Horizon 112 (PDF 3 MB) - Scope

Issue 112 June 2013 

Josh Acton, Helen-Ann Thornton and Mike Ahren cleaning up Lillydale Lake as part of the Clean Up Australia Day. 

Clean Up Australia Day 

More than 300 staff and people we support spent time cleaning up 

community venues and Scope sites across the state through Clean Up 

Australia Day. 

This work demonstrates Scope’s 

commitment to clean up, fix up and 

conserve our environment. More than 

11 bags of recycling and 27 bags of 

non-recycling rubbish were collected 

through the clean ups. 

This Clean Up Australia Day, Scope 

contributed to the estimated 550,300 

volunteers at 7,341 registered sites 

that took action and became part 

of the biggest community event in 

Australia. An estimated 16,150 tonnes 

of rubbish was removed from our local 

streets, parks, beaches and bushland. 

We received fantastic feedback from 

people we support and staff about the 

clean up. 

Christine Wooley, supported employee 

at Scope Shannon Park Industries 

said: “It was interesting and enjoyable. 

I would do it again if I ever get the 

chance.” 

Debbie Ure, Admin Support, at Scope 

Seymour Sub Regional Office said: 

“We were amazed at the amount 

and type of rubbish that we were 

confronted with. It was a small 

contribution in our case, but we’ve 

all agreed, every little bit helps.” 

“The day was really awesome. It felt 

good cleaning up my community,” said 

Mike Ahren from Scope Ringwood 

Lifestyle Options. 

We look forward to continuing our 

involvement in Clean Up Australia 

Day in 2014 - to clean up, fix up and 

preserve our local environment.

CEO Message 

Scope has welcomed the recent developments 

within the National Disability Insurance Scheme 

(NDIS), ahead of the launch sites commencing 

in July 2013. 

Jennifer Fitzgerald and Victoria’s Premier, 

The Hon Dr Denis Napthine MLA at the Scope 

Family Fun Day. 

Horizon 

Copy Deadline 

ISSUE 113: Friday, 21st June 2013 

All submissions and correspondence 

should be addressed to: 

Melissa Hay 

Editor 

Horizon 

Scope 

PO Box 608 

Box Hill 3128 

Email: horizon@scopevic.org.au 

Editorial Team: 

Melissa Hay 

Rachel Palmer 

Disclaimer 

The opinions expressed and services 

offered in any material published herein are 

those of the respective authors. The Editor 

and Scope do not necessarily hold or offer 

the same opinion or advice. The advertised 

events are correct at the time of publication. 

Changes in dates, times or venues are 

beyond the control of the Editor. 

Scope (Vic) Ltd ACN 004 280 871 

ABN 63 004 280 871 

No part of this publication may be 

reproduced in any form or by any means 

without the express written permission 

of The Editor. 

www.scopevic.org.au 

2 www.scopevic.org.au 

The NDIS Bill was recently passed 

in Parliament by the Federal 

Government. This is a major step 

towards providing peace of mind to 

people with disability, their families 

and carers, and to Australians 

who may acquire a significant 

and permanent disability in the 

future. This piece of legislation is 

the foundation for a truly national 

scheme that will deliver meaningful 

change for thousands of people with 

disability across Australia. The Bill 

establishes the National Disability 

Insurance Scheme and the NDIS 

Launch Transition Agency to deliver 

the launch of the scheme. For further 

information about the Bill and agreed 

amendments visit www.ndis.gov.au. 

The Government also recently 

announced a new name for the 

NDIS – DisabilityCare Australia. This 

name reflects the core principle of 

the NDIS, namely that all Australians 

with a significant or profound disability 

receive the care and support they 

need, and have choice and control 

over their care, regardless of how 

they acquired their disability. While 

Scope transitions to using the name 

DisabilityCare Australia, it will be used 

interchangeably with NDIS. 

DisabilityCare Australia is being 

launched in South Australia, Tasmania, 

the ACT, the Hunter in NSW, and 

the Barwon region of Victoria from 

July this year. Scope has invested 

significant time and resources 

ahead of the launch in Barwon. The 

implementation of Scope’s Strategic 

Plan has supported the organisation 

in preparing itself for the roll out 

of DisabilityCare Australia, with a 

focus on customer choice within 

a commercial marketplace. 

As part of Scope’s updated strategic 

plan, our new Organisational 

Design has been developed, and 

was approved at the March Board 

Meeting. The new Organisational 

Design will enable Scope to deliver on 

its Mission: “To enable each person 

we support to live as an equal and 

empowered citizen.” 

To successfully achieve this, Scope’s 

new Organisational Design delivers: 

- Integrated Services - to meet the 

needs of people we support; 

- Customer Centric approach - to 

put people with a disability first and 

understand their individual needs; 

- Regionalisation of Capability 

- putting resources close to the 

customers and focussing the 

corporate capability on the 

regional network; 

- Building our Business - capability to 

grow individualised services through 

Customer Engagement roles and by 

creating a New Business function 

to support our growth targets; and 

- Management of Change - with 

the changing sector and ongoing 

opportunities we need to ensure 

we manage the volume and impact 

of change across our service 

delivery roles. 

The implementation of the new 

Organisational Design will improve 

outcomes for the people we support. 

By moving to a regional business 

model, service and business decisions 

will be brought closer to where the 

services are delivered. Back office 

services will be streamlined to build 

on and leverage our existing business 

efficiency. 

Scope’s new Strategic Plan focuses 

on building a sustainable future for 

Scope. We will remain committed 

to our Mission and to the delivery 

of high quality services to the people 

that we support. 

Jennifer Fitzgerald 

CEO

Board Report 

Tricia Malowney, Director of Scope. 

As a new Board 

member of Scope, 

I would like to share 

with you my personal 

experiences with 

disability and the 

disability sector. 

I was approached by Jennifer 

Fitzgerald after she heard me speak 

passionately about the need to 

empower Australians with a disability, 

and the need to understand that we 

are transitioning to a new service 

delivery model under the National 

Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). 

