally believe there is a great demand for cheaper quality food and service. Even so many pubs are now pricing themselves at the same level as restaurants and wondering why they aren’t doing so well.

What are your thoughts? What do you think of restaurants lowering their standards by claiming they are casual?

Thanks for reading and remember to follow me on Twitter,

Dale.

I need to pay my thanks to Rebecca from Inside Cuisine and Jeremy from Taste Explorer as it was thanks to them that we were able to attend this great event.

From the MLA Black Box website:

“The MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge is a team chef competition sponsored by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) as part of its marketing program to the global foodservice sector. The aim of the challenge is to showcase Australian beef, sheepmeat and goat meat to chefs around the world.”

Last night’s dinner was the culmination of 4 years of National Country finals where 16 teams from round the World participated to be crowned the best team in the World.

We were seated at the Egypt table so apart from obviously supporting Henry Jones Art Hotel team from Hobart Tasmania (a great Hotel where Jo and I stayed for our wedding and part of our honeymoon) we gave our support to Egypt.

The event indeed served to showcase quality Tasmanian produce as well as red meat which was the aim of the challenge.

Team Thailand took out the overall challenge though Henry Jones came third and won a prize for the best appetiser.

The event was great fun and the Tasmanian wine was highly enjoyed also!! The food was fantastic and again I sincerely thank Jeremy and Rebecca for the invites.

The event was part of Savour Tasmania celebrations and there is a Feast of Chefs dinner coming up this Saturday and also the fabulous Red Wine Weekend in Hobart this weekend. We will be at the Red Wine Weekend so look forward to tasting more great Tasmanian wines.

If you would like to see some photos of the MLA Black Box challenge then check out this blog post.

And of course for more news and information on food then either follow me on Twitter or follow the RSS feed or better still do both!
Thanks,

Dale.

The problem is that the software employed by Spotify is not accessible to blind and vision impaired computer users who use screen readers to use their computer such as Jaws (JFW) or Window-Eyes.

The software simply doesn’t work with screen readers and this means blind and vision impaired people can’t enjoy and make use of the Spotify service.

Now maybe you would cut a new company some slack and try to resolve things with them – maybe they didn’t know how to build their software properly to grant accessibility. However this is not the case with Spotify. Even though they have just launched in Australia they are not a new company and have been around for quite some time. Simply put they should know better!

For a detailed history of the accessibility issues with Spotify I highly recommend reading this blog article by a blind computer user in another country who has been frustrated for quite some time.

As you can see the situation has been getting worse not better. It is time that Spotify took accessibility issues seriously and talked to programming experts and sorted out their software problems.

I don’t know yet if I will bring a disability discrimination complaint against Spotify Australia but I am inclined to do so. It seems to be a great service and I would like to make use of it.

I personally hate not being able to use the latest technology and keep up with my sighted peers so Spotify’s attitude towards accessibility is very disappointing.

I will keep you posted if there is any progress and let you know what I decide in relation to a disability discrimination complaint.

Thanks,

Dale.

The Voice Australia is a very popular TV Show on Channel 9. They even have a vision impaired singer participating who has RP.

After the first live show, they announced that you could vote on Facebook as a free voting option so I was impressed. I eagerly visited the Facebook page of the Show but was seriously disappointed.

Firstly the link to the voting application was not correctly labelled which meant I had no idea of where to go to vote. Coincidentally many sighted people were also confused by the page layout and also had trouble finding where to go.

I got sighted assistance with that and proceeded to install the voting application.

Then when I tried to use the Voice AU voting application on Facebook I found out it was completely inaccessible to blind and vision impaired people. There is simply no way, using a screen reader, that you can choose who to vote for, submit the vote or anything else.

Simply put I believe this is discrimination as they have not created an accessible to all voting system.

I have lodged a discrimination complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and will keep you informed of the progress and outcome.

Hopefully we can all benefit and get this Facebook application in particular made accessible.

Dale.

