FPDN News and Updates

ListenThe watch house amendments, rushed through last Thursday with no oversight from an independent parliamentary committee, show blatant disregard for several international laws and will have swift and severe detrimental impacts for children, particularly First Nations children. Queensland’s new watch house laws categorically violate children’s rights and further exacerbate the human rights emergency in Queensland’s already broken youth justice system that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Although around 8% of 10-17 year

ListenBy Darcy Hytt Happy NAIDOC Week, you mob! At FPDN, we celebrate the diversity of First Nations cultures and histories every day. We are working towards a just and equal future for First Peoples with disability. Our work centres principles of respect, empowerment, inclusion, and access. This NAIDOC Week, we would like to pay our respects to our d/Deaf and disabled community members. We acknowledge community members past and present, including our Elders and Ancestors.

ListenToday,  Ms Kay Sadler, the Chairperson of First Peoples Disability Network Australia submitted an Intervention to Conference on the Conference of Governments on the Conventions of the Rights of Disabled People (CRD). The focus of the intervention is a request to establish a formal mechanism for Indigenous people with disabilities through CRD. “A formal mechanism for Indigenous peoples with disabilities will shine a spotlight on the intersectional issues our communities face, who are often the

ListenFood security is a critical issue for many First Peoples with disabilities in Australia. These individuals face significant barriers to accessing healthy and nutritious food, which can have serious consequences for their health and well-being. According to a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, First Peoples with disabilities are more likely to experience food insecurity than the general population. This is due to a range of factors, including poverty, limited access to transportation, and

ListenAccessibility is also fundamental to the principles of equal rights and social inclusion. It ensures that people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor disabilities, can access and navigate websites, web applications, and other online content. Web accessibility is not just important for people with disabilities. It can also benefit older people with age-related impairments, people with temporary injuries, or people using older devices. Moreover, making a website accessible can

Listen By Luke Briscoe, FPDN Staff member Today the nation stops to pay tribute to the ANZACs but for some Indigenous Australians we also pay tribute to the Forgotten ANZACs who returned to a nation that rejected them and their efforts.  Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the Voice to Parliament would give our Indigenous ANZACs real recognition and respect they deserve.  FPDN acknowledges all our people who fought for their Country

Listen A former North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans player has been named the winner of the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) National Footprint art project competition. Dharrpa Warra and Thitharr Warra Man Brenton Bowen from the Guugu Yimithirr speaking people of Hope Vale won the prize for his artwork titled ‘safe journey’. Brenton’s artist name ‘Thamal-Dilmbu’ means ‘footprints’ in his Guugu Yimithirr language. FPDN’s National Footprint project was designed to strengthen the representation

ListenThe First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) says it is imperative that the reforms of the NDIS announced by Minister Bill Shorten today at the National Press Club address the causes of the drastic under-representation of First Nations people with disabilities who participate in the scheme. FPDN CEO Damian Griffis, a descendent of the Worimi people, said the NDIS was a critical element in ensuring First Nations people with disabilities thrive, not just survive. “We estimate

ListenThere is so much happening at FPDN right now as we work towards that goal that we wanted to update you on some of it. SUPPORT OUR WORK First Nations Advisory Council to the NDIA formed FPDN has entered into a partnership with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to co-design a new NDIS First Nations Strategy and action plan. FPDN CEO Damian Griffis said this partnership will integrate our long-standing grassroots knowledge and advocacy

ListenThe first ever podcast dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with disabilities will be released this Thursday 16 March, on Closing the Gap Day. Created by the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN), “Yarning Disability” is hosted by FPDN Advocate and experienced radio host, Bernard Namok, a proud St Paul, Badu, and Erub Torres Strait Islander man with his own lived experiences with disability. Each episode of Yarning Disability will showcase the story

