Touchstone - Cerebral Palsy League

VOLUME 8 SUMMER 2012 www.cpl.org.au
A CARER’S STORY
A day in the life of
Christine Priestly
Camp Have a Chat gives kids a voice
Latest taxi subsidy scheme news
2011/12 Annual Report
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15
WHy TOUCHSTOnE?
Touchstone means a benchmark,
reference point or measure of quality.
We like to think our magazine is a
benchmark for our industry and a
single point of reference for everything
you need to know about the
Cerebral Palsy League.
Visit us at www.cpl.org.au
55 Oxlade Drive
New Farm QLD 4005
PO Box 386
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Editor – Jen Campbell Case
Media & Communications Executive
P: 07 3358 8084
E: info@cplqld.org.au
Patron
Governor of
Queensland
Her Excellency
Ms Penelope
Wensley AC
4
12
what’s
inside?
3 CuTTIng EdgE
4 CAMP hAvE A ChAT
6 bEhInd ThE SCEnES
7 ALL AbOuT yOu
8 REgIOnAL InSIghT
9 ThE gRAPEvInE
10 AnnuAL REPORT
12 FACES And PLACES
16 In bRIEF
18 WhAT’S nEW
19 STATE CCC uPdATE
19 P&g uPdATE
HAVE YOUR SAY
Tell us about the issues you’d like to
read about in Touchstone!
P: 07 3358 8084
E: marketing@cplqld.org.au
READ US ONLINE
Download Touchstone at
www.cpl.org.au/touchstone
‘YOur
LiFE YOur
CHOiCE’
A STEP In
ThE RIghT
dIRECTIOn
The Cerebral Palsy League has
welcomed the Queensland
government’s announcement of
its new ‘your Life your Choice’
trial.
CEO Angela Tillmanns welcomed
‘your Life your Choice’ as an
important step towards providing
Queenslanders with disability
more choice, control and freedom
to live the lives they choose.
“your Life your Choice is certainly
a step in the right direction for
Queenslanders with disability,
their families and carers.
“The Cerebral Palsy League has
long supported the principle that
people with disability have the
right to make their own choices
and have control over their own
lives. ‘your Life your Choice’
seems to be a very positive move
in this direction.
“People with disability have as
much right as anyone to have
choice and control over how they
live, what they do and what they
need.
“The state government’s
announcement shows Premier
newman has listened to the
voices of Queenslanders with
disability who have waited long
enough for meaningful disability
reforms,” she said.
CEREbRAL PALSy LEAguE SAyS
IT’S TIME TO “sCrAP THE CAP”
Recent confusion around the
status of a proposed $400
per person annual cap on taxi
subsidies for Queenslanders
with disability has left the
Cerebral Palsy League and
our clients concerned about
the government’s cost-cutting
measures.
The Cerebral Palsy League
is opposed to capping the
Taxi Subsidy Scheme for
Queenslanders with disability.
“For Queenslanders with
disability, using a taxi is not a
luxury; it is a necessity,” said CEO
Angela Tillmanns.
“Capping the taxi subsidy will
have serious negative financial,
social and health implications for
Queenslanders with disability.
“Without adequate funding
for appropriate transport,
Queenslanders with disability will
be unable to undertake essential
travel to receive treatment,
attend work or study, shop for
groceries or connect with their
families and friends,” she said.
The Cerebral Palsy League
wants the cap lifted and a
fundamental review of transport
access throughout Queensland
undertaken.
The Cerebral Palsy League and
its staff and clients provided
valuable information to the
government on the financial,
social and service impacts of
the proposed scheme on people
accessing the Cerebral Palsy
League for support.
“Most of the Queenslanders
with disability who spend more
than $400 per year on taxis are
using them to travel to and from
work so they – like millions of
other employed Australians –
can pay their taxes, provide for
their families, keep a roof over
their heads and stay off income
support,” Ms Tillmanns said.
“It’s time to scrap the cap once
and for all.”
2 Touchstone Summer 2012
Touchstone Summer 2012
3
CUTTing EdgE

SpECiAL fEATURE
CAndICE FIndS hER ‘vOICE’ AT
CAMP HAVE A CHAT
Camp have a Chat is one of
those special places where
little sparks of magic happen.
For some children, like nineyear-old
Candice green, those
little sparks can transform
their lives.
Candice’s mum Judy said that
before attending Camp have a
Chat, she would simply do her
best to work out what Candice
needed and what she was
trying to communicate.