She asked me whether I would be 

interested in applying for a position 

on the Scope Board, she believed that 

my values met those of Scope. As 

an Australian with a disability, I have 

always been able to access services 

that I need, because I am empowered 

– my goal is to empower others. 

As a member of a number of not-forprofit 

Boards, even chairing one or 

two, and having recently started my 

own strategic advice consultancy, 

I had to think about whether I had 

the time and energy to effectively 

commit to the Board. After much 

consideration, I believed that it was 

appropriate for me to do so, and I 

was duly elected at the AGM in 2012. 

I am the second of 10 children from 

a working class background, and 

I contracted Polio at the age of four 

months in 1954. My life has largely 

run parallel to that of my peers 

without a disability because I was 

always a part of mainstream society. 

I was in mainstream education 

and mainstream employment. That 

was until I contracted Post Polio 

Syndrome and had to retire from a 

middle management position with 

Victoria Police at the age of 46. 

Since then, I have been able to use 

my skills to enhance the capacity of 

other Australians with a disability to 

meet their potential, and to have the 

services they need to do so. 

The world of disability service delivery 

has changed markedly in recent years, 

with a transition from block funding to 

individualised support packages. This 

transition has meant that Victorians 

with a disability have an increasing 

say in what services they are able 

to access, and how they want them 

delivered. As the NDIS is rolled out 

across Australia, we will see people 

with a disability and their families able 

to choose the services which will best 

meet their needs. 

I see my role on the Board to ensure 

that we meet the challenges of 

the transition to the NDIS, and that 

we become a service provider of 

choice for all those Australians with 

a disability who will be looking to 

see who will best suit their needs. 

I continue to see Australians with a 

disability as my first priority and if 

we put their needs at the forefront 

of our thinking, we will continue. 

Tricia Malowney 

Director 

In this issue: 

4 

8 

12 

Cultural Diversity Week 4 

Scope See Me September 5 

A grand day out 6 

Students See the Person, Not the Disability 7 

Borneo Challenge 9 

Telescope Awards Ceremony 11 

Swimming towards success 13 

Give the gift of respite 14 

Another lucky winner 15 

Stay connected 

Like us on Facebook: Scope 

Follow us on Twitter: 

@scopevictoria 

Scope Horizon June 2013 3

What’s happening around Scope 

Cultural Diversity Week 

Scope St Albans Lifestyle Options was transformed into a multicultural hub 

on Friday, 22nd March to celebrate Cultural Diversity Week. 

The day was a great success with 

more than 50 local community 

members attending, as well as people 

we support and staff from various 

Scope services. The atmosphere on 

the day was friendly and accepting. 

Everyone had a ball. 

Rooms at the site were themed to 

celebrate different cultures and music 

in our community, including the Irish 

Room and the Italian Room. 

We ran a number of exciting activities 

for everyone to participate in, including 

the lively African drumming workshop 

which was enjoyed by all participants. 

People we support created displays 

featuring art, craft and jewellery made 

by the sewing and craft group, and 

creations made by the woodwork group. 

Guests enjoyed a range of cuisines 

from different cultures, including 

Macedonian burek, Middle Eastern 

tabouli and shashliks, Croatian biscuits, 

Indian curries, and Asian dim sum. 

Kurt Cabanilla playing the African drums at the Cultural Diversity Week celebrations. 

Christian Astourian from Disability and 

Diversity was our guest speaker on the 

day. He talked about his experiences 

of living with a disability and coming 

from an ethnic background. 

We all participated in an activity to 

create a ‘welcome flag’. We will hang 

it at Scope St Albans Lifestyle Options 

to remember what a lovely day we 

had with the community to celebrate 

Cultural Diversity Week. 

We would like to thank Scope’s 

Community Inclusion team for their 

support of the event. 

Kaye Kindred 

Team Leader 

Scope St Albans Lifestyle Options 

Catching waves 

People we support in Barwon have had the 

chance to experience surfing this year, thanks 

to the Disabled Surfers Association. 

The Disabled Surfers Association 

(DSA) branch in Ocean Grove held 

a surfing day, to enable people of 

all abilities to get out into the water 

and experience surfing. 

DSA provides beach-friendly 

wheelchairs that make it easy to 

transport people through the sand and 

into the water. The day was a fantastic 

display of encouraging community 

inclusion and giving many people 

the opportunity to get into the 

water and learn to surf. It’s an 

event that is enjoyed by everyone 

in the community. 


More than 200 participants and 

volunteers spent the morning having 

fun in the surf. Peter Abbey and Geoff 

Savage, who are supported by Scope, 

attended the day. Both men really 

enjoyed the experience. “It was cold 

but it felt fun being in the water and 

out of my wheelchair,” said Peter. We 

would like to thank the DSA for giving 

people we support the opportunity to 

experience surfing. 

For further information about DSA or to 

find out about future events near you, 

visit disabledsurfers.org. 

Peter Abbey hanging out on the beach with the 

DSA volunteers.

Scope See 

Me September 

Scope See Me September encourages the 

community to See the Person, Not the Disability. 

What’s on 

Scope See Me September 

Scope See Me Ball 

Friday, 30th August 2013 

Melbourne Museum 

Walk With Me – Melbourne 

Sunday, 1st September 2013 

Birrarung Marr 

Walk With Me – Bendigo 

Saturday, 7th September 2013 

Lake Weeroona 

Walk With Me – Geelong 

Sunday, 8th September 2013 

Eastern Park 

Walk With Me – Ballarat 

Sunday, 15th September 2013 

Lake Wendouree 

The starting line at the 2012 Walk With Me – Geelong. 

There are a number of events held 

during the month that you can 

participate in. 

Scope See Me Ball, Friday, 30th 

August at Melbourne Museum 

The Scope See Me Ball at Melbourne 

Museum will raise much needed 

funds for Scope to support people 

living with a disability. 