ListenWith the public hearing commencing in Perth (Boorloo) today, First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) CEO Mr Damian Griffis has again called on the Royal Commission to establish a dedicated hearing into the overrepresentation and indefinite detention of First Nations people with disability in the criminal justice system. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 14 times more likely to be imprisoned, with one third reporting a disability, 50% reporting a history of psychosocial disability, and

ListenMEDIA RELEASE 16 June 2022 Source: Disabled Peoples Organisations Australia The Australian Civil Society Delegation is currently in New York attending the 15th Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Overnight, the delegation has learned that the opening statement from Public Hearing 24 on inclusive education has been released by the DRC. In this comment, Chair Sackville referred to advocacy for accepted international human rights principles (including supported

ListenBy Indigenous communities reporter Nakari Thorpe Mon 21 Feb 2022 Read the full article on the ABC website June Riemer said incarceration rates are particularly high because many Indigenous people in prison across the state live with a disability, mostly undiagnosed. The Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti woman is the deputy chief executive of the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) created in 2010 to advocate on behalf of Indigenous people living with disability. “It’s not just a wheelchair,

ListenFirst people with disability today told the Disability Royal Commission that it is time for action to make disability rights real. “It’s been more than a decade since Australia signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, yet for First People with disability, we are still not included in the community,” said Damian Griffs, CEO, First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN). “Today we told the Disability Royal Commission about how many First People with

ListenFPDN congratulates Gumbaynggirr Dunghutti woman and Deputy CEO June Riemer on her nomination for 2022 Australian of the Year, NSW. “We are very proud to hear of June’s nomination in recognition of her long advocacy for the rights of First Nations people with disability. She joins a long line of powerful advocates for our people with disability who continue to speak up on behalf of First Nations people with disability,” says FPDN CEO Damian Griffis.

ListenFPDN CEO Damian Griffis made a statement last night to The 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Damian spoke to the impact of climate change on First Peoples of Australia’s ongoing connection to country and culture and the catastrophic consequences climate change presents for First Peoples with disabilities. You can read Damian’s statement in full below. My name is Damian Griffis I am a proud descendant of the Worimi and Biripi people of the Wallamba

ListenFirst Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) gave evidence to the Senate Community Affairs inquiry into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the Disability Support Pension (DSP). FPDN CEO Damian Griffis and Deputy CEO June Riemer presented a range of key recommendations for the initiative which would improve its applicability to those within the Indigenous community who live with disabilities. The recommendations included a review of income levels and costs for those with disabilities and the removal of barriers such as

ListenThe Disability Royal Commission has released a draft report calling the vaccine rollout for peoples living with disability as “seriously deficient”. The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability released the draft report which details 17 findings and 7 recommendations. It described the rollout as “seriously deficient”, particularly for people within residential disability settings and disability support workers. Whilst the report recognises the issues that faced the Department of Health in

ListenClick play to listen to the interview on Focus ABC with Larissa Behrendt and Damian Griffis. Source: Focus – ABC Radio Duration: 1hr. The interview with Damian starts at 38mins. Broadcast: Tue 17 Aug 2021, 10:00am

ListenThe next hearing of the Disability Royal Commission will look at criminal justice and the NDIS. This is a follow up from the hearing in February 2021, and will be asking questions of different state and territory governments, as well as the NDIS. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. This is often the direct result of the criminalisation of disability and distress. A variety of systems,

Listen As the deputy CEO of the First Peoples Disability Network, Gumbaynggirr Dunghutti woman June Riemer is fighting for a fairer world for Indigenous Australians with disability. She’s this week’s Changemaker.   First Peoples with disability and their families are among the most disadvantaged and disempowered members of the Australian community, with research showing that Aboriginal people with disability are twice as likely to be discriminated against than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. It’s an issue that June Riemer

Listen Independent Assessments Inquiry Submission Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme First Peoples Disability Network opposes the introduction of independent assessments as outlined by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). These proposals are causing a great deal of distress in our communities. We believe the current reforms need to stop immediately, and that the NDIA needs to urgently work to repair trust with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. We

