On 5 December, as part of celebrations for the International Day of People with Disability (3 December), the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Senator The Hon Jan McLucas and Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland, visited Ability Options to congratulate its staff, families and people with disability assisted by the organisation for their commitment to the campaign for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

On 3 December, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a new agency will be established to lead the Commonwealth’s work to design the launch of an NDIS. The agency will also oversee new projects to identify practical ways to prepare the disability sector and workforce, and people with disability, to move to a new ways of delivering disability services. The Gillard Government will provide $10 million for projects that examine how to deliver individual, personalised care.

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One of the largest Disability Employment Services in NSW, Ability Options Employment provides the only Indigenous specific Disability Employment Services in Western Sydney through its offices in Campbelltown, Camden, Mount Druitt and Seven Hills. It actively employs people from Aboriginal communities to work directly with job seekers to help them find sustainable employment.

Key issues discussed at the meeting included better access to transport for job seekers, the importance of cultural awareness within services supporting Aboriginal communities, improving the skills gap for job seekers, and the importance of increasing accessibility to services.

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Sustainability reporting requires companies and organisations to demonstrate their corporate responsibility by publicly reporting against economic, social and environmental — or people, planet and profit— values or criteria on an annual basis. With its roots in environmental reporting, which was established in the 1980s, sustainability reporting is a practice that is increasing globally.

By taking a proactive role to collect data on, measure and track specific issues through sustainability reporting, Ability Options aims to further improve the lives of the people with disability and their families.

Read the Ability Options 2010-2011 Annual and Sustainability Report

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Ability Options encourages better employment of people with hearing impairment during Hearing Awareness Week

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Ability Options celebrates 2011 Ability Awareness Day

On Friday 5 August, more than 200 people with disability, their families, staff and community members, including the NSW Minister for Disability Services, The Hon Andrew Constance MP, attended Ability Options’ 2011 Ability Awareness Day at Fairfield RSL Club. Ability Options’ Chief Executive, Matt Donnelly, said, “Through Ability Awareness Day, we aim to celebrate equality and independence, fostering understanding and acceptance of people with disability to build a stronger connection between people with disability and their own community.”

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Ability Options Employment Mount Druitt say ‘Count Us In’ during DisabiliTea

Staff from Ability Options Mount Druitt and community members enjoyed a ‘DisabiliTea’ on August 2 to say “Count me in” in support of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This event was one of more than 900 ‘teas’ across the country where  individuals and organisations, like Ability Options, encouraged their friends, family, colleagues and politicians to join the Every Australian Counts campaign to revolutionise disability services in Australia.

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Michelle Rowland and Ability Options lead the charge for a NDIS

Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland has become the first Sydney Federal representative to get behind the Every Australian Counts campaign, calling for the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) during a visit to leading disability service provider, Ability Options in Seven Hills.

Aspiring chef, Josh Seigel defies the odds and rocks the Kazbah

Twenty two-year-old Seven Hills resident, Josh Seigel, is passionate about food. With the help of staff at Ability Options Employment, Josh, who has learning difficulties, is now on his way to becoming a chef after recently securing a job at Sydney’s award winning Moroccan restaurant, Kazbah in Darling Harbour.

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John Aquino secures RailCorp traineeship with help from Ability Options Employment

Eighteen-year-old John Aquino is on the way to achieving his career goals after he was offered one of five 2011 traineeships provided by NSW rail service provider, Railcorp, to people with a disability. It is estimated approximately 6 per cent of RailCorp employees have a disability. Staff at Ability Options Employment, Mount Druitt, helped John, who has learning difficulties, find and apply for the position and they continue to support both him and his new employer on the job.

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Ability Options Calls Upon Penrith residents to show their support for an NDIS

Ability Options is calling on residents in the Penrith region to join them at ‘Every Australian Counts’ Penrith Roadshow on Thursday 16 June, 10.30am at the Penrith RSL Club. ‘Every Australian Counts’ is a national campaign urging the community to show support for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the interests of more than 300,000 Australians with a disability. Ability Options is one of many organisations supporting the scheme.

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