Burmese

How to get support for a loved one with special needs |Part 1: Introduction  
This information is for people with disabilities and their families. 
Part 1 is about disability and how to contact MRC Tas. Part 2 is about different types of help.
It is presented by Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania (or MRC Tas for short).
People living with disability have special needs to support their participation in the activities of everyday life. 
Without support, people living with a disability and their family members caring for them can miss out on life’s opportunities.
Unfair social beliefs, attitudes and shame is an additional challenge faced by many people living with disability. 
In Australia there are supports for people who are living with disability. This is because they have the same rights as everyone else. Disability is not a curse and does not mean a person is less good or less valuable. 
Disability can happen to anyone. It can be caused by an accident or a health condition. Or it can be something you were born with. 
Most people understand that a person using a wheelchair is living with a disability because they can see the physical disability. 
Other types of disability are harder to notice such as difficulty seeing, hearing or speaking. 
Some disability is invisible and noticed in how they learn, grow and behave. 
A person may have difficulty developing as a child (such as intellectual disability – this can make learning new things hard).
A person may have difficulty with their brain and thinking (such as a cognitive disability from a head injury – this can make remembering things hard). 
A person may have difficulty with their mental health (such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – this can make daily life hard when a person keeps re-experiencing past traumas) 
A person may have difficulty with their feelings (such as depression – this low mood can make motivation to take actions hard).
A person may have difficulty socially (such as people living with autism – this can make social interactions very hard) 
In Australia, regardless of the type of disability, or how it was caused, people living with disability have as much right as everyone else to learn, work, and enjoy their lives. And so do the family members who are ‘carers’ for them. 
With support, people living with a disability and their family members caring for them can enjoy more of life’s opportunities. Part 2 is about different types of help.
To talk with us about the information in this introduction, please phone between 9am – 5pm. If you need an interpreter, call 131 450 first. 
Say your language, tell the interpreting service your name, and give the interpreter the phone number for Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania 03 6221 0999.

Burmese_People with special needs

How to get support for your loved one with special needs | Part 2: Different types of help
This information is for people with disabilities and their families. 
In part 1 we talked about disability and how having special needs can make it harder for people to participate in daily activities. We also talked about how negative social attitudes about disability also makes it harder for people to enjoy their lives. 
Part 2 is about different types of help.
It is presented by Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania (or MRC Tas for short).
Some types of support for people living with disability and special needs are: 
1.	NDIS - National Disability Insurance Scheme. This is managed by a government body named NDIA - National Disability Insurance Agency. 

An approved NDIS plan includes money to buy the help or equipment needed due to the disability so that you can participate in activities. NDIS does not replace medical practitioners or give you cash for other purposes. 

2.	DSP – Disability Support Pension. This is a type of income support from the government body called Services Australia. You might know them by the previous name Centrelink. 
An approved DSP application provides regular money (sometimes called a pension) from Services Australia (Centrelink) for your basic living expenses. 
3.	Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are community services (such as MRC Tas that can help you find information and supports) or specialist disability services (such as providers of individual support and group activities)
You need to apply for most services or supports. Many people need help and guidance to apply for support. It can involve many steps to find out if you are eligible for support. 
Most applications need formal medical evidence for your disability. It can be a health assessment and report from your General Practitioner (GP). They will be trying to understand the impact of the disability on your ability to participate in life. Often you will need to see a specialist in your type of disability as well.
You may also need to show proof of your age and also your permanent residency with your visa type or Australian Citizenship. 
For example, if you arrived to Australia under the Refugee Settlement Program with a visa 200, 202, or 204 – you are already an Australian Permanent Resident. 
If you have a problem applying for support, or a question, a complaint or simply forgot what you were meant to do - call the service directly to get help. 
Calling an interpreter first means you have an interpreter on the telephone to help you speak with the service easily. 
You might like to stop the audio so you can get a pen to write down these phone numbers. 
To find out about the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) phone 131 450 first to get an interpreter. Then clearly, say the name of the language you need an interpreter. Then, when the interpreter in on the phone, you can tell them that you want to speak to the NDIS 1800 800 110. They will connect you so that you can have your conversation or ask your question with the help of the interpreter. 
To find out about the DSP (Disability Support Pension) you can visit the nearest Centrelink office and ask. You can also call their multilingual phone services at 131 202 and speak to Centrelink in your language. 
To find out about other community or disability supports, call 131 450 first if you need an interpreter. Say your language, tell the interpreting service your name, and give the interpreter the phone number for Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania 03 6221 0999.
We welcome your feedback, questions or comments about this information. 
We hope this information has been useful for you, or someone you know.

Burmese_Support for people with special needs

SBS has made the Uluru Statement from the Heart available in over 60 languages to continue the national dialogue with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities in their own languages.

In May 2017, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates came together at the First Nations National Constitutional Convention near Uluru and adopted the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The Statement provides a roadmap for recognising First Nations in Australia’s Constitution, proposing structural reform on three fronts; Voice, Treaty and Truth.
It followed a two-year deliberative dialogue designed and led by 13 First Nations Regional Dialogues and was adopted by 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates.

It seeks to establish a relationship between Australia's First Nations peoples and the Australian nation based on truth, justice and self-determination to move forward towards reconciliation, without ceding sovereignty.

For more information: ulurustatement.org/our-story

Music by Frank Yamma.

Burmese Uluru Statement of the Heart

Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania (MRC Tas) is a not-for-profit organisation that has been supporting people from migrant backgrounds to settle successfully in Tasmania since 1979.