Technology for Ageing and Disability South Australia (TADSA) are hosting the first Freedom Wheels Inclusion Classic, dedicated to people with lived differences and their families, friends and carers to celebrate International Day of People with Disability.
The event will involve a walk, roll or ride around Modbury`s Civic Park to help promote greater awareness, understanding and inclusion for the disability community. The event is free to attend, and will also have a free sausage sizzle for all attendees.
Where: Civic Park, North East Rd, Modbury
When: Saturday, December 2
Time: 11:00AM - 2:00PM
Cost: FREE
TADSA has asked anyone interested in attending to register their interest by their Trybooking link here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1075099
The next accessibility tool we are going to highlight in the lead up to IDPwD is Google Maps.
Google Maps is a great accessibility app that often goes unnoticed, as it’s often already installed on your phone. While everyone uses it to get directions to and from places, it can also be used to pin your location and share it with others, to ensure your own safety while you`re out and about.
It also has a feature where users can search for Accessible Places, and find locations that have wheelchair accessibility, as well as accessible walking routes. Not only are these routes helpful for people using a wheelchair, its also helpful if someone has limited walking abilities.
To access these routes on the app, all you have to do is select where you need directions to, tap the three dots in the top corner, head to options, and select the wheelchair-accessible tab, as seen in the photos on the post.
Have you ever used Google Maps or a similar maps app as an accessibility tool?
Do you have any recommendations for other apps you use that are helpful with accessibility and community engagement? Let us know by commenting below!
Mark is one of our City participants here at Brain Injury SA, who has been working with our speech pathology team to set up an augmentative and alternate communication device (AAC) so that he can communicate with his friends, family and others after his stroke. Using a device called the Grid Pad 10s, Mark can use a voice to communicate with others, send messages, make phone calls, and access social media.
His wife, Judith, mentioned how far Mark has come in his work with his therapist here at BISA since his stroke. His family have also noticed an instant change in mood, following his ability to communicate more effectively with his AAC.
She said; “The kids want to thank you so much for your help with their dad. They had smiles as big as his on Saturday! They said you must love your job, as it really shows just how far Mark has come since seeing you. You have helped him enormously”
Well done Mark for all of your hard work and resilience!
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is looking for your views on key issues that affect people living with disability in SA. Your thoughts will go towards their State Disability Inclusion Plan, which will help them in refining our disability access and inclusivity.
In order to reflect the needs of the disability community in their State Plan, they are looking to hear from:
🔷 People living with disability and the disability community;
🔷 Carers, family and friends of people with disability;
🔷 Advocates for people with disability; and
🔷 Those working within the disability sector.
This is an excellent opportunity to have your voice heard, and to add your valuable opinion to the State Disability Inclusion Plan. Survey closes December 3.
https://yoursay.sa.gov.au/disability-inclusion-plan
Brain Injury SA will be at the Onkaparinga Disability Expo on Friday 17 November at the Noarlunga Recreational Centre.
If you’re in the area, or if you have any queries on Brain Injury SA’s services, drop by and say hello! We would love to chat with you and answer any questions. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/onkaparinga-disability-expo-tickets-739811775937
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Johnny Ruffo. Last year BISA had the honour of Johnny presenting the keynote address at Brain Injury Awareness Week 2022.
His presentation was full of warmth, humour, positivity, and passion. He gave so generously of his time following the event speaking to every single person wanting to meet him. He connected on a personal level with so many people, giving freely of his time and experiences.
Johnny, you were one in a million and will be sadly missed. Sending our heart felt condolences to his partner Tahnee and his family.
Two of our Occupational Therapy students are hosting a Fatigue Management Group here at our Central Hub. Held over four weeks, the group is free to attend and is open to anyone experiencing fatigue post brain injury.
At the Fatigue Management Group, you will discover:
• Understanding fatigue after brain injury
• Managing different types of fatigue
• Sleep hygiene tips for better rest
• Energy conservation and brain budgeting
• Factors influencing brain injury fatigue
• Effective strategies for fatigue management
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 Thursdays, 16 November - 7 December
Location: BISA City Hub, 70 Light Square, Adelaide
If you’re keen to attend, please follow the link below to register your interest. https://forms.office.com/r/V53H1T0k8q?origin=lprLink
The Young People in Nursing Homes (YPINH) is holding a forum for people living in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). The forum is an opportunity to meet fellow tenants to identify issues, design solutions and connect with others who share similar experiences, as well as to build a support system within the SDA community.
All feedback will be compiled and shared with NDIS Minister Bill Shorten. Together we can advocate for improvements and reforms in the SDA housing sector.
The forum will be held in-person Tuesday 21 November 10:30 - 2:30 at the Minor Works Building Community Centre, 22 Stamford Ct, Adelaide. The forum is FREE and a light lunch is provided to all participants.
If you`re unable to make it in person, YPINH is also hosting a virtual forum on 23 November 11:30 - 1:00.