Having never used a formal
communications device
before, Judy wasn’t sure what
to expect. But in just three
4 Touchstone Summer 2012
short days Candice was using
an electronic touch screen,
‘voicing’ her thoughts and
communicating with Judy for
the first time.
hosted annually by the
Cerebral Palsy League, Camp
have a Chat is a unique
program that assists young
Candice green enjoying
Camp Have a Chat
people who have complex
communications needs to
develop confidence and
self-esteem by using new
technologies and techniques.
A team of therapists work with
the children, their parents,
carers and siblings to learn to
use specialised signs, symbols,
gestures and electronic
communication devices so
they can ‘have a chat’.
Camp Program Coordinator
Kyle Wilson said some of
this year’s campers were
attending for the first time
and would be learning to use
new technologies and other
communications methods so
they could say exactly what
was on their mind.
“Our goal is for all our
campers to learn new ways
of expressing themselves
so they can communicate
with confidence and become
more active members of the
community,” Ms Wilson said.
“All of our participants have
complex communication
needs – either non-verbal
or decreased speech clarity
– speech that is difficult to
understand,” she said.
Participants attend the event
with their families. Together
with assistance from speech
therapists and community
artists, they work through a
program of themed activities
designed to allow each child
to explore his or her own
creativity including visual arts,
storytelling and drama.
Speech generating devices
including the dynavox vMax,
dynavox vmax with Eye
Max (eye gaze technology),
ECO 2, ECO2 with eye point,
Pathfinder, vantage and iPads
with communication apps are
on-site for the kids to use and
experiment with, alongside
other tools like Pragmatic
Organisation dynamic display
(POdd) books (pictured, right).
Cerebral Palsy League CEO
Angela Tillmanns said Camp
have a Chat had earned its
place as one of Queensland’s
most respected programs for
children and young people
with disability.
“More than a decade ago,
we launched Camp have a
Chat with a clear vision to
Touchstone Summer 2012
sPECiAL FEATurE
support, inspire and enable
young people with complex
communication needs to
express themselves and find
their voice using alternate
means.
“now, 11 years on, we’ve seen
more than 175 kids through
this program, accessed
cutting edge technologies and
devices from across the globe,
and made a real difference in
people’s lives,” Ms Tillmanns
said.
Judy said that attending Camp
have a Chat had genuinely
changed their lives.
“Candice is now able to
communicate in ways we
had only dreamed of and we
feel so blessed that we were
able to come to Camp have a
Chat.”
Jason Derks telling us his name and his
favourite things
One of the PODD books created by our
Assistive Technology Support Service
5

BEHiND THE sCENEs
MAKIng A
dIFFEREnCE
ALL In
A dAy’S
WORK FOR
gLAdSTOnE
dISAbILITy
CARER
The last three years of Tracey
Clifford’s working life have
changed her forever.
The 51 year-old mother of three
enjoyed a fairly straight forward
career up until 2009. She worked
as an administrator in a family
electrical design business, and
before that as a child care worker.
When the electrical business
closed down, Tracey didn’t want
to return to the child care industry.
She was facing a crossroads in her
life.
That’s when a mate told her that
a friend of theirs worked with the
Cerebral Palsy League, and that it
was looking for carers to support
children and adults with disability
in the local community.
“I was at that stage in my
life where I wanted to make
a difference: I wanted to do
something worthwhile,” Tracey
said.
And so she did. After an interview
and screening process, Tracey
joined the Cerebral Palsy League
and now runs a small, close-knit
group of carers in gladstone as its
Support in the Community Senior
Support Worker.
“because I’d never worked in the
industry before, at first, there were
things that shocked and surprised
me,” Tracey said.
“you don’t realise how much
assistance some adults with
disability need with personal care,”
she said.
“but I see how happy our clients
are, and I always feel happy to go
to work.”
With a 14-year old son, Tracey also
enjoys the benefits of a flexible
workplace, as well as its up-beat
nature.
“It’s a fun atmosphere,” Tracey
said.
“My vision for this service was for
it to be a place of harmony and
for it to be fun for our staff and
clients to come here, and know
they’re going to have a good time.
“We work around things. If
somebody has something
important they need to do, we
accommodate them.”
6 Touchstone Summer 2012
While caring for people with
disability is the ideal job fit for
Tracey, according to her, it isn’t a
career for everyone.
“you do have to be special person
– you have to be a giving person,
not selfish,” she said.
“but if you want to feel like you’re
making a difference in someone
else’s life, it’s a very positive job.”
Tracey says it’s a career choice
she’s planning to stick with for a
good while.
And her advice to anyone
considering becoming a carer?