Mobile: 0420 277 457
Email: dale@dalereardon.com
Skype: dale.reardon

You can also find Dale Reardon on Facebook.

And finally Dale Reardon on LinkedIn.

Remi’s website with full location details and contact details is here.

From the website:

“Exclusively featuring the authentic cuisine of Provence, both classic and contemporary, Remi de Provence is a unique dining experience — a true French bistro.”

In summary the food and French champagne were outstanding but their attitude and honouring of promises was disappointing and gave the whole evening a sour taste – a disappointment for us as it was our wedding anniversary.

I would however highly recommend the food – it was a fantastic French dining experience.

Now for the full detail:

Jo and I went to Remi towards the end of December for our wedding anniversary dinner. We hadn’t been there before but both of us absolutely love French Champagne – you know the real thing! – and from our previous trip to France we both like French food and the Provence region where we stayed and had a great time in France.

I had read some reviews of Remi in advance to help me decide where to take us out including the review of Roger McShane. I had also viewed the website of Remi. All these sources tell you that you can buy a bottle of wine from Remi’s bottle shop and dine in the restaurant with it. There is a sliding scale of corkage depending on the value of the wine. This sounded terrific to us and to be honest that was one of the deciding factors on where to dine as we wanted French champagne with our meal.

When reading this story bear in mind that we had never dined at Remi before so we had no idea what wine was on their restaurant wine list and honestly didn’t care as we were going to choose from the bottle shop.

When we arrived at Remi we were greeted by a very friendly and knowledgable man who took us on a tour of the bottle shop – we told him that was what we wanted to do.

We asked about French champagne and he explained their range. He told us that Gosset Grand Reserve champagne was one of the best champagnes available there and even better news was that it was on sale at the moment. It was normally approximately $130 but was on sale for only $92.50 We knew the corkage was cheaper under $100 and since he so highly recommended the wine we took his advice and chose the Gosset Grand Reserve champagne.

When we were seated we had the champagne served in some very nice glasses indeed and just as advised it was one of the nicest champagnes we had tasted. It had a superbly blended flavour and was really high quality. I would highly recommend the champagne.

The menu was very good and there were several dishes that I could have easily eaten. The set menu also sounded good value but we chose to order our own selection. We chose the mixed entree platter and Jo had steak for main course and I had an outstanding slow cooked lamb rump.

Jo ordered her steak medium and made it very clear to the waiter that she meant medium, not medium rare and tending towards well done. The steak came out medium rare but she accepted it and enjoyed the meal. Our eventual account showed the waiter had written rare for the steak so obviously something went wrong there.

My lamb was just fantastic and is highly recommended. It was cooked superbly and tasted amazing. The meat just melted in your mouth. We also had their potato side dish and that was amazing with cream and garlic.

We were also given a very nice complimentary small soup at the start of the meal and it was terrific also.

In terms of desert Jo was feeling full so didn’t opt for the profiteroles – she also has a dislike for custard and thought they would include custard. I however chose the profiteroles and was really impressed. There was 4 of them and instead of custard they were filled with icecream. The chocolate sauce was fantastic and the pastry was soft and slightly chewy – just how I like it. Sometimes choux pastry is dried out from too much cooking but these profiteroles were just perfect.

Jo had the desert of the day which involved strawberries and she also thought it was fantastic.

We followed the meal with some very nice Musket and it rounded off the meal very nicely.

Now back to the champagne incident – It was during our main course that the waiter came over and said that he needed to make a huge apology in relation to the champagne. Apparently he said he had been informed that the champagne special price was only for off site consumption and not for consumption in the restaurant. He said he couldn’t honour the price we had been advised. By this time of course it was too late to send it back and in my opinion the restaurant had no choice but to honour the price and how they handled this would really test their character and customer service.

I explained to the waiter that we realised that we wouldn’t just pay the $92.50 but would pay corkage on top of that and that was fine even though he hadn’t told us about the corkage. The restaurant menu had the corkage scale on it and confirmed the practice of drinking bottle shop wine in the restaurant.

