Spinal Injuries Association Chief Executive Officer Bruce Milligan said while last night’s Federal Budget announcement of a $1 billion investment into rolling out a National Disability Insurance Scheme was welcome news to the organisation, the majority of this funding had been earmarked for establishing the NDIS and administrative costs.

This initial funding will benefit 10,000 of the 410,000 Australian who currently have a disability. Mr Milligan said the Spinal Injuries Association was now looking to the Queensland Government to cement their commitment for a NDIS and work in partnership with the Federal Government to make the NDIS real.

“We’re extremely eager to hear which areas of the country will be the four launch sites for the NDIS and would encourage the Government to consider Queensland as one of the sites,” Bruce said.

“While funding announced last night is a terrific first step it falls short of the Productivity Commission recommendations last year. While the initial $1 billion investment will lay the foundations for a NDIS, it won’t build the new system completely.

Mr Milligan said the Spinal Injuries Association would also like clarification around how the Commonwealth and State Governments would work together to fund the outstanding items recommended by the Productivity Commission including personal care, equipment and aids, therapy, and employment training, given these details were not included in last night’s announcement.

“Now is the time for the Federal and State Governments to cement their commitment to a NDIS, including a National Injury Insurance Scheme, which would provide fully-funded care and support for all cases of catastrophic injury, such as spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and amputations caused by single vehicle road accidents,” Mr Milligan said.

Issued 9 May 2012.

The Wallabies have provided some great moments on the pitch but there’s no doubt that the icons of rugby union can also produce the goods away from the playing field.

At the Spinal Injuries Association’s seventh annual Classic Wallabies Lunch on Friday, 20 April, a select number of Aussie rugby greats entertained 600 enthusiastic guests who filled the Hilton Hotel Brisbane ballroom to capacity.

Chris “Buddha” Handy was again MC for the lunch, and a number of incredible raffle and auction items helped to raise more than $85,000.

Raffle prizes included luxury accommodation packages, a VIP corporate package to a Queensland Reds game and fine dining vouchers, while the auction included a framed Manchester United jersey personally signed by Rio Ferdinand, a one-hour goal kicking session with Wallaby great Elton Flatley and a $2,000 Canali suit gift voucher from Mitchell Ogilvie Menswear.

Former Wallaby greats Rod McCall, Tom Lawton and John Connolly took to the stage to perform a lively rugby panel discussion, while Sydney comedian Paul Martell had the audience in stitches with his eerily accurate impersonations of celebrities such as Russell Crowe, Jack Nicholson and Nicolas Cage.

• Sincerest thanks must go to Classic Wallabies Lunch sponsors Metro Ford; RBS Morgans; and Black Label Events. Thank you also to event partners Hahn Superdry; Rymill Coonawarra and bmag.

We marched, we chanted, we were heard! Between 1,500 and 2,000 people marched from the State Library on Brisbane’s South Bank to Reddacliff Place in the CBD to support the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

See the pictures from the NDIS Rally on 30 April below.

A morning spent using a wheelchair in the Brisbane CBD proved to be quite a memorable experience for the Take My Seat 2012 participants and chaperones. To see a selection of images you can click through the gallery below or click on an image to enlarge in a new window.

All images by Paul Mansell

Event information: Take My Seat 2012

When: Take My Seat 2012 took place in Brisbane on Friday, 23 March, 2012. This was the second Take My Seat challenge following the inaugural event held in Townsville in late 2011.
Where: Queen St Mall, Elizabeth St, Edward St and Adelaide St in the Brisbane central business district.
The participants: Brendan Turnbull (Westpac), Grant Dearlove (Shine Lawyers), Brian Briggs (Slater & Gordon Lawyers), Bruce Milligan (Spinal Injuries Association), Alex Bernard (bmag), Jeff Oates (RBS Morgans), Laurel Edwards (4KQ), Helen Cole (BMD Constructions), Barry Broe (Brisbane City Council – Brisbane Infrastructure) and Tracy Davis (Minister for Communities, Child Safety and Disabilities). You can see participants’ Everyday Hero pages here.
The chaperones: Wayne Horkings, Robert Spencer, Paul Bailey, Kristee Shepherd, Katie Franz, Col Mackereth, Dion Reweti, John Morgan, Daniel Trollope, Fin Mills and Wendy Lovelace.
Event sponsors: Westpac, Hilton Hotels and Wicked Wheelies.

What the participants said

Bruce Milligan, CEO, Spinal Injuries Association: “Take My Seat is about having fun but there is a very serious side to it as well, which is about understanding the challenges that people who spend time in a wheelchair go through on a daily basis. It is about getting the message out there and improving the awareness in the community. For me it was a fantastic experience just to spend a few hours in the chair and take on the challenges.”

Tim Horan, ambassador of the Association: “Take My Seat gives participants an understanding of little things such as going over a ramp. Take the challenge and understand what everyone in a wheelchair is going through.”

Alex Bernard, feature writer, bmag: “Physically it was challenging but that to me wasn’t the thing that would stay with me. What would stay with me were people giving you that sad smile and that look of pity on their face.”