“If you want your job to mean
something and you think you’ve
got what it takes, it’s definitely
worth a go.
“you will feel valued, important
and involved.
“It’s very rewarding to know you’re
making a difference.”
Photo: Tracey Clifford says being a
personal care assistant is very rewarding
A LiFETiME OF CAriNG FOr
A CHiLD WiTH DisABiLiTY
WOrTH iT FOr THE sMiLEs
Christine Priestly starts most days
at 5.30am. They begin ordinarily
enough with the changing of
her six-month daughter Storm’s
nappy and getting herself dressed.
but from there on, the day
is focussed almost solely on
the needs of her two year-old
daughter Adele, who has cerebral
palsy and has only reached
childhood milestones equivalent
to those of a four month-old.
First, she attends to changing
Adele’s nappy before dressing her
in a special suit called a dynamic
Movement Orthosis – a skin-like
lycra suit that helps to strengthen
her muscles.
Then it’s time to prepare breakfast
for the girls and her four and a half
year-old son, Tylor. Adele can’t
eat solid food, so Christine makes
up mushy food mixes, as well as a
special formula to assist her with
weight gain.
Then there’s the veritable cocktail
of medication to be given.
From there, weekdays consist
mainly of ferrying her children
around to Adele’s hospital or
individual support appointments,
ranging from physio and speech
therapy to hearing assistance.
While the physio and speech
appointments are delivered locally
by the Cerebral Palsy League’s
Ipswich office, Christine must
drive the family to South brisbane
to attend specialist appointments.
After the appointments, it’s time
for Christine to shop for groceries.
This means pushing both the girls
in a specially adapted double
pram engineered to be more like
a wheelchair while simultaneously
pulling the shopping trolley
behind her with Tylor strapped
into the baby seat.
by the time they get home it’s
Touchstone Summer 2012
time to get a load of washing on,
cook dinner, bath the kids, feed
her family and then clean up.
not surprisingly, she literally falls
into bed at the end of each day.
Christine repeats this day over and
over every single day. As Adele’s
primary carer, she provides 24hour,
seven day-a-week care with
the exception of just four hours
of respite she gets weekly on
Mondays.
Christine counts the four hours of
respite as a blessing, even though
she still has to care for Tylor and
Storm during that time.
“A smile is enough for me at the
moment,” Christine says.
“Even if Adele is having a bad day,
if I can get her to giggle, I think
to myself ‘I can do this; with that
smile, I can do this’.”
7
ALL ABOUT yOU

EGiONAL iNsiGHT
CEREbRAL PALSy LEAguE
ExPAndS ITS REgIOnAL SERvICES In 2012
nEW ERA OF CLIEnT
SERvICE FOR gOLd COAST
A new era of client service on the
gold Coast was heralded in by
Cerebral Palsy League staff, clients
and friends on Wednesday 12
September with the opening of a
new centre at varsity Lakes.
The brand new client-centric and
family-friendly service will meet the
growing disability support needs of
the community.
This purpose-built facility was
designed around the feedback,
ideas and needs of local families,
clients, staff and managers. The
centre will enable local families to
conveniently access therapeutic
services including physiotherapy,
speech therapy and even a sensory
room especially for children.
The centre was opened by
Cerebral Palsy League CEO Angela
Tillmanns and attended by local
vIPs including Travis Auld, CEO of
the gold Coast Suns AFL team.
“It was very important to us to
create a bright, welcoming and
inviting service centre that meets
the therapy needs of children
with disability, while also creating
a welcoming and relaxing space
for families to meet and share
their ideas and experiences,” Ms
Tillmanns said.
“With this new space, we can
provide better support than ever
before to help children and adults
with disability to explore their full
potential and work with them to
achieve their goals.”
The Cerebral Palsy League
currently assists more than 250
children and adults with disability
in the gold Coast and northern
new South Wales region.
A special thank you to long-time
supporter george Steel who
donated a beautiful rocking horse
– made with his own hands - to the
new varsity Lakes service. Thanks
george – we know the kids are
going to love it!
The opening of a new centre
in bundaberg in June 2012 has
given local Allied health workers a
central location to meet with their
clients for the first time.
until June, staff had to meet
clients in their homes or at other
venues. Similarly, the highly
successful Life Skills Program
has moved from a hall to the
new centre, and now operates
three days a week, with continual
interest from people wanting to
participate.
The building is specifically
designed to meet the needs of
people with cerebral palsy and
physical disability. A highlight is
the new outdoor learning and
recreation area, which features
raised garden beds, a sensory
garden, a kitchen garden and
plays host to the backyard Shed
Furniture Restoration Program.