Guests will enjoy a memorable night 

with unforgettable entertainment, 

delicious food and wine, and live 

and silent auctions. 

Walk With Me 

Walk With Me celebrates people of 

all abilities, encouraging individuals, 

groups and businesses to walk 

alongside people with a disability. 

It is an opportunity to participate 

and fundraise. 

Walk With Me is a 2km or 4km walk 

at four locations throughout Victoria. 

• Melbourne - Sunday, 1st 

September at Birrarung Marr 

• Bendigo - Saturday, 7th 

September at Lake Weeroona 

• Geelong - Sunday, 8th 

September at Eastern Park 

• Ballarat - Sunday, 15th 

September at Lake Wendouree 

Funds raised from Walk With Me 

will support people with a disability 

to live the life they choose. 

To register for any of the 

above events, to volunteer 

during Scope See Me September, 

or for further information on how 

you can be involved, visit 

www.scopevic.org.au, e-mail 

eventsinfo@scopevic.org.au 

or call 9843 3041. 

Scope Early Years Conference 

Friday, 6th & Saturday 7th 

September 2013 

The Darebin Arts and 

Entertainment Centre 

Silent Morning Tea 

Tuesday, 1st October 2013 

Scope Golf Challenge 

Monday, 28th October 2013 

Yarra Yarra Golf Club 

Scope Annual General Meeting 

Wednesday, 13th November 2013, 

Melbourne Park Function Centre 

For further information about 

the above events email 

eventsinfo@scopevic.org.au 

or call 9843 3041. 

Call for volunteers 

Scope is always calling for volunteers 

to support our events. If you would 

be interested in volunteering 

with Scope at our events, or 

for further information, email 

eventvolunteers@scopevic.org.au 

or call 9843 3061. 


A grand day out 

A number of people who Scope support had a fantastic time attending the 

2013 Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park Lake in March. 

Seven people we support along with 

staff from Scope Don Tatnell Lifestyle 

Options, had a great day at the 

Grand Prix. 

“On arrival it was loud and everyone 

was very excited. The group headed 

up to the viewing platform to watch 

the celebrity race,” said Teresa 

Tokolahi, Disability Support Worker. 

The group also enjoyed wandering 

around all the tents, cars, displays, 

and experiencing the atmosphere. 

“I loved the noise and the atmosphere. 

I loved how there were cars galore” 

said Rowan Fergusson. 

Two families that we support were 

invited to attend the Children’s 

Day event hosted by the Victorian 

Government. Henry Hewitt and his 

mum Loren, and William Inglis with 

his brother Lucas and parents Caroline 

and Robbie, all had a first-hand 

experience of the Grand Prix track. 

Henry Hewitt enjoyed having his face painting and walking through the Grand Prix pits. 

“Henry and I had such a special day. 

Henry loved being part of the magic 

show, challenging his sensory issues 

with the noise of the track, and getting 

his whole face painted,” said Loren. 

Scope would like to thank the 

Victorian Government for organising 

the Children’s Day event and providing 

Scope families with an amazing day out. 

Scope Early Years Conference 

Tickets are now available for the Scope Early Years Conference, to be held 

on Friday, 6th & Saturday, 7th September 2013. 

The inaugural conference will be 

of interest to parents of young 

children with a disability and Early 

Years professionals, therapists 

and managers. 

The conference will include a keynote 

address, concurrent streams, 

workshops and a range of stimulating 

presentations. These will outline 

current research and evidence-based 

practice, including innovative and 

flexible service delivery models, such 

as key worker models and intensive 


solutions. The conference will review 

best practice in early childhood 

intervention, practical application 

of this best practice and how it can 

be maintained within a National 

Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) 

environment. 

Peter Limbrick from the UK will 

be delivering both the keynote 

presentation and a workshop. Peter 

developed and published the Team 

Around the Child (TAC) model and is 

the author of Horizontal Teamwork 

in a Vertical World: Exploring 

interagency collaboration and people 

empowerment. He will explain the 

UK experience of the introduction 

of an NDIS funding model, and 

how this has worked with early 

years best practice. For further 

information about Peter’s work, visit 

www.teamaroundthechild.com. 

Scope will also be providing 50 

sponsored parent positions to the 

conference. 

The conference is being held at The 

Darebin Arts and Entertainment 

Centre, Cnr Bell Street and St 

Georges Road, Preston. Cost of 

registration is $250 for the two days 

including workshops on the Saturday. 

To register for the conference visit 

www.scopevic.org.au/ 

earlyyearsconference. For further 

information about Scope’s Early 

Years Conference, sponsored 

parent positions, and to register for 

conference updates, please contact 

earlyyearsconference@scopevic.org.au.

Students See the Person, 

Not the Disability 

The Scope Young 

Ambassadors program 

encourages students 

at Koonung Secondary 

College to See the 

Person, Not the Disability. 

Scope Young Ambassadors (SYA) is an 

innovative program that develops the 

abilities of young people to actively 

promote the values of diversity, 

respect and acceptance of others 

within their community. 

Scope Community Educators 

Lyn Rowe and Jaebin Saunders 

delivered a number of education 

sessions to the Year 9 students 

at Koonung Secondary College. 

The students who participated in 

the sessions gained a lot from the 

experience, as it enabled them 

to have their fears, concerns and 

prejudices about disability challenged 

in a direct and positive way. 

Students Sophie Goldrick and Remy Brown with Scope Community Educator Lyn Rowe. 

“The session was really informative. 

It was inspiring to hear how they (the 

Scope Community Educators) have 

achieved things and haven’t let their 

disability hold them back. I absolutely 

learnt to See the Person, Not the 

Disability,” said Sophie Goldrick. “I really 

enjoyed all the activities held during 

the session. I learnt that people with 

a disability are just like everyone else,” 

said Remy Brown. 

