Disability Council NSW
Information pack for people who want to apply
Easy Read version
How to use this document
This information is written in an easy to read way. We use pictures to explain some ideas.
This document has been written by the NSW Government. When you see the word ‘we’, it means the NSW Government.
Some words are written in bold. We explain what these words mean. There is a list of these words on page 19.
This Easy Read document is a summary of another document.
You can find the longer document on our website at www.disabilitycouncil.nsw.gov.au
You can ask for help to read this document.
A friend, family member or support person may be able to help you.
What’s in this document?
Your chance to join the Council 4
What does the Council do? 6
What skills do members need to have? 9
What do members have to do? 13
Do members get paid? 15
How to apply 17
Word list 19
Your chance to join the Council
We are looking for people who are interested in being members of the Disability Council NSW.
The Disability Inclusion Act 2014 is a law that helps people with disability take part in their community.
It says that there must be a Disability Council – this is a group of people who meet, talk and work together.
They will tell the government about their work.
And they will help make the lives of people with disability in NSW better.
The law also sets out the rules for the
Disability Council.
The Council has 8 to 12 members.
Most of the members must be people with disability.
This document explains:
• what the Council does
• what skills members need to have
• how to apply to be a member.
What does the Council do?
There are 8 things the Council does:
1. Makes sure the policies important to people with disability are being carried out.
Policies are government plans for how
things will be done.
2. Tells the government about things important to people with disability.
3. Gives advice about Disability Inclusion
Action Plans.
This kind of plan explains what a government department or local council will do to make things better for people with disability.
4. Gives advice about the State Disability
Inclusion Plan.
This plan explains how the NSW government is trying to make NSW a better place for people
with disability.
5. Helps make sure that people with disability can take part in our community.
6. Tells the community about things that are important to people with disability.
7. Works with other organisations.
8. Talks to people with disability to find out what they think.
Sometimes the Council will put together
subcommittees to help them do their work.
A subcommittee is a small group of people that work on one area.
There might be subcommittees for:
• health
• housing
• education
• employment
• NDIS.
Council members will take part in these subcommittees.
The Council receives help from a small Secretariat.
A Secretariat is a team of government workers that helps with jobs that need to get done.
What skills do members need to have?
Members are chosen because they are the best people to do the job.
The law says that members of the Council must include people who:
• know a lot about disability
• have worked in the disability sector.
To make sure the Council does its job well, there needs to be a mix of:
• skills
• knowledge
• experience
• abilities.
We will think about the following areas when reading the member applications:
People with disability
The Council has people with different disabilities including:
• physical
• intellectual
• sensory
• psychosocial.
Diversity
The Council has many different people, including:
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people
• people who are from different cultures
• people who speak other languages at home
· people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or intersex
• young people and older people
• people living in rural NSW as well as the city.
Right mix of skills and knowledge
The Council includes people who have a mix of skills and knowledge, including:
• strong leadership skills
• writing and using policies
• lots of new and good ideas
• up-to-date knowledge of disability in Australia
• understanding how people with disability work with government and other organisations in all areas of their life.
What do members have to do?
There are laws and rules about how members should behave. You can ask for a copy of these rules.
Members are chosen to be on the Council for up to 4 years.
Two people lead the Council. They are called the Chair and Deputy Chair.
They are chosen from the members.
They can be in those roles for up to
12 months.
The Chair must be a person with disability.
The Council usually meets every two months.
Meetings are usually in Sydney.
There might be 6 Council meetings each year that you go to, and other meetings too.
If you join the Council, you need to come to a meeting in Sydney on Friday 15 December. You will learn more about the Council there.
The first meeting of 2018 will be on
Thursday 1 February 2018.
You will need to do some reading to get ready for the meeting. You can get help with the reading.
At the meeting, the group will talk and make decisions. You can get help at the meeting.
Do members get paid?
Council members are paid for the time they spend in meetings.
Members are paid:
• $110 for a half day
• $220 for a full day.
The Deputy Chairperson is paid:
• $126.50 for a half day
• $253 for a full day.
The Chairperson is paid:
• $175 for a half day
• $350 for a full day.
If a Council member is doing something for us and has to use their own money, we will pay them back. For example, we will pay for:
• travel
• accommodation
• phone calls.
We will also pay for
reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments are things you need so you can do your job.
For example you may need a support worker when you come to Council meetings. We will pay for this.
How to apply
Go to: https://nswcommunities.smartygrants.com.au/disabilitycouncilnsw2017
Answer all the questions.
The questions ask you about your skills, knowledge and experience.
We need to get your application by 5pm on Sunday 30 July 2017.
If you do not have a computer or cannot use a computer, please contact the Disability Council soon. We can talk about other ways you can apply.
(02) 8879 9100
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact us through the National Relay Service.
www.disabilitycouncil.nsw.gov.au
Word list
Disability Inclusion Action Plan
A Disability Inclusion Action Plan says what the government department or local council will do to make things better for people with disability.
Policies
Government plans for how things will be done.
Reasonable adjustments
Things you need so you can do your job.
Secretariat
A team of government workers that helps with jobs that need to get done.
State Disability Inclusion Plan
This plan explains how the NSW government will work towards making NSW a better place for people with disability.
Subcommittee
A small group of people that work on one special area.
This Easy English document was created by the Information Access Group using PhotoSymbols, stock photography and custom images. The images may not be reused without permission. For any enquiries about the images, please visit www.informationaccessgroup.com.
It was updated in June 2017 by the Disability Council secretariat.