8 Touchstone Summer 2012
bundAbERg CEnTRE ALLOWS STAFF
And CLIEnTS TO COME TOgEThER
Photos from left to right: Spencer Wuyts enjoying
the rocking horse built and donated by George
Steel; CEO Angela Tillmanns and Jenny Johnson,
Chair of the South Coast Region CCC, officially
open the new Varsity Lakes service
The centre held an open day
on Saturday 24 november 2012
to showcase its programs
and Allied health services,
while organisations such
as Parent2Parent, provided
information around a range of
topics.
According to bundaberg
Community Program Coordinator
Christine dolgner, many clients,
carers and parents in the area find
it difficult to access information,
so the open day was a chance
for them to tap into the centre’s
knowledge.
“We gave guests the full
experience of how we cater for
each client and student in the
Life Skills Program by showing
examples of work and programs
through special tours,” Christine
said.
“Students from the program
acted as hosts and shared their
experiences,” she said.
ThE
gRAPEvInE
hAvE yOu hEARd
AbOuT SIbLIngS
AuSTRALIA?
Siblings of children with disability
are a special group of young
people with their own unique
needs that can sometimes be
overlooked due to the intensity
of caring for a child with a
disability.
Siblings Australia is a national
organisation committed to
improving the support available
for siblings of children and adults
with chronic conditions including
disability, chronic illness and
mental health issues.
The Siblings Australia website is
a fantastic resource for families,
especially siblings of children
with cerebral palsy and physical
disability.
This website will allow you to
access information about sibling
support - services, resources,
research and policy. you will
be able to explore a number of
relevant areas - whether you
are a sibling, parent, worker or
researcher.
To find out more, visit
www.siblingsaustralia.org.au
REdIASSIST PROvIdES
PEACE OF MInd In
EMERgEnCIES
For carers, the fear of not being
available in an emergency
situation is very real. RediAssist
is a service that stores indepth
personal, medical
and identification accessible
by police, paramedics and
emergency medical teams to
provide appropriate emergency
assistance.
To find out more about this service,
visit www.rediassist.com.au
ACCESSIbLE OnLInE
gAMIng FOR ChILdREn
WITh dISAbILITy
Knights of god at
www.knightsogod.com is an
online gaming community
developed and customised for
children with disability.
developed by Keith Shew, whose
son Liam has cerebral palsy, the
site allows children to develop
important social connections and
build and develop both motor
and cognitive function.
The site has strong security
measures, active moderators and
high behavioural expectations. It
is free and also includes an online
forum where kids can share news
with each other.
To ensure consistently high
standards of security, players
need to register by contacting
Keith on 07 3496 2123 or at
keith.shew@optusnet.com.au.
SuMMER SuRFIng Fun
FOR PEOPLE WITh
dISAbILITy
The gold Coast disabled
Surfers Association offers
free surfing lessons to people
with disability. Equipped with
aquatic wheelchairs and trained
volunteers, the program is
available to anyone with a
disability and is suitable for both
adults and children.
disabled Surfers also runs a
program on the Sunshine Coast.
visit www.disabledsurfers.org/qld
to find out more.
Photo: James Rossiter, four
times Australian All Star,
waiting to come to the crease
Touchstone Summer 2012
IndOOR dISAbILITy
CRICKET SEEKIng
PLAyERS
Indoor cricket is a great way to
keep fit and enjoy important social
interaction.
According to Pat Rossiter, from
Caboolture Indoor disability
Cricket, the sport is fantastic for
people of all ability levels.
“Indoor cricket is fun and social
and it develops increased mobility,
improved hand eye co-ordination,
agility, effective communication,
strategy development and team
participation.
“It’s a great social game, but
there is also the opportunity to
represent your state and your
country.
“We are looking for new players
aged 15 and over. We have
teams and training sessions at
Caboolture and Strathpine and
welcome anyone to contact us
and give indoor disability cricket a
go,” Pat said.
The cost is $10 per session and
you can find out more at
www.disabilityindoorcricket.org.au
9

ANNuAL rEPOrT iN BriEF ANNuAL rEPOrT iN BriEF
MESSAgE FROM ThE ChAIR And CEO yEAR In REvIEW hIghLIghTS
We recently produced the Cerebral Palsy League’s 2011/12 Annual Report where we detailed the
work we undertook to provide the highest level of services to children and adults with physical
disability. In this section, you can read about the highlights of the year, and we hope this gives you
an insight into what we achieved this year with the support of the community.