Listen We welcome reports that NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds will pause a plan to force peoplw with disability to submit to compulsory assessments to access support, but want to see much more detail about what that means for the future of the NDIS. There has been widespread opposition to the proposed model from people with disability, our families and community, and it is heartening the new Minister has listened to those concerns. A privatised assessment

ListenA range of new accessible, culturally appropriate resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability have been released today by the peak body First Peoples Disability Network. “Our community urgently needs information about the vaccine, so we have created a poster with culturally relevant information and artwork to let people know about what is happening and why,” said Damian Griffis, CEO of First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN). “During the pandemic, Aboriginal and Torres

ListenThe crisis of violence and abuse of First Peoples with disability must be urgently addressed by an extension of the Disability Royal Commission. “I am very concerned that the full extension to the Disability Royal Commission has not yet been granted, and I urge Prime Minister Scott Morrison to intervene now,” said Damian Griffis, CEO, First Peoples Disability Network. “We wrote to the acting Attorney-General Senator Cash two weeks ago, outlining why our communities have

ListenFPDN Deputy CEO and Gumbaynggirr Dunghutti woman June Riemer was recently honoured for her life’s work, dedicated to creating systemic change to improve the lives of First Peoples with disability, as this year’s winner of the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award. And she won! We are so proud of @JuneRiemer, our Deputy CEO, for being awarded the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year. pic.twitter.com/nlHjseKwme — FPDN Australia (@FPDNAus) March 10, 2021 A true

Listen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 14 times more likely to be imprisoned than the non-Indigenous population  The disability royal commission needs a dedicated First Nations hearing to investigate the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system, Indigenous leaders say. A public hearing is currently underway examining the experiences of people with cognitive disability in the criminal justice system, and the plight of First Nations people with

Listen16 February 2021 Media Release The overrepresentation of First Nations People with cognitive disability in the criminal justice system warrants own Disability Royal Commission Hearing   People with cognitive disability will share their experiences with the criminal justice system at the Disability Royal Commission hearing in Brisbane starting today. First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN) are calling for the Disability Royal Commission to establish a dedicated First Nations hearing to investigate the overrepresentation and indefinite

ListenFPDN Deputy CEO June Riemer joined 3CR Community Radio this morning to discuss the Disability Royal Commission from a First Nations perspective, focusing on the intersection between disability and child removal. Click play on the audio stream below to listen to the discussion. https://fpdn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FPDN-June-Riemer-on-3CR.m4a   Listen to the program on the 3CR website here  

Listen23 November 2020 Media Release First Nations people with disability will tell the Disability Royal Commission this week about the structural violence they experience in the child-protection system around Australia. “We are among the most seriously disadvantaged members of the Australian community, and are also experts on the impact of policies on us,” said Mr Damian Griffis, CEO, First Peoples Disability Network. “This week, a number of First Nations people with disability will give evidence

Listen Earlier this morning, FPDN CEO Damian Griffis delivered a Statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of Australia (UPR) via weblink. Damian spoke to the very serious concerns on the increasing incarceration of First Nations people with disability in Australian prisons and the lack of progress made to implement Australia’s previous UPR voluntary commitment to address the indefinite detention without conviction of people with disability in the criminal justice system,

Listen 8 October 2020 People with disability and our representative organisations are campaigning for legislation to protect the confidentiality of people telling their stories to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. The Royal Commission has now been running for over a year without full protection for the privacy of people with disability who want to make submissions. If we are not able to provide information to the Disability Royal Commission in

Listen29 September 2020 FPDN CEO Damian Griffis presented a submission today to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme inquiry into the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on specific issues relating to our community, whilst raising some overarching concerns about the structure and mandate of the Commission. Click on the button below to read the submission. Read the submission