The waiter was young and very troubled by the whole situation but apparently had no authority to resolve the situation. I insisted that we wouldn’t pay the full price – he said he would speak with management and get back to us. We stressed that the most we should pay was $92.50 plus corkage.

The whole situation really marred a terrific night when the ultimate bill came out as we had been charged $138 for the bottle when corkage was only $15 so the total charge should only have been $107.50 We had to get quite pushy and insistent and stress that there was simply no way we were paying full price and explained what we would pay and how that was what was advertised.

Really Remi himself should have come out and spoken to us and resolved the matter. It was not fair of Remi to leave this situation to a junior waiter. Sure Remi had no idea that I would be writing a review but that shouldn’t matter. All customers should be treated equally. At the moment I am an unknown reviewer and I am therefore getting a true impression of the restaurants.

The real problem arose with the Gosset champagne because it was one of just 2 champagnes on the wine list. Remi obviously didn’t want to honour the sale price to compete with his wine list price. To me that is just bad luck. We checked on the way out and there was a sign in the bottle shop on the Gosset price tag to say the price was a special – however there was no fine print and there was no note excluding it from in restaurant dining. There was also no sign to exclude any wines from dining in the restaurant.

Basically Remi is putting a terrific opportunity and offer out there in terms of using bottle shop wine with a corkage but when it came to the crunch didn’t want to honour the offer. That is just plain bad business and terrible customer service.

Because we really pushed the point we were only charged the correct $107.50 but the waiters demeanour implied that he was in trouble and we didn’t receive an apology for the situation. If Remi himself was not available to talk with us then the manager for that night should have resolved the matter for us. Forcing us to discuss the matter several times was not satisfactory.

I personally believe that we should be compensated by another complimentary dinner to make up for this incident. Prior to publishing this review I did seek input from Remi and I will put our conversation at the end of this review so you can see both sides of the situation.

The next day I did email the restaurant and ask about their corkage policy. I asked if there were any exceptions or exclusions and what the charges were. I didn’t say anything about the night before though. Remi wrote back and said no exclusions or exceptions and gave me the scale of charges.

Remi needs to decide whether a very small one off loss compared to the full wine list price is worth making a customer very happy and who would spread the word.

I should reiterate that this situation was only in relation to the service and business management and not the food. The food was absolutely outstanding and I would recommend the food to anyone. It was a terrific French experience and depending on how Remi remedies the situation I would go back again.

Here is the discussion with Remi. He mistakenly believed we had been charged the higher price on the night and offered to refund the difference but has offered no compensation. I personally don’t think this is adequate but I will leave the final decision to you. It also appears from Remi’s email that he still wishes to have this exclusion on the Gosset but has not altered his advertising to include any exclusions:

Hi,

On 22 December 2011 my wife and I dined at your restaurant and I am just in the process of finalising a review of your restaurant and our evening experience for our website / forum / blog (the link was included).

I stress that the review has only been drafted and not published yet. I provide a copy of my review below for your comment. As you will see the
food was wonderful but the evening was marred by your unwillingness to honour a price on champagne.

I would like to include your comments and perspective on the situation in the review in order to provide a balanced review. I am seeking your
comments in order to provide a fair and balanced perspective in case the waiter didn’t accurately convey to us your opinion on the night.

Please get back to me with your comments and I will amend the review before publishing.

Thanks,

Dale.

—–

Good evening Dale
Thank you for your comment, I sorry to read that the floor staff did not stick to the advertised price even if it was only for take way price.
As for not apologizing I unfortunately was not told or as they would probably say they forgot. Any way please accept my late apologies and could you please send me your CC detail so I can rectified the amount and credit you those $30 to you.
Please to read that you enjoy the evening and that you like our profiteroles.

Thank you again and hope I can welcome you again at Remi de Provence.
Kind Regards
Remi Bancal

Dale

I was excited to see the recent announcement by Senator Conroy about the trial of audio description on ABC TV. This is something BCA, and their partners, have been advocating for over the past few years.