At the Cerebral Palsy League, we strive to help people with physical disability live the lives they
want. during the 2011-12 financial year, we consolidated our services to position the Cerebral Palsy
League as a provider of choice under a future national disability Insurance Scheme (ndIS).
The ndIS will provide tailored care and support to around 410,000 Australians with significant
disability, covering the cost of vital services and empowering them to make their own decisions
on how they spend their funding. It is heartening to see both the Federal government and
Opposition supporting its introduction.
Thank you to all the families and individuals who generously shared their stories to show
governments, media and the community what a positive difference the ndIS would have on their
lives.
The Cerebral Palsy League has continued to work with our clients to better understand their life
goals so we can provide the best services to suit their needs.
We would like to thank all the children and adults with physical disability that we provide services
to, their carers and families, our staff, volunteers and supporters for their commitment and
support throughout the year. If you would like a full copy of the Cerebral Palsy League 2011/12
Annual Report, please go to www.cpl.org.au or call (07) 3358 8011.
Kind regards
helen darch
Chairperson
CEO
Angela Tillmanns
FInAnCIAL SnAP ShOT
• The Cerebral Palsy League experienced
significant and sustained growth in the
financial year ended 30 June 2012 with an
audited deficit of $0.986M (2011 a deficit of
$1.615M).
• government grants to fund the provision
of services increased from $52.922M
to $56.510M. however, revenue from
sales, manufacture and modifications of
specialised equipment and technical aids
decreased from $3.631M to $3.078M.
• Revenue increased by 6.05% to $69.468M
while expenses increased by 4.96% to
$70.454M.
• The remaining blocks of land from the Fig
Tree Pocket development were sold. These
funds were primarily used to commence a
cash buffer to protect working capital for
the future.
CLIENT SERVICE Client Service
CLIEnT STATISTICS
Over the course of the 2011/12
year, the Cerebral Palsy
League:
• Assisted 5,938 clients
through the provision of a
broad array of services
• Answered 5,642 requests
for expert information and
advice
• Was involved in 55
research projects
• Received 112,937 website
hits and distributed 10,000
copies of Touchstone
magazine
bETTER START FOR
ChILdREn WITh A
dISAbILITy
There is high demand for
Cerebral Palsy League allied
health services, which the
current level of government
funding simply cannot
meet. Fortunately, with the
introduction of the Australian
government’s Better Start
for Children with Disability
initiative, we have been able
to provide more children with
allied health services. One
of our points of difference
in providing better Start
services is that families
are able to purchase an
integrated service combining
all therapy services and
equipment.
SuPPORTIng FAMILIES
We have continued to develop
our virtual Family Support
Service, generously funded
by xstrata Copper and based
at geebung, brisbane. This
service incorporates video
conferencing technologies to
provide clients and staff with
access to resources based at
other Cerebral Palsy League
locations.
FEE FOR SERvICE
Our fee for service delivery
has increased by 230% since
2009-10 and now makes
up over 6% of our services
income. This increase
means that more people
are accessing our services,
in addition to those that
receive our services through
government funding.
Community
COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
Engagement
PICnIC In ThE PARK
More than 5,000 people
enjoyed Cerebral Palsy
League’s Picnic in the Park
presented by Treasury Casino
and hotel, on 30 July 2011.
This all inclusive day featured
gourmet food, entertainment
and a jam-packed children’s
entertainment program. The
fun and festivities celebrated
the achievements of
Queenslanders with cerebral
palsy and featured a ‘celebrity
cook-off’ with Master Chef
contestant, John hughes, who
has cerebral palsy.
FundRAISIng
AChIEvEMEnTS
Our new fundraising strategy
resulted in a 10% increase
in overall fundraising from
the previous financial year.
We engaged the community
with fundraising events like
Food Spectrum’s Winter
Wonderland ball, the
successful bunnings’ bbQ
blitzes, the 33 rd brisbane
Rotary Arts Spectacular
as well as golf days, family
fun days, sporting events,
networking functions and
much more.
