SpecialCare Central Inc. are proud to welcome Karni Liddell as our Ambassador.

Karni Liddell has already established herself as one of Australia’s most successful and well-respected Paralympians. Karni’s journey to success began a lot differently than a typical elite athlete, as she was diagnosed at birth with a degenerative muscle wasting disease labeled Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Many Specialists told her amazing parents that their first-born child would not walk, sit up or live past her teenage years. Some specialists told them to make their daughter “as comfortable as possible, as exercise will only make this condition worse”. Karni’s parents began her on a ‘crazy’ self-invented rehabilitation program at the age of 2, which soon enabled them to realize that the greatest pleasure in life is achieving things people say can’t be done!

Not only did Karni walk at the age of 3, but she also established herself as one of the best swimmers in the world by the age of 14 when she broke the 50m Freestyle world record and she then went on to win medals at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics. Karni broke this world record many times in her teenage years and went into the Sydney 2000 Games as the fastest woman in the world in all her events. Karni was also voted in by her teammates to be one of the Australian team captains at the 2000 Paralympics, her greatest swimming achievement.

Karni was the first person in Australia with a disability to be featured on the front cover of Inside Sport magazine in a bikini and was featured in a 6-page bikini spread for the magazine. Karni was also featured in a Paralympic body-painting calendar, Black and White Magazine and many other modelling assignments. Karni’s incentive behind her modelling work was to demonstrate to the public that accidents and disability don’t discriminate, it chooses beautiful people every day. She also wanted to show children with disabilities that they are able to play sport, be funny, be beautiful, be intelligent and be whatever their minds dream up, despite their physical limitations! Karni’s preparation for Sydney was fraught with challenges and she soon realized the power of her disease.

Karni’s story is filled with ’edge of your seat’ unbelievable drama and circumstances, more importantly she demonstrates the power of belief and choice. Karni will have you crying in disbelief one minute and the next she will have you crying tears of laughter and joy at her story and wit. The triumph of the human spirit and family prevails throughout her story. Karni is a presenter on 4BC radio and was as a commentator at the Athens Paralympics, the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, the World Swimming Championships and the Noosa Triathlon. More amazingly, Karni was employed by Westpac Bank to raise $1million for the Australian Paralympic team to go to Athens in 2004 as the team was at risk of being downsized due to finances. Karni raised $1million in 4 months by travelling the country telling her story and inspiring people to raise money. Karni is the Ambassador for the Day of Difference Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association, ACPET and Montrose Access. Karni believes that we all have a choice in life and that our choices should NOT be determined by our life circumstances or our bodies. Karni is now studying her Masters in Clinical Social Work and has a Communications training consultancy where she is able to deliver workshops to corporations, athletes and students on how to master the art of storytelling for media interviews, keynote speeches, work meetings, etc. www.karni_liddell@yahoo.com.au

A collaboration between the Department of Communities (Disability and Community Care Services) and the Department of Education and Training (DET), it offers you (if you’r eligible) the opportunity to apply for finiancial assistance of up to $1,00 in year 11 and $2,000 in year 12 to pursue the goals you have identified in your Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan or equivalent that will assist your transition to life after school.

Interested?  Check out the website www.myfuturemylife.com.au or call 1300 My Plan (1300 697 526)

$1 billion to start NDIS announced in Federal Budget

The Every Australian Counts campaign welcomes the historic 2012 Budget announcement allocating $1 billion over the next four years to launch the National Disability Insurance Schem

The Budget allocation includes $342.5 million over three years for individualised packages for people with a disability and their families.

Every Australian Counts National Campaign Director John Della Bosca said:

“Every night around Australia aging family carers go to bed worried about what will happen to their son or daughter with a disability when they can no longer provide care and support. I hope from tonight they sleep a little easier knowing the NDIS is on its way.

“In a tight fiscal environment committing $1 billion to disability reform represents an historic shift. Disability has been in the too hard basket for decades. People with a disability and their families have been abandoned. The waiting lists for equipment, the lack of respite care and the underfunding of services has been a national disgrace. But today we start to right that wrong

“The plan outlined tonight relies heavily on cooperation between the Federal, State and Territory governments. I know that State Ministers around the country support the NDIS. They want to see it become a reality. So we look forward to everyone sitting around the table and working out how to make the NDIS real.