Vale Joan Salvano 

1st July 1919 - 6th April 2013 

In 2011 – 12, Scope delivered the SYA 

program to 80 schools in Victoria, 

reaching more than 2,600 students. 


the SYA program, contact 

Scope’s Education Manager 

Charlie Spendlove on 9843 2052 or 

education@scopevic.org.au. 

Joan Salvano had a long, enriched and dedicated association with Scope 

and supporting people with a disability. 

Joan Salvano. 

Joan’s involvement with Scope (then 

the Spastic Society) started in 1963, 

when her and her husband John’s 

three-year-old son Timothy started 

attending the newly opened Scope 

Chelsea Centre. 

Joan was a very active member 

of the Chelsea Centre Association 

and contributed significantly to their 

fundraising endeavours. Joan spent 

some time as the Secretary of the 

Association and was the President for 

many years. She was a very involved 

and dedicated member who never 

stood back. 

Joan also served on the Spastic 

Society of Victoria Council from 1983 

to 1991. Joan always focused on the 

people we support and what was 

best for them. She was awarded Life 

Membership in 2004, and remained 

very active and involved in Scope until 

her mid 80s. 

John, Joan’s husband, describes her 

fondest memories of Scope as “being 

able to provide for her own son and 

other children with a disability. She 

also enjoyed the social aspects of her 

involvement,” he said. 

Their son Timothy is still supported by 

Scope, at Scope Thames Promenade 

Lifestyle Options and Scope Mitchell 

Street in the Southern Region. Joan 

will be truly missed and our deepest 

sympathy is extended to Joan’s 

husband John and their family. 


Successful Scope Family Fun Day 

David Casha meeting Victoria’s Premier, The Hon Dr Denis Napthine MLA at the Scope Family Fun Day. 

More than 550 people enjoyed a fantastic family day out at the Scope 

Family Fun Day, on Saturday, 23rd March. 

We were delighted to see so many 

families, friends of Scope and people 

in the community, come together to 

explore the Collingwood Children’s 

Farm and participate in all the fun 

games and activities. 

This event was welcoming and 

inclusive for everyone in the 

community to enjoy. 

We were joined by Victorian Premier 

The Hon Dr Denis Napthine MLA and 

the Minister for Children and Early 


Childhood Development Wendy Lovell. 

They announced the 14 community 

organisations that will deliver $3.7 

million from the Victorian Coalition 

Government in Early Intervention 

Services to hundreds of children with 

additional needs. Scope is among the 

recipients of the 500 Early Childhood 

Intervention Service places. 

Special thanks to the Scope 

supporters and partners who helped 

make the event possible, including 

Coles, St John Vianney’s Primary 

School, Our Lady’s Primary School, 

Funtastic, Mix 101.1, the Rotary 

Club of Collingwood, Northcote SES 

Unit, the Collingwood Police Station, 

the Syndal North Girl Guides, the 

Collingwood Children’s Farm, and 

Perfect Events. 

Thank you to everyone who came 

down to join in the fun and to make 

the day a wonderful success.

Borneo Challenge 

Over the past eight months, Jenni Hendy has been busy raising money 

for Scope as part of the Scope Borneo Challenge. The final stage of the 

challenge was to take part in a trek through the Borneo jungle. 

lots of their home grown rice. We 

also had homemade rice wine and 

rice whisky whilst singing along to 

Karaoke in our best Malaysian. 

I became quite used to sitting on 

the floor to eat my meals as the Iban 

people do. They were such friendly 

people, who live simply as one big 

family supporting each other. 

Jenni Hendy with her guides during her trek through Borneo. 

On the 21st April, I flew out of 

Melbourne heading to Kuching in 

Malaysian Borneo. After a day in 

Kuching, it was time to head to 

the jungle. It was a five-hour drive, 

followed by a two-hour long boat ride 

to get there. What an adventure! 

We arrived in an area called the Upper 

Batang Ai, where some lovely young 

men from the Iban kept us safe, 

leading us through jungle each day. 

They built our camp from scratch with 

trees in the jungle. Sleeping out in the 

open and listening to the sounds of 

the jungle overnight was amazing. 

Trekking in the jungle was a challenge 

due to the heat and humidity, steep 

climbs and leeches. The trekking sure 

pushed me to my limits! We were all 

drenched in sweat but what a delight 

it was when we reached a pristine 

waterfall and had a swim. We sat out 

on the edge of salt lick, where the 

orangutans sharpen their teeth, and 

we could hear the gibbons calling 

each other in the distance. 

I loved staying at the Iban longhouse 

overnight. We ate freshly cooked fish, 

chicken, fern fronds, bamboo, wild 

ginger, water spinach, jungle fruit and 

On the last day we spent time 

volunteering at the Matang Wildlife 

Centre and Semengohh Nature 

Reserve. We cleaned the orangutan 

enclosures, made treats for them, 

hid food in their enclosures, and 

watched these amazing creatures 

go about their day. It was such a 

special experience. 

I left this challenge with some 

amazing memories and new friends. 

Thank you to my family, friends 

and work colleagues who gave up 

their own time without hesitation to 

support me with all my fundraising 

activities. I am proud to say that 

I almost doubled my target and 

raised $6,315 for Scope during 

this challenge. 

Jenni Hendy 

Southern Region Regional Manager 

Get me about 

The Get Me About website enables residents in the Eastern Region to get out 

and about in their community, by themselves, or with their friends and family. 

The Get Me About website was 

developed to provide local transport 

and mobility information to residents 

in the Eastern Metropolitan Region 

in one easy-to-find spot. Scope in the 

Eastern Region was a partner in the 

development of the website. 

The website also supports residents 

to attend health appointments by 

providing information about parking, 

accommodation options, and nearby 

facilities (e.g. ATM, supermarket, 

laundry, chemist and petrol station). 

This information is intended to 

improve the patient journey for 

people travelling away from home 

for their health. 