OUR PEOPLE Our People
vOLunTEER SuPPORT vITAL
Our 522 volunteers range in
age from 14 to 66 and are
active in all our services and
offices around the state. A
total of 4,560 volunteer hours
were donated in the past year,
helping us to deliver services
and support to thousands of
clients every day. In return
we provide training and skill
development opportunities
ranging from customer
service to administration skills.
download the full annual report from our new website today at www.cpl.org.au
10 Touchstone Summer 2012
Touchstone Summer 2012
11

FACEs AND PLACEs
1
2
3
4
5
FOOd SPECTRuM
MASQuERAdE bALL RAISES
MORE ThAn $160,000
370 guests dusted off their
tuxes, gowns and venetian
masks for a night of fun, laughter
and entertainment at the Food
Spectrum 2012 Masquerade
Charity ball in August. More than
30 Cerebral Palsy League clients
will receive vital equipment
like standing frames, swings,
communication devices and
home modifications thanks to
the $160,000 raised through the
generosity of Food Spectrum
and those who attended the ball.
LOCAL MATTERS
The Cerebral Palsy League
took out first place in grill’d
Emporium’s local community
donation program, Local Matters,
for the month of August. Thanks
grill’d and thanks to all the locals
who chose to support us!
AShgROvE FLORIST & CAFE
SuPPORTS OuR ARTISTS
Paul Finlay, owner of the
Ashgrove Florist and Cafe,
proudly supports the Cerebral
Palsy League by displaying and
selling artwork by clients from
our Support in the Community
Ashgrove service.
WAnTZ COMMITTEE RAISES
MORE ThAn $200,000
The hard working WAnTZ
Committee raised an enormous
$205,000 for the new Cerebral
Palsy League varsity Lakes
centre. Their fundraising efforts
throughout the year finished
with a bang at their Swing
dinner dance at Restaurant II in
August. Money raised was used
to purchase equipment for the
service, which aims to meet the
growing disability support needs
of the gold Coast community.
CEREbRAL PALSy
LEAguE STAFF gET A
TASTE OF gOLd
gold medallist kayaker Tate
Smith dropped in to the Cerebral
Palsy League’s new Farm office
to chat with staff.
PARALyMPIAnS
dO uS PROud
We all cheered on Rheed
McCracken as he won silver in the
T34 100m and bronze in the T34
200m final and Rachael dodds,
who placed fifth in the T35 100m
and seventh in the T35 200m at
the 2012 Paralympic games in
London. Well done!
gARdEnIng CREW PLAnTS
hOPE FOR hELIdOn KIdS
The community gardening crew
from Toowoomba Cerebral
Palsy League’s Support in the
Community program has joined
forces with Lockyer valley
Landcare groups to provide muchneeded
maintenance to trees
at helidon State School, which
suffered damage in the 2011 floods.
Cerebral Palsy League Support
in the Community Manager Paula
Smith said the tree conservation
project illustrated that with
the right support, people with
disability can give back to their
local communities. “We are here
to show that many hands make
light work and that people with
disability can contribute as much,
if not more, than other members
of the community,” she said.
JOhn Rynn AddS dIPLOMA
TO hIS CREdEnTIALS
Congratulations to John Rynn,
who recently received his diploma
of Community Services from TAFE
Queensland. John, who attends
Cerebral Palsy League’s Support in
the Community at Capalaba also
has a Certificate Iv in disability
and a Certificate Iv in Assessment
and Workplace training.
CAPALAbA dISAbILITEA
The Cerebral Palsy League Support in
the Community Capalaba celebrated
disability Action Week with a
morning tea in the garden, attended
by clients, carers, families and people
from the local community.
Special information sessions about
volunteering, healthy eating and
lifestyle habits, sun safe practises, and
the Federal government’s proposed
national disability Insurance Scheme
were on the agenda alongside live
music, delicious food and sunshine.
12 Touchstone Summer 2012
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Touchstone Summer 2012
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13

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ThE CEREbRAL PALSy LEAguE OFFERS InTERnATIOnAL SuPPORT
This year has seen Cerebral Palsy League staff and
services offer vital support to children with disability
in South Africa and vietnam.
Cerebral Palsy League’s Katy Caynes was invited by
dr gillian Saloojee, Senior Tutor of the South African
neurodevelopmental/bobath Therapy Association
(SAndTA) and director of Malamulele Onwards to
visit South Africa to share her expertise in bobath
Speech Pathology.
“The whole experience was invaluable, but particularly
the outreach program, which involved visiting families
in under-resourced areas who lived in mud huts, with
no electricity or running water,” Katy said.
“We travelled out to these communities and worked
with children with cerebral palsy and their families to
show them alternative means of communication that
anyone, anywhere in the world can use.”
Since her trip, our Communication board Service
has received a number of orders from South Africa
requesting communication products.
Our Pragmatic Organisation of dynamic display
(POdd) books have also made their way vietnam
where they are assisting children with disability to
communicate.
dr gail Woodyatt
(retired university
of Queensland
disability Studies
Lecturer and
Coordinator
for speech
pathology)
recently
supervised ten
university of
Queensland
Allied health
students to visit
children with
disability in
vietnam.
