CONTENTS

Editorial

Jane Sherwin

From the President

Mike Duggan

Making Good Public Policy

Christine Douglas has a long history of advocating for people with disabilities. She is especially conscious of policies that deny people their full identity, dignity and moral right to be a part of the whole community. Christine is now working as a counsellor, specialising in issues relating to people with disabilities and their families.

Young People in Aged-care Facilities

Melissa Ryan has been engaged in research relating to one of the most concerning issues in Queensland - young people being placed in aged-care facilities. This highly inappropriate response to their needs has life-wasting consequences for the young people.

Threats to the Community Living Movement

Shirley Paterson lives in Adelaide and works with people labelled with 'challenging behaviour'. She is concerned about threats to the community living movement, identifying an increasing number of reasons for people being institutionalised or re-institutionalised in the community.

Language Matters

Marcus Richards is a parent of a young woman with an intellectual disability. He has been involved in advocacy and service provision. In this article he identifies some of the ways in which language is used to obscure reality and to imply other realities.

A Call to Change:
When Vision & Commitment Count

Jan Clark describes a process of change that was driven by a clear vision of what was possible for people with disabilities. That vision, and an enduring commitment by a support agency, led to changed lives.