Investing in the NDIS now makes economic sense. In late 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers reported that without the NDIS, the current national disability spend of almost $7 billion per year will blow out to $45 billion per year by the year 2035, as state governments continue to funnel taxpayers money into short-term emergency fixes

In a joint media release from the Prime Minister and the Minister for Disability Reform, the $1 billion budget commitment is broken down to:

• · $342.5 million over three years from July next year for individually funded packages for people with significant and permanent disability.
• · $154.8 million over three years from July next year to employ Local Area Coordinators to provide an individualised approach to delivering care and support to people with a disability.
• · $58.6 million over three years from July next year to assess the needs of people with a disability in the launch locations.
• · $122.6 million over four years to start preparing the disability sector for the new way of delivering disability services. Building the capacity of disability organisations to adjust to an NDIS is critical to success, particularly in the launch locations in the first stage of roll out.
• · $240.3 million over four years to build and operate an NDIS information technology system.
• · $53 million over four years to establish a new National Disability Launch Transition Agency to coordinate implementation and manage the delivery of care and support to people with a disability and their carers in launch locations from 2013–14.

Information about the NDIS, new expert working groups and NDIS Budget details: www.ndis.gov.au

Every Australian Counts supporter signups needed at www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au

(forwarded by Fiona Anderson – Qld state Campaign Coordinator – NDIS)

Asset Calculato

The Public Trustee has launched an online asset calculator to assist your members with their Will making preparation. We look forward to speaking further with your members about how they can include a charity as beneficiary when they make or update their free Will with The Public Trustee.

Queensland Wills Week

Queensland Wills Week is just around the corner; come and speak with our staff at a sausage sizzle, shopping centre display or community forum in your region.

Find a local Queensland Wills Week event

You can also read about Queensland Wills Week at http://www.willsweek.pt.qld.gov.au

I grew up with practical parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a name for it… A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones.

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away..

I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things.. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer’s night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t any more

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away…never to return.. S o… while we have it….. it’s best we love it…. and care for it… and fix it when it’s broken……… and heal it when it’s sick.

This is true. for marriage……. and old cars….. and children with bad report cards….. and dogs with bad hips…. and aging parents….. and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special…….. and so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thinks I am a ‘keeper’, so I’ve sent it to the people I think of in the same way… Now it’s your turn to send this to those people that are “keepers” in your life. Good friends are like stars…. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there. Keep them close!

TEN THINGS GOD WON’T ASK ON THAT DAY.

1…. God won’t ask what kind of car you drove. He’ll ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation..

2…. God won’t ask the square footage of your house, He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3…. God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4…. God won’t ask what your highest salary was. He’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5….God won’t ask what your job title was. He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6…. God won’t ask how many friends you had. He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7…. God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8…. God won’t ask about the color of your skin, He’ll ask about the content of your character.

9…. God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation. He’ll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

10…. God won’t have to ask how many people you forwarded this to, He already knows your decision.

Formally declared on December 18, 2007 by the United Nations, today (April 2^nd) is World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD). Across the globe, organisations recognise WAAD through the annual Shine a Light on Autism event, where famous landmarks such as New York’s Empire State Building will be illuminated in the event’s chosen international colour – blue.    Read more of this article written by Mind Food Radio

Official Opening 10am. 2nd May at the Brisbane Convention Centre, South Bank  followed by:

10.20am – Department of Communities, Disability Services

11.00am – Office of the Adult Guardian / Public Trustee’11.30 Centrelink

12.00  – National Disability Insurance Scheme

12.30pm – Family Planning

1pm – Department of Cummunities, Disability Services.

5 – 8pm Evening are information sessions only.

5pm – Carers Qld

5.30 – Office of the Adult Guardian & Public Trustee

6pm – National Disability Insurance Scheme

6.30 – Pave the Way

7pm – Department of Communities, Disability Services

7.30 – Centre link.

This is a FREE program for adults aged 18 – 65 years with *Acquired Brain Injury  * Stroke  * Traumatic Brain Injury and their families and carers.

When:  Wednesday 2nd May  Where: Mt. Gravatt Community Centre   Time:  1 – 3 pm.   Call Karen Goddard or Areti Kenneday on 3406 2311 .   RSVP by 20th April 2012