Westpac Queensland
proudly supports the
Prior to the trip, gail arranged to work
shadow our very experienced speech pathologists,
debbie burmester and natalie Fell. gail also took a
POdd communication book that had been translated
into vietnamese to demonstrate its use with children
with complex communication needs.
dr Woodyatt said the Cerebral Palsy League’s advice
and quality resources were of tremendous assistance
to the uQ Allied health students, vietnamese staff
and children with disability and will continue to
benefit the children and their families in the long term.
Cerebral Palsy League
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financial advice, Westpac is here to support your financial needs.
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FACEs AND PLACEs

in BRiEf
ChATTERbOx
ChALLEngE
The results are in! 2012’s inaugural Chatterbox
Challenge, held during disability Action Week,
saw some fantastic results.
ben Cox, general Manager Fundraising, said
the Chatterbox Challenge was a very important
online fundraising event for the Cerebral Palsy
League.
“not only did Chatterbox Challenge raise
much needed funds but the challenge itself -
giving up your voice for a day - really helped
the public to understand the complex daily
challenges people with a disability face.
“It allowed us to stand proudly with six other
disability organisations in Queensland who
worked together to raise much needed funds,”
he said.
Photo: Peter Mewett, General Manager Services, took
the Chatterbox Challenge, much to the delight of staff at
Cerebral Palsy League’s New Farm office.
16 Touchstone Summer 2012
Eight year old
chatterbox Amelie
Coop from St
Peter and Paul’s
School Bulimba
goes quiet for
the Chatterbox
Challenge
FundS RAISEd: OVER $48,000
nuMbER OF PEOPLE WhO TOOK
ThE ChALLEngE: 139
nuMbER OF PEOPLE WhO MAdE
dOnATIOnS: 1,155
SCREECh ThEATRE SuCCESS
Eleven young Queenslanders – with and without disability –
created performance magic at the Cerebral Palsy League’s
Screech Theatre northside workshop during the October
school holidays.
The three day drama camp saw the young thespians explore
imagination, improvisation and both verbal and non verbal
communication skills in a playful and positive workshop series.
The camp also incorporated themed days such as safari,
haunted house and pirate ship to inspire participants.
Screech Theatre workshops are designed for young people
aged 10 to 20 years and are suitable for everyone – those new
to drama, those wanting to try something new and those that
may already be considered drama kings and queens.
To learn more, please contact Kimberley Twiner at
ktwiner@cplqld.org.au or 07 3357 5280.
OuR ARChERS TAKE A bOW
October saw the Cerebral Palsy League in Rockhampton hold its
inaugural archery competition.
With ten shooters, Channel 7 news coverage and competitors
achieving able-bodied player scores, Cerebral Palsy League staff
member and Peace International Archery Club President John hans
said the competition was a huge success.
“It was an incredibly successful day. The girls outshot the boys and
we saw some fantastic scores,” he said.
david Malone took out the men’s competition and was awarded the
Archery Australia Trophy. Samantha holman won the women’s field
to take out the Erin Murphy Memorial Trophy.
“After the success of this year’s tournament, we’re looking forward
to the next one and seeing it grow in the years to come,” John said.
Touchstone Summer 2012
SOuThPORT
OuTSIdE hOuRS
SChOOL CARE
RECEIvES
$7,000 bOOST
iN BriEF
Cerebral Palsy League
Southport’s outside hours school
care program received a $7,000
community grant from the
Southport Park Commonwealth
bank. Suzie gilbert, Support in
the Community Manager gold
Coast, said the funds would be
used to purchase a wide range
of new sensorial equipment for
children who access the outside
school hours care program.
17

WHAT’s NEW?
MyLESTOnES MObILITy dELIvERS
bETTER SEATIng FOR CLIEnTS
do you need modified seating for your wheelchair?
do you want expert advice when considering
your next wheelchair? If so, look no further than
our specialist Mylestones Mobility Team, who
can provide the best outcome for any seating
prescription.
We invite your therapist to work with one of our
Mylestones Seating Technicians to customise a
solution for your posture and mobility needs.
Our team have knowledge of an extensive mobility
product range and access to some of the latest
products from Australia and overseas. We can
create an individualised solution for the most
straightforward of wheelchairs to the most complex
prescriptions.
book in today to take advantage of our Seating
Technicians’ expertise at either Mylestones Mobility
or through any of our Cerebral Palsy League Allied
health services across Queensland. Please contact
Mylestones Mobility today on (07) 3637 3630 to
find out more.