The partners of the Get Me About 

website project include Yarra Ranges 

Council, together with representatives 

from Scope, EACH, Eastern Regional 

Libraries, Neighbourhood Houses 

(CHAOS), Eastern Volunteers, 

and Yooralla. 

The Get Me About website was 

launched at the ‘Transport in the East’ 

Expo in February 2013, with more 

than 100 people in attendance. 

To access the Get Me About website, 

or for further information, visit 

getmeabout.org.au. 


‘Adopting’ Scope James Street 

The Lions Club of Wantirna is supporting people with a disability in their 

community through ‘adopting’ Scope James Street. 

Through this new initiative, the Lions 

Club of Wantirna will provide ongoing 

grounds and building maintenance 

services to the site. To kick off the 

partnership, the Club conducted 

a working bee, which included 

gardening, painting and minor repairs 

to the site. So far this year, the Lions 

Club of Wantirna has devoted 60 man 

hours on site, saving Scope significant 

financial resources. 

President of the Lions Club of 

Wantirna, Wes Gleeson said: “We are 

excited about this partnership and the 

benefits it will bring to the individuals 

and their families who utilise Scope’s 

important support services in our 

community.” 

Scope is very grateful for the support 

the Lions Club of Wantirna has 

shown Scope James Street. Their 

support means our staffing and 

financial resources can be dedicated 

to supporting people with a disability 

who access the service. 

needs of up to 60 local families in the 

Eastern Region. The service enables 

people with a disability to explore and 

take part in their community, while 

providing families and carers with an 

opportunity to recharge their batteries. 

If your community group or business 

would like to ‘adopt’ a Scope site in 

your area, please contact Brian Kirk 

at Scope on 9843 2061 or 

bkirk@scopevic.org.au. 

Scope James Street is a purpose-built 

building that caters to the respite 

The Lions Club of Wantirna at a working bee at Scope James Street with staff member Margaret Lyle 

and a person we support Michael Schinck. 

Positive relationships for adults with 

an intellectual disability 

Making social inclusion a reality for people with an intellectual disability 

and little or no speech was the focus of Hilary Johnson’s PhD. 

I looked at positive relationships for 

six individuals with an intellectual 

disability. I observed these individuals 

interacting with social network 

members for 239 hours, in their 

homes, day programs, and in the 

community. I talked with over 50 

people who knew them well and 

asked them about their relationship 

with the central participant. 

By analysing the observations and 

interviews, I found five elements that 

occurred in a positive relationship. 


These processes include recognising 

individuality, sharing the moment, 

connecting, feeling good and sharing 

the message. The results from the 

study have been published in five 

papers in reputable journals. 

Relationships are the building blocks 

of social inclusion. Everyone needs 

different types of relationships in 

their lives, and ones in which trust 

and respect are central allow people 

to have good quality lives. There is a 

need to find ways in which respectful 

relationships can be encouraged in 

order to help people feel socially 

included. 

The National Disability Research and 

Development Grants have funded 

further research. This enables the 

development of an intervention 

framework to increase the capacity 

of direct support staff to understand, 

develop and facilitate social 

relationships. 

Dr Hilary Johnson 

Co Manager 

Scope’s Communication Resource 

Centre

Telescope Awards Ceremony 

For the second year, Telescope has supported the literary ambitions of writers 

with a disability. 

Telescope is a writing competition 

that supports writers with a disability 

to add their voices to the vibrant 

and diverse community of Victorian 

writers. In doing so, writers are 

empowered to stake their claim 

as artists, historians, bards, poets 

and citizens. 

The Awards Ceremony for the 2013 

competition was held on Wednesday, 

24th April. Councillor Ken Ong from 

the City of Melbourne presented 

some of the awards at the ceremony. 

Below are the award winners and 

finalists for each category. 

Real Life 

1st - Almon Peterson, 

My Life Story 03:09:1928 ~ 

2nd - Heather Blight, 

Learning the Hard Way 

3rd - Lynette Tyack, 

My Journey with Schizophrenia 

Fiction 

1st - Colin Brokenshire, 

Teething Problems 

2nd - Heather Blight, Mind Games 

3rd - Heather Blight, 

Three Funerals and a Wedding 

Judges’ Commendation Award - 

Julie Bradshaw, 

The Cauldron’s Song 

Writer Almon Peterson with his sister Margaret Medcraft and Councillor Ken Ong from the City 

of Melbourne. 

Poetry 

1st - Marco Sirolli, 

Leave the Trees Be 

2nd - Rebecca Maxwell, 

The Dying Day 

3rd - Alan McGuirk, 

City–Shitty–Disability 

Judges’ Commendation Award - 

Michael O’Sullivan, 

Basking in the Blue 

Group 

St John of God and Migrant Resource 

Centre ACES West writers, The Story 

of Ambrose the Winged Jackal 

Writer with collaborator 

Julie Bradshaw, The Bushfire Wrath 

The success of Telescope this year 

has been thanks to the support 

of a number of organisations and 

individuals, including members of 

the judging panel; City of Melbourne; 

Writers Victoria; Peter Whelan, Metro 

Access Officer; Jacqueline Low, 

Acting Director of Writers Victoria; 

and Fiona Tuomy, Mentor-in-Residence 

with Writers Victoria and Arts Access 

Victoria. 

Thank you to the writers who entered 

the competition. Your pieces of work 

are inspiring, and you should all be 

very proud. It has been a fantastic 

year for Telescope and we look 

forward to seeing this project grow 

for many years. 

Catherine Martin 

Community Inclusion Officer 


Anniversary of Scope Golden North 

in Bendigo 

Scope Golden North held its 30th anniversary 

celebrations in April 2013. 

We were joined by the City of Greater 

Bendigo Mayor Lisa Ruffell, people 

we support, families, volunteers, 

neighbours and the community in 

celebrating this milestone. 

Scope has been providing services 

in Bendigo since 1955. The services 

were originally based in a pavilion at 

the local Bendigo showgrounds, and 

supported a few children with cerebral 

palsy. In 1958 our services moved 

to a building on Don Street, where 

we provided therapy services and 

recreation activities. 