ListenThe First Peoples Disability Network has told the Disability Royal Commission that COVID-19 exacerbated already existing issues of food insecurity, poverty and lack of access to services. By Keira Jenkins Source: NITV News 20 AUG 2020  While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) told the Royal Commission on Thursday, these issues are faced in Indigenous communities every

Listen Source RN Breakfast with Fran Kelly Duration: 10min 51sec Broadcast: Mon 3 Aug 2020, 8:15am A key Indigenous group is disappointed that disability has not been included in the 16 new Closing the Gap targets. In an historic new partnership between government and Indigenous organisations, the Closing the Gap program is undergoing a major reset. While disability is a significant issue in health, education, justice and employment, it hasn’t been included as a target. Guest: Damien

ListenSource ABC News By disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella View on the ABC website here After a serious car accident 10 years ago, Dinesh Palipana was told he would have to drastically reconsider his dreams, and that his quality of life would never be the same. Key points: Dr Dinesh Palipana had trouble securing employment that was otherwise guaranteed to medical graduates in Australia because he had a spinal cord injury He is making a submission

ListenThank you to the Committee for the opportunity to represent the views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability at today’s hearing.  My name is Damian Griffis, I am the CEO of the First Peoples Disability Network.  The First Peoples Disability Networks is a national organisation representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities and their families.  We can trace our origins to a gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

ListenFPDN CEO Damian Griffis yarns with 3KND Kool N Deadly specialist Journalist Natasha Ferre about the amazing work that FPDN are doing with mob and about The Disability Royal Commission that seeks information to prevent violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of First Nations people with disability. Click to listen to the interview Source: 3KND Kool N Deadly Standing Strong Together 2 July 2020    

Listen Media Release 23 June 2020  | Source: Blind Citizens Australia After twenty-five years of campaigning, people who are blind or vision-impaired will finally be able to enjoy television with family and friends when Audio Description (AD) is launched by Australia’s public broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, on 28 June. AD is a verbal narration which describes actions, scenery, costumes and other visual elements to make television accessible to people who are blind or vision

Listen By Geraldine Doogue on Saturday Extra Source: ABC Radio National, 20 June 2020 Australian black deaths in custody will be reduced if the number of indigenous people in prison is reduced. We look at a preventative program that’s been proven to work, Justice Reinvest; and hear why disability is such a significant factor in why people end up in custody, and how they fare there. Guests: Sarah Hopkins, managing solicitor with the NSW Aboriginal

ListenSource: The Drum By Elly Duncan 18 June 2020 Key points: Author Kay Kerr rewrote her novel after being diagnosed with autism as an adult Advocates are calling for greater representation of autism in literature and pop culture They say the diversity of people on the spectrum needs to be considered For Kay Kerr, it was a trip to New York City that was the tipping point. “I was completely overwhelmed by the sensory input from

ListenFPDN CEO DAMIAN GRIFFIS SPEAKS TO THE WIRE DISABILITY ROYAL COMMISSION SEEKING INSIGHTS AND EXPERTISE FROM DISABLED FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE    Click the icon to Listen on The Wire 10 June 2020 Source: The Wire On Tuesday the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability released another issues paper which is specifically seeking information about the experiences of First Nations people with disabilities. With growing global attention on racial inequality,

ListenAs Closing the Gap targets are ‘refreshed’ peak bodies and organisations are calling for a commitment reducing imprisonment rates of Indigenous people, with a focus on addressing mental health and disability. By Keira Jenkins Source: NITV News 10 June 2020 Image: People hold up placards at a Black Lives Matter protest in Adelaide (AFP) ‘Disability Criminalised’ First Peoples Disability Network CEO Damian Griffis agreed, saying the mental health sector needs to be better resourced in Australia.

ListenThe latest issues paper released by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability seeks information about the experiences of First Nations people with disability. Data shows that a disproportionate number of First Nations people live with a disability or some form of long term health condition. Previous studies and inquiries have found that compared to the general population, First Nations people with disability are more likely to: have experienced