Please see below the BCA media release congratulating the Australian Government.

I have also placed below the BCA media release the announcement made by Senator Conroy’s office.

Not all the technical details have been worked out yet so please stay tuned for more details. Also the trial is only for a short period and not on all programs. We are yet to find out which programs will be involved and how we will be told which programs to listen to.

From information I have received the type of audio description which the ABC will be using is called receiver-mixed, which means that when you press a button on a set top box or TV which has receiver-mixed capability, a separate sound channel containing only the audio description will be superimposed over the regular TV audio. When audio description is not being broadcast, you will just hear the regular TV audio.

Please let me know what you think of this announcement and whether you plan to make use of the service.

Dale.
Follow Dale Reardon on Twitter

*****

BLIND CITIZENS AUSTRALIA – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

22 February 2012

Government and ABC deliver accessible television for Australia blind

Blind Citizens Australia today congratulated the Federal Government on their public announcement of a 13 week trial of audio description on
ABC1 commencing mid 2012, with 14 hours of audio described content to be aired each week.

Audio description is a way to describe the visual elements seen on screen in a clear and private manner. It gives a person who is blind or vision impaired a true sense of what is happening on-screen with a description of scenery, costumes, facial expression and body language which is spoken between natural pauses in dialogue.

“This is a major step forward for people who are blind or vision impaired”, said Mrs Cheryl Pascual, President of Blind Citizens Australia, the peak national consumer body of and for people who are blind or vision impaired.

“People who are blind or vision impaired have waited a long time to be included and have been frustrated that audio description on commercial television has been beyond our reach. A trial on ABC1 highlights a strong commitment to overcome some of the barriers experienced by people who are blind or vision impaired and sets the benchmark for other networks”, said Mrs Pascual.

ABC1 programs such as Australian Story often end with on-screen text outlining how the story has progressed since final recording. This information is inaccessible to people who are blind or vision impaired.

In 2010, the Department of Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy released its ‘Access to Electronic Media for the Hearing and Vision Impaired’ report which recommended a trial of audio description on ABC1 in the second half of 2011. The recommendation specified 14 hours of audio described content per week in prime time viewing, subject to funding approval.

Blind Citizens Australia will continue to work with both the Federal Government and the ABC in the implementation of the trial.

“This is an exciting time ahead for our members. It means school kids who are blind will no longer feel left out when all everyone is talking about is what was on TV last night. It also means that people who have lost their sight later in life can continue to share the experience of watching a movie on TV with family and friends”, said Mrs Pascual.

“People think that this is simply about television but it’s more that that. It’s about our right to enjoy all parts of life just like everyone else”.

End

This media release is available in large print, audio, Braille and in electronic formats for access by people who are blind or vision impaired.

Media contact: Robyn Gaile, Executive Officer – Mobile: 0417 549 535

Blind Citizens Australia, Ross House, Level 3, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Email: robyn.gaile@bca.org.au
Website: www.bca.org.au

Text of Senator Conroy media release begins now

Media Release

Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate

Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity

————————————————————————
——–

Audio Description Trial on ABC in 2012

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced a trial of audio description will be conducted on ABC television in 2012.

Audio description improves access to electronic media for people with a visual impairment.

“The ABC will deliver content and conduct a technical trial of closed audio description using receiver-mixed technology for the Australian Government,” Senator Conroy said.

“The trial will involve the broadcast of drama, documentary and other content with audio description on ABC1 for 14 hours per week during prime time over a 13 week period commencing in mid 2012.”

The trial is intended to generate a greater understanding of the technical and consumer issues associated with establishing and delivering audio description services.

It will encompass testing of the broadcast delivery path from capture (acquisition or commissioning) to transmission and distribution. The trial is also intended to raise awareness of audio description within the industry, government and other key stakeholders, and obtain information on user requirements.

Audio description is an additional verbal commentary that complements the underlying soundtrack of a program. It is a narration which explains what is happening visually during television programs, movies, DVDs or live performances.