Our services and the people we 

supported outgrew the building at 

Don Street in the early 80s, and a 

decision was made to construct a 

purpose built facility for our Bendigo 

services, Scope Golden North. The 

plans for the site were worked on by 

local architects and staff to ensure the 

building was best designed to 

meet the needs of the people we 

support, both then and in the future. 

The construction was completed in 

late 1982. 

Moving forward 30 years, we have 

seen many changes in Scope services 

in Bendigo. This site now houses the 

Scope Loddon Mallee Regional Office, 

Scope Golden North Lifestyle Options, 

Individual Services and our therapy 

services. In Bendigo, Scope operates 

two Lifestyle Options services, four 

supported accommodation sites, 

individual support services, and 

therapy and psychology services. 

The celebration was also the official 

opening of the Scope Golden North 

Community Garden. We would like 

to thank the following organisations, 

individuals and general community 

for their support of the Scope Golden 

North Community Garden. ASQ 

Garden World, Frank O’Neill and 

Jennifer Fitzgerald, Scope CEO; Helen Worrell, 

Coordinator of Scope Golden North Lifestyle 

Options; Cr Lisa Ruffell, City of Greater Bendigo 

Mayor; Mary Sullivan, Scope Loddon Mallee 

Regional Manager; and Andrew Seamons. 

the students from Bendigo Senior 

Secondary College, Iain Wilson 

and the team from Conservation 

Volunteers Australia, Mensheds 

Bendigo, the people we support, 

families, volunteers and staff at 

Scope in Bendigo. 

It is now a wonderful area for the 

community to come together 

and enjoy. 

Mary Sullivan 

Loddon Mallee Regional Manager 

Improvements to the National 

Relay Service 

The government has announced the awarding of a new National Relay 

Service (NRS) Tender from 1 July, 2013 following a competitive tender 

process last year. 

The Relay Service will be delivered by 

Australian Communication Exchange, 

and the Outreach Service will be 

delivered by CFW Spice Pty Ltd, 

trading as WestWood Spice. 

Two new call options are planned for 

introduction from July this year while 

others will be rolled out progressively 

later in the year. They include: 

- An SMS relay service that will allow 

NRS users to make SMS-based calls 

to someone using an ordinary phone 

and also access emergency services 

via SMS message on their mobile 

phones. This is planned to start from 

July 2013. 

- A video relay service that will allow 

hearing impaired Australians who 

communicate through Auslan to 

make and receive phone calls. This is 

also planned to start from July 2013. 

- Improvements to internet relay 

that will allow NRS users to receive 

as well as make phone calls on 

internet-enabled devices. 

- A web-based captioned telephony 

service that will allow Australians 

with hearing impairments to read the 

other person’s responses in phone 

conversations in close to real-time. 

- Access to a range of existing and 

future NRS service options through 

a mobile app. 

- A version of the NRS website 

tailored for mobile devices. 

- Expanded hours for the NRS 

Helpdesk. 

All existing NRS services and service 

options will continue as usual. 

For further information about the NRS, 

visit relayservice.gov.au. 

12 www.scopevic.org.au

Silent Morning Tea 

Learn different ways to communicate over tea on Tuesday, 1st October. 

Scope invites you to hold a Silent 

Morning Tea to raise awareness of 

the different ways of communicating 

with others. 

Following on from the successful 

events held last year, Scope is 

encouraging the community once 

again to participate in a Silent 

Morning Tea. 

One in 500 people in Victoria 

have complex communication 

needs. That is, they have little or 

no speech and need to use other 

ways of communicating that we 

call augmentative and alternative 

communication (AAC). 

October is International AAC 

Awareness Month. Different ways 

of communicating include pointing 

to pictures or words, using facial 

expression, gesture and Key Word 

Signs and using a voice output 

machine. 

Everyone in the community is being 

encouraged to host a Silent Morning 

Tea on Tuesday, 1st October, or any 

time during October to experience 

and appreciate the difficulties people 

Swimming towards success 

without speech encounter on a 

daily basis. 

Once you have registered your Silent 

Morning Tea, you will receive a guide 

and resource pack. This will include 

details on how to host the Morning 

Tea, and activities you can do to 

teach people about different ways 

to communicate. 

To register your Silent Morning 

Tea or for further information, 

contact Scope on 9843 2056 or 

eventsinfo@scopevic.org.au. 

Jocelyn Blows, supported employee at Scope South East Industries 

competed in the Canberra Centenary Swimming Competition, as part 

of her involvement in Special Olympics. 

Jocelyn Blows with her medals from the 

Canberra Centenary Swimming Competition. 

I have been involved in Special 

Olympics for over 21 years. I really 

like being involved as it’s a great 

way to show the general public 

that although we have all sorts of 

disabilities, we can achieve great 

results in the sports field. 

I train for many hours throughout 

the week, and extra hours on 

the weekend. I also compete at 

regional competitions in preparation 

for big events. My favourite events 

are Breaststroke, Backstroke, 

Freestyle Butterfly, Relay Teams 

and Medley Relays. 

The Canberra Centenary Swimming 

Competition was a great experience. 

A highlight was staying at and 

competing at the Australian Institute 

of Sport in Canberra. Before each of 

my events I felt really pumped. I won 

Gold in the 100m Butterfly and 100m 

Freestyle, Silver in 100m Backstroke 

and Freestyle Relay 4x50m and Fifth 

in Medley Relay 4x50m. 

I felt great when I knew how well I 

had done, and I’m looking forward to 

other big events that are coming up. 

Jocelyn Blows 

Supported Employee 

Scope South East Industries 


Thanking our community 

Give the gift of respite 

Tony Saffigna with his daughters Glenys and Tegan. 

Your tax deductible gift can mean extraordinary things. Tony Saffigna 

shares how the support of Scope’s respite services means the world to 

him and his family. 