For more information and to RSVP contact Sheryl at YPINH via email: sheryl@ypinh.org.au or phone: 0459 946 515
We are currently taking registrations of interest for our Management of Dysphagia training. We provide an in-person training that is facilitated by one of our speech pathologists, focusing on providing practical solutions, resources and interventions for safe dysphagia management.
There will be the opportunity to ask any questions to the facilitating Speech Pathologist, and the session will also involve peer support where you can discuss with others shared experiences that happen when working with clients with dysphagia.
If you or your team is interested in learning more about Dysphagia and how to best support it, please register your interest here: https://braininjurysa.org.au/training-for-support-workers-management-of-dysphagia-and-working-with-abi/
Our friends at The University of Adelaide are completing a study that`s trying to understand how a traumatic brain injury might affect how the brain works.
They are looking for adult volunteers who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (including concussion) to participate in a study at their labs in the Adelaide CBD.
The first step is to complete an online survey, then you will need to attend two separate appointments on different days:
Session 1: Complete a series of cognitive and movement tests (using original iPad games and repurposed Wii accessories),
Session 2: Have an MRI scan, as well as provide a blood and saliva sample.
To be eligible, you must have experienced a medically diagnosed traumatic brain injury after age 10 and be:
• aged 18+
• a fluent English speaker
• not suffering from uncorrected visual or hearing disorders
• eligible for MRI scans (not suffering from claustrophobia, suspected to be pregnant, or have metal implants)
You can start the survey online right now, then complete the study in their lab at the University of Adelaide. Plus, they`ll give you a $50 gift card after the lab session, and another gift card of $25 after the MRI scan to say thanks!
Sign up at http://borrowmybrain.org/tbi, email find_tbi@adelaide.edu.au or call 8313 4352 to learn more!
Our Northern participant, Elvin, has been working with his Occupational Therapist to find a wheelchair that can best support him to access the community. He loves going out into the community with his family, pictured here strolling on a beautiful sunny day along the beach in Hallett Cove.
Elvin has chosen a green chair as he has experienced changes to his vision due to his brain injury, and the colour green is easier for him to see compared to other colours. His wheelchair has a power assist feature that allows Elvin’s wife, Elida, to push Elvin for longer distances. This allows Elvin to push a button on the chair to give it some power while Elida manages steering the chair. This wheelchair will support Elvin to enjoy many more outings with his family.
#OTWeek2023
Dave has been working with his Occupational Therapist here at BISA to find a scooter that he can use to be able to better access his property and the community. The use of this scooter will help to increase his social and community participation. Dave and his OT worked together to find the ideal scooter for everyday use, as well as manage the terrain that he would be navigating at home.
Pictured is Dave on his scooter, whilst on a recent holiday with his family in Wallaroo. With the help of the perfect scooter, Dave now enjoys being able to access parts of his home that he hasn’t been able to since he acquired his brain injury. He is now able to easily spend time with his son around the family property, and also out and about!
#OTWeek2023
Our Occupational Therapist`s recently met with the See Differently team from the Royal Society for the Blind to discuss the changes in vision that our participants commonly experience due to their complex brain injuries. See Differently showed us what it`s like to experience a few of the conditions that our clients present with, by putting on special glasses that helped us to better understand these conditions through first-hand experience.
They showed us some of the devices that they use with their participants who experience challenges with their vision. These devices included talking induction hobs and clocks, as well as magnifying computer programs.
We will be continuing to work with the team at See Differently so that we can better support our participants with vision impairments. Thanks to the team for coming out and educating us on the complexities in vision impairment!
#OTWeek2023
It`s the start of OT Week 2023!
Our Occupational Therapists at BISA help to support our participants in building skills to engage in meaningful activities, whilst also supporting them to find their sense of belonging within the community. Our OT`s help to facilitate this through a range of things, like assessing their engagement in community activities and introducing our participants to therapeutic groups. Working in these areas can help them build confidence as well as purposeful connections.
Here is one of our participants, Robert, enjoying a coffee and some time in the community with his Support Worker. Our OT snapped this during an assessment of Robert engaging in community activities, which will help support recommendations for a Functional Capacity Assessment.
Watch this space over the week, as we celebrate our participants and the achievements they`ve worked on with their OT`s here at BISA.
#OTWeek2023
Our free Be Well Plan program is starting 1st November!
Be Well Plan is the latest mental health and wellbeing training program from Be Well Co, an entity of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), ranked number 40 in the world’s top research institutes.
The 6-week course is ran by our very own certified Be Well trainer and Lead Occupational Therapist here at BISA, Kathryn Ayles. The program focuses on support for family and carers looking after someone with an ABI. We understand the importance of caring for your own mental health whilst being a support person for someone else. This program is designed to help you better understand your own mental health and introduces you to tools and activities that are proven to improve your mental wellbeing.
Our Be Well Plan sessions are running every Wednesday from 4:00-6:00, starting 1 November – 6 December. There is no cost involved in participating, and we encourage anyone who has been enrolled in the program before to register again if they`d like more assistance.
Please follow the link in our bio to register your interest.
Registration is essential and there are limited spots to ensure a personalised program for each participant.