Audio description explains scenes, settings, costumes, facial expressions and ‘sight gags’ during gaps in the dialogue. Currently in Australia there is no broadcast on television of audio description. The trial will assist in assessing the technical and other implications within Australia’s broadcasting context.

The ABC will provide a report to the government on the audio description trial in the second half of 2012.

“I am also pleased to announce a successful tenderer for a consultancy to conduct research and identify appropriate consumer equipment for decoding receiver-mixed audio description technology has been selected,”
Senator Conroy said.

“This consultancy will help people with a visual impairment participate in the trial by identifying digital televisions and set-top boxes capable of receiving audio description and the steps involved in activating this functionality.

” The trial will be accessible to any viewer of the ABC’s digital ABC1 service with an appropriate receiver. The consultancy will provide its final report in March, well ahead of the trial commencing mid-year.

“The Gillard Government has already taken a number of other actions in response to the recommendations of the Media Access Review report released in 2010 and is committed to further improving access to electronic media,” Senator Conroy said.

“In September I announced an Australian first with the commercial release of talking set-top boxes to help people who are vision impaired make the switch to digital-only television.”

The government worked closely with industry in the development of the talking set-top box technology in Australia and carried out a trial as part of the Household Assistance Scheme rollout in regional Victoria.

These boxes have receiver-mix capability and will allow viewers to participate in the audio description trial.

Disability Advocacy and the Legal System: You Be The Judge

There is a new conference upcoming regarding disability issues. Full details are below.

When: 26 & 27 March 2012
Where: Melbourne Park Function Centre, Batman Ave, Melbourne
Register: Go online to: here

Topics to be covered:

” Why are people with disabilities so over-represented in our prisons?
” How do we make sure people with disabilities have a say in what happens to them?
” Are we living up to our responsibilities under international law in Victoria and Australia?
” What are the challenges and opportunities for us in a changing legal environment?

This conference will explore the major issues and challenges facing disability advocates at a time of profound change. Don’t miss our exciting speakers, including:

” Johnny Crescendo (UK/USA) – singer-songwriter, activist and founder of the Direct Action Network
” Cindy Johns and Michael Aldridge (NZ) – from New Zealand’s leading disability advocacy movement People First and its ground-breaking ‘Nothing about us without us’ campaign
” Ian Gray – Chief Magistrate of Victoria
” The Hon. Andrea Coote – Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Family and Community Services
” Sarah Barton – Award-winning documentary-maker, with her new film
Also Richard Coverdale (Centre for Rural Regional Law and Justice), John Chesterman (Office of the Public Advocate), Anne Coghlan (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal), and more.

Who should attend?

Disability advocates, self advocates, people with disability, legal workers, government and non-government officers, community workers and allied health professionals.

For more information, visit the conference website

Download a flyer here

Hope the information is useful. To stay up to date with my news and blog you can subscribe to the RSS feed or follow me on Twitter – @DaleReardon.

Dale.

If academics want to distribute their work widely and have their work make an impact then I believe the future of academic publishing is digital and online.

This will allow much faster sharing of research work, online searching and wider distribution.

For a very good article about this required change check out this piece

The other benefit of academic publishing going digital is better access for blind and vision impaired people. The material can be downloaded, converted into whatever accessible format is required and accessed instantly.

I prefer to read my materials on the computer using artificial speech but some prefer to print it out in Braille, some prefer large print etc.

So the advancement of academic publishing will have a spin off effect for the blind to provide greater access. Currently there is often an embargo on journals being available electronically and this needs fixing. This means I have to have articles scanned which takes time and costs money. It is inefficient and wasteful.

Paper only publishing also makes it far more difficult for blind and vision impaired people to search the journals – we need the text of the articles to be online and available for electronic searching to give full and equal access to the benefits of research.

Digital production also saves paper and we all want to save resources in this day and age.

Let me know what you think. Do read the comments below as I have put some updates on the Academic Writers strike and the debate over publishing models.

Dale.