“My daughters Tegan and Glenys are 

very special girls. They are miracles. 

My wife Judith was just five months 

pregnant when she was rushed to 

hospital for an emergency caesarean. 

That day changed our lives forever, 

and was the start of our twins’ difficult 

journey in life. There isn’t a lot I 

remember from this chaotic night, but 

I remember when the specialist sat 

down with me to explain that the girls 

would have numerous disabilities and 

global development delay. 

When we found out that Tegan and 

Glenys were born with disabilities, we 

were devastated and didn’t know how 

to help them. We felt so frightened for 

the future – how would we give them a 

happy life? The reality of what we were 

facing hit us, but we agreed to not dwell 

on the negatives - however difficult. 


In 2009 my wife passed away. 

Losing my wife had a real impact as I 

struggled to come to terms with my 

own grief. Judith had been the main 

carer and suddenly I had to take over. 

Both girls, and their older brother 

Dylan, found it very difficult to come 

to terms with the loss of their mother. 

It was at this breaking point that 

I turned to the support of Scope. 

The girls started to attend Scope’s 

respite service, Scope Montclair 

family support. It just dawned on 

me that I couldn’t continue alone. 

I needed support and I needed 

to have a break and recharge the 

batteries so that I could recover 

sufficiently to look after them when 

they were at home. Respite is really 

important. I realised that without this 

respite I would become depressed, 

tired and angry and this wouldn’t 

help anyone. 

Glenys and Tegan are now 14 years 

old. Some days are very difficult and 

on other days it is so heart warming 

and inspiring. The girls have a happy 

and fulfilling life, that’s all you want 

for your children. I can’t thank the 

wonderful team at Scope enough for 

helping take such wonderful care of 

my girls.” 

Scope needs your support to ensure 

we can continue making a positive 

difference in the lives of families who 

care for children with a disability. 

To support Scope please visit 

www.scopevic.org.au or call 

1800 815 768.

A lifetime of support 

Australians are a nation of givers, but with hundreds of charities in Victoria alone, it is not 

always easy to decide just who to support. Often the choice will be made based on 

experience with, or a connection to, a charity. 

Giving to a favourite cause can be 

a really fulfilling experience, one 

that Les and Elaine Malseed know 

so well. They became involved with 

Scope through their daughter Kerrin 

who was born in 1954. Their beautiful 

little girl was diagnosed with cerebral 

palsy and chronic asthma, and was 

not expected to survive. First time 

parents, Les and Elaine coped with 

many emergencies and often felt lost 

and overwhelmed. 

Finally, when Kerrin was three years 

old, the family was referred to the 

then Spastic Children’s Society, 

renamed Scope in 2001. For the next 

10 years, Kerrin received care and 

support from Scope, which included 

physiotherapy and occupational 

therapy. She then spent a year in the 

Children’s Hospital at Mt Eliza. Kerrin 

continued her care at Kew Cottages 

before moving into residential care. 

Sadly Kerrin passed away in 2010. 

She lived a happy life, bringing great 

joy to her family and is sadly missed 

by all. Les and Elaine say they have 

never forgotten the advice and help 

received over the years from Scope. 

They have remained connected to 

Scope, donating to our appeals on 

a regular basis. 

Les and Elaine Malseed with their daughter Kerrin. 

There are several options when 

making a donation to Scope. Many 

people find that a regular donation is 

the most convenient way and this is 

done by using your credit card or by 

direct debit. Other donors will respond 

to our mail or phone appeals with a 

one-off donation. 

Did you know that even if you cannot 

afford to donate now, you can leave a 

bequest in your will? It is a wonderful 

way to donate more than you ever 

thought you could in your lifetime, 

and a way to ensure this wonderful 

organisation continues to provide 

such great services for many years 

to come. 

To discuss the different ways you 

can support Scope, please feel free 

to contact me on 9843 2057 or 

eburrows@scopevic.org.au. 

Elaine Burrows 

Bequest Advisor 

Another lucky winner 

Congratulations to the winners of Scope’s most recent raffle, drawn on Friday, 

5th April 2013. 

Mr Lawrie Argus from Calrossie won 

the first prize, a Mazda3 Neo Hatch. 

“I have been buying raffle tickets for 

a good few years. I buy them to 

support the organisations who are 

selling them, but I don’t expect to win. 

It was an absolute surprise to find 

out that had I won, because I’ve been 

buying them for years and had never 

won anything. I’m very excited about 

picking the car up. 

I’d recommend other people to buy 

tickets, especially after winning. It’s 

a great way to support charitable 

organisations,” he said. 

Scope would like to thank Blood 

Mazda Geelong for their support 

of our raffle program. More than 

$339,000 in revenue was raised from 

our last raffle. 

You can purchase tickets for Scope’s 

future raffles by calling 9222 2939. 

Prizes for the next raffle, drawn on 

Friday, 21st June 2013, include a 

Hyundai i30 Active Hatch, a $3,000 

Coles and Myer Group gift card, and 

a Mystery Flight with three nights 

accommodation for two people. 


Natalie Palancian walking with Paralympian Dylan Alcott. 

Issue 109 September 2012 

Walk With Me celebrates people of all This September join Natalie and her Walk With Me is a community 

abilities, encouraging the community friends to celebrate people of all event held as part of Scope See 

to walk alongside people with a abilities, and raise much needed funds Me September. Scope has proudly 

disability. This year, Scope are holding and awareness for Scope. 

partnered with Ability First Australia in 

three walks across Victoria. You can 

this nationally held event taking a step 

This year, Scope are holding three 

choose between a 2km or 4km walk. 

towards making a difference in the 

Walk With Me events. Choose a walk 

lives of people with a disability. 

