Improving the life chances of young disabled Australians. This project will determine the social and economic impact of disability on young people and identify why some young people experience more negative outcomes. The outcome will be a model of the impact of disability which can be used to guide and monitor progress towards Australia's social inclusion agenda for people with disabilities. A substantial benefit will be growth in Australia's capacity in disability disadvantage research.
Universal access playgrounds: Can purpose-built playgrounds for children with disabilities provide opportunities for play that enhance cognitive and social development? This study will investigate social, cultural and physical barriers to playground access and participation by children with different types of disabilities. The outcomes of this project will be a model for best-practice playground design based on research in the areas of disability, learning and development; children's social, c ....Universal access playgrounds: Can purpose-built playgrounds for children with disabilities provide opportunities for play that enhance cognitive and social development? This study will investigate social, cultural and physical barriers to playground access and participation by children with different types of disabilities. The outcomes of this project will be a model for best-practice playground design based on research in the areas of disability, learning and development; children's social, cultural, physical and sensory needs; and biomechanics and engineering. The research will be continued through an evaluation of the social and cognitive benefits for children with disabilities using a purpose-built playground constructed on the basis of these best-practice principles.Read moreRead less
Support services for people with intellectual disability: the cost of meeting and not meeting the need. Presently, governments in Australia operate in the absence of rigorous empirical data on the real cost of providing and not providing the support that people with intellectual disability need in order to participate in the life of our community. This research will provide unique information which will be of value to governments as they assess policy frameworks and budget priorities associate ....Support services for people with intellectual disability: the cost of meeting and not meeting the need. Presently, governments in Australia operate in the absence of rigorous empirical data on the real cost of providing and not providing the support that people with intellectual disability need in order to participate in the life of our community. This research will provide unique information which will be of value to governments as they assess policy frameworks and budget priorities associated with the provision of support services that people with intellectual disability and their families need. The contribution this research will make to government decision making will ultimately benefit all people with intellectual disability, their families and our community.Read moreRead less
Evaluating processes and outcomes of age-friendly standards: the case study of public transport. Age-friendly standards are being developed worldwide in anticipation of a major demographic shift in the next few decades. The aim of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate age-friendly standards. Public transport will be used as a case study. Outcomes of this project not only include evidence about the effectiveness of age-friendly standards and the processes used in their development, b ....Evaluating processes and outcomes of age-friendly standards: the case study of public transport. Age-friendly standards are being developed worldwide in anticipation of a major demographic shift in the next few decades. The aim of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate age-friendly standards. Public transport will be used as a case study. Outcomes of this project not only include evidence about the effectiveness of age-friendly standards and the processes used in their development, but also theory development surrounding universalism (that is whether age-friendly standards are people-friendly standards) and whether current disability standards include older people.Read moreRead less
Moving beyond crisis management: Creating a future for people with disabilities living with ageing parents. The needs of thousands of people with disabilities being cared for by ageing parents are beyond the capacity of our existing formal mechanisms for providing care. In order to mitigate this national crisis in support, this research will establish effective, resource efficient support strategies where there are currently no plans in place for future care arrangements. By enhancing the capaci ....Moving beyond crisis management: Creating a future for people with disabilities living with ageing parents. The needs of thousands of people with disabilities being cared for by ageing parents are beyond the capacity of our existing formal mechanisms for providing care. In order to mitigate this national crisis in support, this research will establish effective, resource efficient support strategies where there are currently no plans in place for future care arrangements. By enhancing the capacity of the community to provide support the benefit of existing formal supports will be extended to address the needs of more families. This project will position Australian disability research and support at the forefront of international efforts to legitimize the claim of people with disabilities and their families on community resources.Read moreRead less
Accommodating the Needs of People with Lifelong Intellectual Disability in Residential Aged Care. Unique challenges face the residential aged care system because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting disability and aged care services to their needs, thus p ....Accommodating the Needs of People with Lifelong Intellectual Disability in Residential Aged Care. Unique challenges face the residential aged care system because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting disability and aged care services to their needs, thus program development is in its early stages. This research will inform the development of policy and programs in the Aged Care, Disability and Health sectors with the aim of improving the quality of life for people with intellectual disability as they age.Read moreRead less