Grant Dearlove, partner at Shine Lawyers: “You gain quite a strong appreciation of what people in wheelchairs have to face each day. The little things are the hardest and the things what people take for granted are ones that are the biggest challenges.”

Brendan Turnbull, private banker, Westpac: “It was pretty challenging when we went over to the South Bank. On the way back, coming up the bridge, the last 50 metres my arms started to burn. I only had to do it for 15 minutes, but if you had to do that every day it would be a challenge.”

Hear 4KQ’s Laurel Edwards speak about her Take My Seat experience and hear the 4KQ interview with Spinal Injuries Association member Robert Spencer, who shares what the Take My Seat event is all about.

Griffith Law School has developed an innovative partnership with the Spinal Injuries Association that could assist 10 people who have a physical disability to achieve a law degree and ultimately a career in the law. Read more.

Fancy going to the 2012 London Paralympics? The Australian Paralympic Committee will be conducting sporting tests at The Southport School, Gold Coast, this Saturday from 10am to assist in identifying future Paralympic talent as we head towards the London Games. Visit this page for more information.

Federal Member for Oxley (and keen cyclist) Bernie Ripoll MP is encouraging as many hand cyclists as possible to participate in this year’s Brisbane2Ipswich Challenge on 29 April. You can either cycle 27km or 66km. For more information or to register visit www.brisbane2ipswich.com.au or ‘like’ the event’s Facebook page!

Click here to see a picture gallery from the Take My Seat 2012 challenge

You go to buy a coffee before work but can’t access the building because of a 5cm step at the entrance.

A visit to the ATM is unsuccessful because the keyboard isn’t low enough to be used from a wheelchair.

The nearest public toilet is completely inaccessible and the closest alternative is four blocks away.

These are just a few of the scenarios that people with spinal cord injuries regularly face and ones that prominent Brisbane business and community identities will have to overcome as part of the Spinal Injuries Association’s Take My Seat event on Friday, 23 March.

Westpac Private Banker Brendan Turnbull was the first person to sign up for the challenge, which will see him spend three hours using a wheelchair and completing various ‘challenges’ in Brisbane’s CBD, including going to the supermarket to buy some items; catching a bus or taxi; and pushing himself in a wheelchair non-stop for 500 metres.

Brendan was encouraged by colleague and Wallabies great Tim Horan, who is also a Spinal Injuries Association Ambassador.

“I’ve heard quite a bit from Tim about what it’s like for people with spinal cord injuries and after playing sport in my younger years and seeing plenty of people being taken off with spinal injuries, I can appreciate the severity of the disability,” Brendan said.

“It’s a bit daunting to be honest as I’m not sure what to expect, but I’ve already started taking more notice of the environment around me and realised even grabbing a juice at the start of the day will be quite tricky as there are steps leading into the shop that I usually go to.”

Leaving from the Hilton Brisbane and finishing at Westpac in Queen Street, Brendan and around 10 other local identities will discover the frustrating challenges of navigating the city centre using a wheelchair, as well as dealing with being treated differently by passersby.

“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,” Spinal Injuries Association Chief Executive Officer Bruce Milligan said.

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, while also fundraising a minimum of $2,000 each for the Association via their own Everyday Hero webpage.

“As the peak body for Queenslanders who have spinal cord injuries – quadriplegia, paraplegia, post polio syndrome and Transverse Myelitis – we support and empower 2,000 people around the state to live as independently as possible,” he said.

The inaugural Take My Seat in Townsville late last year was a huge success, with locals including North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Chief Executive Officer Peter Jourdain taking part.

“Someone I know, who would normally say hello if I saw him on the street, walked straight past me without making eye contact. It was very interesting,” Peter said.

Department of Communities North Queensland Region Executive Director Matthew Lupi also participated in the Townsville event and said to this day he still reflected on what he had learnt, which had also positively impacted on his work.

Spinal Injuries Association member and Wicked Wheelchairs owner Dion Reweti will be a chaperone at the event as well as loaning 10 of his light-weight wheelchairs for the participants to use.

“I’m happy to be a part of anything that raises awareness in the community about spinal cord injuries. I’m sure Take My Seat will be a huge eye opener for the people taking part and I look forward to sharing some tips from my 20-plus years of experience of using a wheelchair,” Dion said.

Thanks to our supporters:

Terry White Chemists at Buranda (Brisbane, Queensland) are offering free Webster pack delivery and packaging for any members or clients of the Spinal Injuries Association. Normally there would be a fee associated with these services. Please contact Terry White Chemists on 07 3391 8388 or Buranda@terrywhitechemists.com.au. *For Brisbane residents only.

Terry White Chemists at Buranda (Brisbane, Queensland) are offering free Webster pack delivery and packaging for any members or clients of the Spinal Injuries Association. Normally there would be a fee associated with these services. Please contact Terry White Chemists on 07 3391 98388 or Buranda@terrywhitechemist.com.au. *For Brisbane residents only.