Natalie Palancian and her family closest to you to get involved in: 

and friends are looking forward to 

To register or for more information, 

Melbourne, Federation Square, 

participating in this year’s Walk With 

visit www.walkwithme.org.au, 

Sunday, 9th September 

Me. “I enjoy walking with my family 

email events@scopevic.org.au 

and friends and earlier this year I Bendigo, Lake Weeroona, 

or call 9843 2061. 

even ran with a real gold medalist Saturday, 15th September 

We hope to see you at Walk With Me 

Paralympian, Dylan Alcott! I can’t wait 

Geelong, Eastern Park, 

Melbourne, Bendigo or Geelong. 

to take part in Walk With Me this year,” 

Sunday, 16th September 

said Natalie. 

Lavourne Service flying over Melbourne in an accessible hot air balloon. 

Issue 110 December 2012 

Over the past 12 months, Scope For Lavourne Service, our new mission “This was my long-term dream coming 

has identified the need to update its reflects the support she receives true. I want to tell other people with a 

mission to reflect the organisation from Scope, enabling each individual disability to keep pushing themselves 

today. We worked with all our 

to make their own choices and have to do whatever they want to do, 

stakeholders, including people we control in their lives. 

because it is possible for dreams 

support, families, staff, people who 

to come true,” said Lavourne. 

Lavourne has had a dream since she 

don’t currently access our services, 

was 16 years old to be able to go up in “Since I have come to Scope I have 

members and government to ensure 

a hot air balloon. With the support of become a real woman. Thank you to 

the updated mission reinforced their 

Scope, Global Ballooning and Burt & everyone at Scope, I believe in them 

understanding of Scope. 

Davies, who built the first accessible and they believe in me”. 

Scope’s new mission is to enable hot air balloon basket in Australia, 

each person we support to live as Lavourne’s dream became a reality. 

an empowered and equal citizen. 

Zoe Armstrong and Irena Bohl having fun canoeing at the Coonawarra Camp. 

Issue 111 March 2013 

Twenty two people that we support The giant swing was up next, although Matt Anderson enjoyed all of the 

in Gippsland, along with six support not all were keen at first because of activities over the weekend. “It was 

workers, recently left Warragul for the height. But in the end, it was an good fun. I liked going on the flying 

a weekend filled with adventure at exciting time for everyone. 

fox and doing archery. The food was 

the Coonawarra Camp, located near 

really yummy too.” 

In the evening, everyone enjoyed 

Bairnsdale. 

getting into their best 80s gear and On the return trip home, many eyes 

After our journey to the camp on pulling out their dance moves for an were shut but soon awoke to the 

Saturday, we found ourselves basking 80s-themed disco. 

many waves from parents. All who 

in the sunshine eating our lunch and 

attended enjoyed new experiences 

Sunday started with canoeing on the 

looking out over the camp’s lake. After 

and there was something for 

lake, where everyone would have 

lunch, our first activity was the flying 

everyone. It is fair to say we all 

happily canoed all day. 

fox. After a big hill climb to the top we 

had a fantastic time. 

all enjoyed flying over the dam and Archery was also a favourite activity, 

Kim Barr 

experiencing the adrenaline rush for with two people managing to hit 

Coordinator 

the first time. 

the bullseye. 

Scope Warragul Lifestyle Options 

Subscribe 

to Horizon 

Come and Walk With Me 

Walk With Me is just around the corner. Register now to help us give people 

with a disability scope to live the life they choose. 

Scope’s new mission 

Scope updated its mission to reflect the organisation we are today. 

Weekend trip away 

People we support in Scope’s Gippsland Region enjoyed a weekend 

camp filled with adventure and fun. 

To subscribe to Horizon please fill 

out the form below and send to 

Horizon, PO Box 608, Box Hill VIC 3128. 

Include your email address to receive 

Inside Scope, a monthly e-newsletter 

to keep you updated with what’s 

happening at Scope. 

Name: 

Postal Address: 

Contact Number: 

Email Address: 

I am interested in the work of 

Scope because I am a: 

Person with a disability 

Carer/family member of a person 

with a disability 

Worker in the disability sector 

Other (please describe) 

www.scopevic.org.au

Support Scope’s 

Tax Appeal 

Today 

Your gift ensures that Scope can continue 

providing life-changing services and support 

to families, as shared in the story on 

the opposite page. 

To make a donation 

By cheque or credit card: please 

fill out the form below and post to: 

Scope Fundraising, PO Box 608 

BOX HILL VIC 3128. 

Donate by phone: 1800 815 768 

Donate online: www.scopevic.org.au 

Please accept my gift of $ 

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www.scopevic.org.au

Interactive technology 

Scope’s Lifestyle Options are using new technology to support people 

accessing their new services. 

Aaron Dean, Joshua Kennedy and Lewis Hall using the new interactive touch screen table. 

Scope Ballarat Lifestyle Options and 

Scope Hoppers Crossing Lifestyle 

Options have new interactive touch 

screen tables that enable the people 

we support to do puzzles, create 

art, use the internet and support 

communication. This technology 

also encourages team work for the 

individuals using it. It has enabled 

people with a disability to be engaged 

and stimulated. 

Lewis Hall and Aaron Dean from 

Scope Ballarat Lifestyle Options really 

enjoy using the new technology. 

Lewis said: “I like watching things 

on YouTube, practising typing and 

watching movies on the internet,” 

and Aaron said: “The interactive 

table is awesome.” 

Scope would like to thank The Honda 

Foundation and The Flora & Frank 

Leith Charitable Fund for funding the 

interactive tables. 

The use of this interactive technology 

demonstrates Scope’s commitment 

to providing services to meet the 

needs and interests of the people 

we support. Our Lifestyle Options 

services are designed to enable young 

adults with a disability to live the life 

they choose. 

Scope’s Lifestyle Options focuses 

on an introduction to technology, 

independent living, life skills 

development, health and wellness, 

and community access for young 

adults. It provides a flexible and 

supportive environment designed 

to meet the needs of young 

adults in the community. 


accessing Scope Lifestyle 

Options services in 2014, visit 

www.scopevic.org.au or 

call 9843 3000.

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