The countdown is on…there are just over eight weeks until our fourth annual Gala Fundraising Dinner! This year’s Gala is on Saturday, 5 November at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Tickets go on sale in mid-September.
If you would like to be notified via email when tickets go on sale, please contact us on galadinner@spinal.com.au or 07 3391 2044 – we’d love to see you there!
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The countdown is on…there are just over nine weeks until our fourth annual Gala Fundraising Dinner! This year’s Gala is on Saturday, 5 November at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Tickets go on sale in mid-September.
If you would like to be notified via email when tickets go on sale, please contact us on galadinner@spinal.com.au or 07 3391 2044 – we’d love to see you there!
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The countdown is on…there are just over nine weeks until our fourth annual Gala Fundraising Dinner! This year’s Gala is on Saturday, 5 November at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Tickets go on sale in mid-September.
If you would like to be notified via email when tickets go on sale, please contact us on galadinner@spinal.com.au or 07 3391 2044 – we’d love to see you there!
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The challenge: create 24 fashion pieces for six people who have a physical disability in just 10 weeks.
Sound impossible?
Not for Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE (MSIT) second year fashion design students who have accepted the challenge with relish and last week met with their six ‘models’ to begin to understand the many complexities of using a wheelchair and how this can impact on fashion choices.
MSIT and the Spinal Injuries Association have partnered for this unique fashion project – to create clothing and accessories that are both fashionable and functional.
After creating their designs, the students will then present their pieces to an industry panel made up of teachers, designers and Spinal Injuries Association representatives, in September.
Spinal Injuries Association Peer Support Officer Katie Franz, who is leading the project (and who loves fashion!), said the idea for the project began earlier this year after University of Sydney Honours student Imogen Howe published a summary of a needs analysis she conducted that investigated clothing options for people with spinal cord injuries.
The survey summarised what members of the Association already knew – that there are limited options when it comes to finding clothing that is both eye-catching and practical.
“Survey respondents reported grief and feelings of loss over the inability to wear clothing that had been worn prior to their injury,” Imogen said.
“Respondents agreed that it was difficult to buy clothes that not only sat correctly on people who used wheelchairs, but was also attractive, fashionable, easy to put on and expressed their sense of self.”
MSIT Fashion Education Manager Liz Reynolds said the students and staff welcomed the opportunity to work on this ground-breaking project with the Spinal Injuries Association.
“MSIT’s world-class fashion training aims to deliver outcomes and experiences where students take part in real-life industry projects,” Ms Reynolds said.
“This project is a great opportunity for MSIT’s fashion students to learn about the needs of clients whose garments are designed and constructed with particular specifications and functionality in mind.
“This project has helped MSIT students broaden their design and production abilities as well as open their minds to the individual circumstances of clients whose physical requirements are different from other areas of the fashion industry.”
Association project leader Katie said when she was recovering from sustaining paraplegia in 1996, she was under the impression that her ‘fashionista’ days were over.
“I thought I was destined to a life of ‘tracky daks’ and baggy t-shirts,” she said.
“Coming to terms with your injury is hard enough, but to also be told that you could no longer wear the clothes you liked was hugely upsetting and disempowering – you feel even less like ‘other people’.
“Clothing is one of the main ways we express our personalities and just because you use a wheelchair, doesn’t mean you can’t dress up and wear fashionable clothing. You just have to find ways of altering or adapting fashion to your body type and how you use your wheelchair.”
After Katie spoke to the fashion lecturers at MSIT, they were inspired to make the functional fashion project an assessment item for second year students studying a design and computer graphics unit.
The six members of the Association involved in the project have a range of injury levels and conditions including quadriplegia, paraplegia, and Multiple Sclerosis. Their first meeting with the students was an enormous success as they explained exactly what their physical disability is, how it impacts on their lives and the challenges of finding great clothes.
“For example, because people with spinal cord injuries no longer have abdominal muscles that work, they’re often keen to camouflage their stomach by buying larger sizes, which often results in clothes that swamp the body,” Katie said.
“As well as this extra fabric making the person look bigger than they are, it can also lead to pressure sores or the clothing getting caught in their wheelchairs.
“Shoe shopping is also a nightmare because every new pair has to be carefully road tested by leaving the shoes on for 15 minute intervals and then carefully inspecting your feet, or having your personal support worker carefully inspect your feet, to make sure they’re not too tight, which could also lead to pressure sores.
“I could give dozens of examples, but suffice to say that going clothes shopping is not often a fun activity for people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities.”
Spinal Injuries Association Chief Executive Officer Bruce Milligan applauded MSIT for seeing the potential in the project.
“Around 9,000 Australians have a spinal cord injury. Combine that with the hundreds of thousands of people who have another form of disability and you realise there’s a significant proportion of the population who have very little choice when it comes to clothing and accessories,” Bruce said.
“As an organisation dedicated to giving its 2,000 members and clients choice in all areas of their life, this partnership with MSIT and its students will be enormously beneficial and make a very real difference in the lives of people with spinal cord injuries.”
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Today marked Spinal Injuries Association Chief Executive Officer Bruce Milligan’s inaugural visit to the organisation’s Townsville office.