18 Touchstone Summer 2012
p&g UpdATE
The trend towards going ‘paperless’ in our society has impacted the
Cerebral Palsy League’s Mylestones Printing business. The P&g Committee
recently met with the parents of Mylstones Printing employees, who had
some excellent ideas for the business. We have provided these ideas to
management, who are assessing them with a view to putting at least some
of them in place.
We also met with the representatives from the Queensland department
of Communities and disability Services through Families First where we
learned that the national disability Insurance Scheme is going ahead, and
that the government is hoping to secure a trial in Queensland in the future.
On a related note, we were very interested to learn about the Queensland
government’s “your Life your Choice” program trial of self-directed
funding, and look forward to seeing its results.
We are investigating exciting new formats for the Parents and guardians
Committee, which were discussed at our Annual Meeting on 7 december
2012. Our colleagues from the Families First group joined us at our meeting
and our annual break-up party on that day.
Season’s greetings to you and a special thank you to the parents and
guardians who have supported us during 2012.
Sincerely
Joan Williams
P&g President
STATE CCC
The State Client Consultative Committee (CCC) has been busy
discussing the proposed changes to the Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS),
due to come into effect on 1 July 2013. Many clients have expressed
concerns about how these changes will restrict their independence
and mobility, and how important the current Taxi Subsidy Scheme is in
their daily lives.
We have recently held meetings at brendale and Springfield Cerebral
Palsy League offices, speaking with clients to understand the issues
most important to them. The State CCC invites any clients to become
actively involved in client consultation. Please contact us via 3358
8049 or stateccc@cplqld.org.au to find out how you can get involved.
Members of the State CCC have undertaken leadership training, and
we are looking forward to sharing our learnings with Regional CCCs.
Clients who are Cerebral Palsy League members attended the Annual
general Meeting on 24 th november 2012. Copies of the Annual Report
will be distrbuted soon.
I would like to thank all Regional CCC and State CCC members for
their efforts in supporting client consultation during 2012. Expressing
client views is our business and we couldn’t do it without your
involvement.
I would like to wish clients and their families a joyous festive season
and a safe and happy 2013.
Sincerely
Terry donaldson
Chair, State CCC
DiArY NOTE
december 10
Supporters Soiree
Brisbane
december 19
Cracker Art Union
Winner drawn - 155
december 25
Christmas day
december 26
Boxing day
2013
January 1
Happy new year!
Welcome to 2013.
January 13
Resolution Run
February 1
fusion of Music
Windsor
February 13
Art Union
Winner drawn - 156
March 1
fusion of Music
Windsor
March 15-17
Mooloolaba Triathlon
April 11- 20
Rotary Arts Spectacular
Brisbane
April 25
AnZAC day
For further information on
events visit www.cpl.org.au
19

EnTER OUR ART UniOnS fOR
yOUR CHAnCE TO Win!
did you know Cerebral palsy League Art Unions are open to clients, staff,
members and volunteers? Anyone can enter! for just $2
a ticket you could win $60,000 worth of prizes!
CRACKER ART UniOn pRiZES
With Christmas around the corner, our
Cracker Art Union offers you a chance to win:
A Subaru or Mitsubishi worth $40,000 - including on-road
costs and dealer delivery
$5,000 Harvey norman voucher
$5,000 flight Centre holiday package
$5,000 Coles voucher
$2,000 cash
BUy MULTipLE TiCKETS fOR yOUR
CHAnCE TO Win EVEn MORE!
$10 tickets = $1,000 shopping voucher
$20 tickets = $2,000 shopping voucher
$50 tickets = $3,000 shopping voucher
$50 tickets or more to go into a separate draw to win a 46” Sony LCD 3D TV
BECOME A Vip TiCKET SUppORTER TOdAy
By becoming a Vip Ticket Supporter, you will automatically receive tickets to each art
union draw plus enter a special second chance draw to win further great prizes.
To buy tickets online visit www.cpl.org.au or call us on 1800 819 086.
Please note: A multi-ticket buyer prize is awarded only if the winning ticket number is one of the number of consecutive ticket
numbers purchased at the time. All prizes ex Brisbane and not redeemable for cash. images for illustrative purposes only.
Promoter: B Cox | Drawn: 55 Oxlade Drive, New Farm QLD 4005
Winner: Notified by Certified Mail | Published: Courier Mail Public Notices
LIMITED
TICKETS
$2.00 each!