Spinal Cord Injuries Australia
Encyclopedia
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) is a non-government organisation which provides advocacy and services to people with spinal cord injury
(paraplegia
, quadriplegia
) and similar conditions. The organisation recently celebrated its fortieth anniversary as a disability service provider.
, Australia
. They were unable to leave hospital because there was no accommodation or services to support them in the community. AQA was renamed in 2003.
Under SCIA's constitution at least 50% of its board of directors must have a spinal cord injury or similar condition.
The founding members were Trevor Annetts, Tom Clarke, Graeme Dunne, David Fox, Peter Harris, George Mamo, Jim McGrath, Robert McKenzie, Alan Moore, John Munday, Cecil Murr, Brian Shirt, Paul Sorgo, Stan Wanless, and Warren Mowbray. David Fox was the first president. They were encouraged to set up an organisation by social worker Gary Garrison, supported by Dr George Burniston. As at August 2008 there are only two surviving founding members of AQA, they being Robert McKenzie and Trevor Annetts, with Annetts currently working at SCIA's Alexandria office and McKenzie retired in Coffs Harbour.
They were successful in securing accommodation at Bon Accord Nursing Home in Coogee
and later established Ashton House in Maroubra. AQA developed a number of other supported group accommodation residences and transitional accommodation services.
, accommodation, employment, and peer support
. It publishes Accord magazine (first published in 1977 as Quad Centre; name changed to Quad Wrangle in 1979; Accord in 2003). SCIA also provides the injury prevention and awareness program Teamsafe focusing on workplace safety education.
The SCInfo information team responds to more than 850 calls or letters a year from disabled Australians and their families, and maintains a library of disability resopurces at the SCIA office in Sydney, New South Wales. SCInfo also distributes the "Community Survival Kit", a list of resources for people with spinal cord injuries and their families, containing contact details of medical, support and advisory services. A regional information team also provides individual support and advice for people with spinal cord injury in coastal and inland NSW. Other publications include RollAwayz, an internet guide to wheelchair-accessible holiday accommodation in Australia and a map of accessible public transport in Sydney.. RollAwayz and the transport map are sets of Google Earth placemarks.
SCIA advocates for independent living services that would support people with high level care needs in their own homes, such as public housing
, personal care, housekeeping, equipment supply and income support
. Over time these were introduced by federal and state governments. SCIA also campaigns for increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities, increased funding for disability equipment programs and for the provision of more wheelchair-accessible public transport.
SCIA services are funded by State and Federal government grants, public donations, fundraising activities and commercial contracts including SCIA's Geo and Data coding for the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority
and the Teamsafe program.
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
(paraplegia
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal...
, quadriplegia
Quadriplegia
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all their limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but does not affect the arms...
) and similar conditions. The organisation recently celebrated its fortieth anniversary as a disability service provider.
History
SCIA was established in 1967 as the Australian Quadriplegic Association (AQA) by a group of patients in Prince Henry Hospital in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. They were unable to leave hospital because there was no accommodation or services to support them in the community. AQA was renamed in 2003.
Under SCIA's constitution at least 50% of its board of directors must have a spinal cord injury or similar condition.
The founding members were Trevor Annetts, Tom Clarke, Graeme Dunne, David Fox, Peter Harris, George Mamo, Jim McGrath, Robert McKenzie, Alan Moore, John Munday, Cecil Murr, Brian Shirt, Paul Sorgo, Stan Wanless, and Warren Mowbray. David Fox was the first president. They were encouraged to set up an organisation by social worker Gary Garrison, supported by Dr George Burniston. As at August 2008 there are only two surviving founding members of AQA, they being Robert McKenzie and Trevor Annetts, with Annetts currently working at SCIA's Alexandria office and McKenzie retired in Coffs Harbour.
They were successful in securing accommodation at Bon Accord Nursing Home in Coogee
Coogee
Coogee may refer to:*Coogee, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney*South Coogee, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney*Electoral district of Coogee, an electoral district in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, based around the area...
and later established Ashton House in Maroubra. AQA developed a number of other supported group accommodation residences and transitional accommodation services.
Services
Services provided by SCIA today are information, advocacyAdvocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
, accommodation, employment, and peer support
Peer support
Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other. It commonly refers to an initiative consisting of trained supporters, and can take a number of forms such as peer mentoring, listening, or counseling...
. It publishes Accord magazine (first published in 1977 as Quad Centre; name changed to Quad Wrangle in 1979; Accord in 2003). SCIA also provides the injury prevention and awareness program Teamsafe focusing on workplace safety education.
The SCInfo information team responds to more than 850 calls or letters a year from disabled Australians and their families, and maintains a library of disability resopurces at the SCIA office in Sydney, New South Wales. SCInfo also distributes the "Community Survival Kit", a list of resources for people with spinal cord injuries and their families, containing contact details of medical, support and advisory services. A regional information team also provides individual support and advice for people with spinal cord injury in coastal and inland NSW. Other publications include RollAwayz, an internet guide to wheelchair-accessible holiday accommodation in Australia and a map of accessible public transport in Sydney.. RollAwayz and the transport map are sets of Google Earth placemarks.
SCIA advocates for independent living services that would support people with high level care needs in their own homes, such as public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
, personal care, housekeeping, equipment supply and income support
Income Support
Income support is an income-related means-tested benefit in the United Kingdom for people who are on a low income. Claimants of Income Support may be entitled to certain other benefits, for example, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and help with health costs...
. Over time these were introduced by federal and state governments. SCIA also campaigns for increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities, increased funding for disability equipment programs and for the provision of more wheelchair-accessible public transport.
SCIA services are funded by State and Federal government grants, public donations, fundraising activities and commercial contracts including SCIA's Geo and Data coding for the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority
Roads and Traffic Authority
The Roads and Traffic Authority is a former New South Wales government agency that was responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed State roads and provided funding to local councils for regional and local roads...
and the Teamsafe program.