Bruce commenced his leadership role with Queensland’s peak body for people with spinal cord injuries at the end of June, and has quickly taken the opportunity to meet North Queensland Association members, staff and the organisation’s North Queensland Supporters Committee to learn about the unique environment that they live and work in.
“It’s always a pleasure to travel to the north of our state, and to meet our members and clients from throughout this region will be an invaluable opportunity to better understand the opportunities and challenges of living in Townsville and the surrounding areas for people with spinal cord injuries,” Bruce said.
“As a Queensland-wide organisation we’re equally dedicated to providing supports and service that empower and enhance the lives of our members and clients, regardless of their geographical location.”
Bruce’s visit is also a timely opportunity to discuss the Association’s support for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and he will also launch the organisation’s inaugural Take My Seat challenge, which will be held in Townsville on Tuesday, 20 September during Disability Action Week (18-24 September).
Bruce said Take My Seat was a great opportunity for local business people and community leaders to experience for themselves the challenges of having a permanent disability by spending a morning using a wheelchair and completing a range of tasks such as catching a taxi, ordering a coffee, using an ATM and manually pushing themselves at least 500 metres without stopping.
“We are seeking 12 enthusiastic locals to spend a fun morning discovering Townsville by using a wheelchair, while at the same time raising funds for our Association,” he said.
“We’re sure participants will be amazed at the many intricacies of navigating the region and its facilities from this unique perspective.
“Each participant will receive a personal lesson on how to use their wheelchairs by a member of the Spinal Injuries Association prior to their departure and this person will also chaperone and set the challenges throughout the event.”
Bruce promised Take My Seat would be a memorable experience that would give participants a chance to reflect on the way people with disabilities lived their life and encouraged interested residents to phone the Spinal Injuries Association on 07 3391 2044 or email fundraising@spinal.com.au if they wanted more information or to register for the challenge.
Another major focus for the Spinal Injuries Association at the moment is the proposed NDIS.
“On 31 July the Productivity Commission will deliver its final report into an NDIS, which means we are just days away from finding out the result of a decision that has the potential to transform the lives of North Queenslanders and all Australians who have a disability,” Bruce said.
“An NDIS would signal major social reform in this country and I will be encouraging our local Association members to speak to their local MPs about why this scheme must be supported by all levels of Government.”
Following the Commission’s release of the report, the Federal Government has until December to respond to its recommendations.
“Along with other disability organisations throughout the country, the Spinal Injuries Association will be heavily advocating and lobbying the Government for the implementation of an NDIS,” Bruce said.
“The no-fault scheme would provide funding for people with a disability for personal support, therapy, aids and equipment, home modifications, and employment training.
“It would be both for people who are born with or acquire a disability during their lifetime.
“Having this scheme in place would mean peace of mind for all Australians that if you have a disability in this country you will be able to live at home, work and participate in the community.”
Prior to joining the Spinal Injuries Association, Bruce had 20 years’ experience within the human services sector, including roles as CEO of The Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland, and senior executive positions with Blue Care, Disability Services Queensland, the Department of Communities and Queensland Health.
Most recently he was the Regional Executive Director of the Brisbane Region in the Department of Communities.
Bruce’s various roles have been recognised with several awards – in 2003, he was awarded the Centenary Medal “for distinguished service to the community” and in 2007 he was awarded the Australian Defence Medal “for service in the Australian Army Reserve”.
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Yesterday (10 July), Longford (pictured) was led to Townsville art gallery Studio2 by a merry group of locals, where he will be housed until 11 August.
He will be surrounded by art pieces created by Spinal Injuries Association members and local artists, which were created for the organisation’s ARTscape event in May.
Longford was the result of a partnership between Association member Tom Greer and local artist and Studio2 gallery resident sculptor Sue Tilley for ARTscape, and is a nod to the property where Tom lived and worked as a stockman prior to sustaining quadriplegia in a road accident several years ago.
Studio2 is open from 9am-4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-12pm Saturday and Sunday.
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Free community event:
What: Longford the horse to lead procession to ARTscape exhibition
When: Sunday, 10 July
Times: 12.30pm for 12.45pm departure (Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Corner Denham Street and Flinders Mall)
1pm arrival: (Studio2, 486-488 Flinders Street)
2pm: art exhibition launched (Studio2)
Don your best cowboy hat and boot scoot along to the Longford procession this Sunday (10 July)!
Longford (pictured) was created by Spinal Injuries Association member Tom Greer and local artist and Studio2 gallery resident sculptor Sue Tilley for the organisation’s inaugural ARTscape event in May.
Since the event the horse has been resting at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, where he added extra horsepower to the launch of the V8s racing event!
On Sunday he will be led by a team of Association members and supporters to Studio2 where he will again pull up stumps for the next month. Studio2 will also house other pieces of art from the ARTscape event.
This procession and art exhibition are free community events, with guests encouraged to wear cowboy boots and jeans as a nod to the namesake of Longford – the property where Tom lived and worked as a stockman prior to sustaining quadriplegia in a road accident several years ago.
Spinal Injuries Association North Queensland Manager Cathy Lengyel said the procession was sure to be a lot of fun and encouraged locals to join the event and see for themselves the impressive size and structure of the sculpture.
“It is also an opportunity to view many of the other collaborative works by local artists and people with a spinal injury involved in the ARTscape event. Their creativity is inspiring to all,” she said.
Studio2 is open from 9am-4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-12pm Saturday and Sunday.
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The Spinal Injuries Association is pleased to welcome Bruce Milligan as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Bruce brings 20 years’ experience from within the human services sector, having held positions including CEO of The Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland, and senior executive positions with Blue Care, Disability Services Queensland, the Department of Communities and Queensland Health.
Most recently, Bruce was the Deputy Director-General of Disability Services Queensland (DSQ). After the restructure of government departments in 2009 and the merging of DSQ into the new Department of Communities, Bruce moved into the role of Regional Executive Director of the Brisbane Region in the Department of Communities.
Bruce’s predecessor Mark Henley was with the Association for 22 years and has since commenced his role as the State Director of the Queensland Council of Social Service.
Spinal Injuries Association President David Riley said Bruce’s career plus previous involvement with National Disability Services’ Queensland Committee of Management meant his knowledge of the disability sector was expansive.
“Our staff are looking forward to working with Bruce to support our 2,000 members and clients throughout Queensland,” David said.
“His involvement with other disability organisations and service providers stands him in good stead for achieving great outcomes for our membership-based organisation.”
Bruce’s various roles have been recognised with several awards – in 2003, he was awarded the Centenary Medal “for distinguished service to the community” and in 2007 he was awarded the Australian Defence Medal “for service in the Australian Army Reserve”.
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Mt Nathan’s Jamie Stewart has been offered an amazing opportunity to play elite sport in Germany for nine months.
He’s got the skills, enthusiasm and talent – now the only thing he needs is the financial support to fulfill his dream.
The 29-year-old is part of the Queensland Spinning Bullets wheelchair basketball team and for the past two years has been training with the Australian Men’s Development Squad at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
He was also part of the committee that founded the local Gold Coast wheelchair basketball team – Rollerblaze – in 2008.
“Wheelchair basketball has been a huge part of my life for the past five years,” Jamie, a member of the Spinal Injuries Association, said.
“After I sustained high-level paraplegia in a car accident in 2001, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to play sport again.
“When I discovered wheelchair basketball I quickly began to enjoy the competitiveness and social aspect of the game.”
When Jamie received the offer from Germany’s Immovesta Trier Dolphins in late April to play in the Division 1 league from September for the 2011-12 season, he was ecstatic.
However, when he realised he would need $6,750 to cover his accommodation and food expenses, the reality of how he would achieve that hit home.
“It’s quite a lot of money and even though I work full time, it’s too much for me to be able to save between now and September. I’d really appreciate the opportunity to further my skills overseas in wheelchair basketball, which is growing increasingly popular,” Jamie said.
“If there were companies, organisations or people out there in the community who would like to help me achieve my dream, I would give them due recognition by placing their logo on the back of my basketball wheelchair, as well as other promotional opportunities.”
Jamie said if he was to make it to Germany, he would train every week day and play on a team that is privy to the best players and coaches in the world, against 10 other teams in the European league.
“After I returned I would have first-class coaching and international playing experience that I would share with local athletes,” he said.
“This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’d be honoured to represent the Gold Coast at such an elite level.”
Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said members such as Jamie demonstrated that having a spinal cord injury did not mean an end to playing competitive sport.
“While there’s no question that having a spinal cord injury is devastating, our members throughout Queensland are re-evaluating what they can still do following their injury, or working out another way of doing what they enjoy,” Mark said.
“We’re inspired each day by our members and clients who are living their lives to the fullest, just differently than they used to. They have husbands and wives and families. They have exciting jobs and careers, play sports, travel overseas and contribute to their local communities in all sorts of ways.”
If you would like to contribute to Jamie’s European wheelchair basketball dream, please phone him on 0412 521 692.
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The proportion of people with disabilities globally is rising and now stands at 1 billion, accounting for 15 per cent of the world’s population, according to the first official global report on disability. Read more…
14 June 2011.
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The Spinal Injuries Association is proud to support the Every Australian Counts campaign for a National Disability Insurance Scheme. Show your support today to transform the lives of people who have a disability in our country.
Paul Bailey went to work one day four years ago and came home four months later using a wheelchair. Hear how his life, and the lives of his wife and children, have been forever changed.
Want to meet more members of the Spinal Injuries Association? Visit this page.
Hugh Banney, Convenor of the Brisbane Post Polio Support Network and Honourary Life Member of the Association, has retired from his position as Convenor after 10 years in the role.
Hugh has given unfailing dedication to his role, taking part in various working party groups and showing a passionate commitment to representing members of the Brisbane Network (which he co-founded). In 2009, Hugh was awarded a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow for ‘tireless campaigning and education about polio’.
Hugh feels the time is right for him to contribute as a member to the Network while passing on the leadership to someone else. The Association wishes him well and thanks him for his outstanding service and contributions over the past decade.
