Who are we?

Originally formed as an arm of the Australia wide Disabled Peoples' International in 1981, PWD ACT has continued as a peak consumer body representing people with disabilities who live in the Australian Capital Territory: the Capital City of Australia and home of the Commonwealth Parliament.

We work to provide people with disabilities in this region with a voice of their own. We bring together people who have problems in accessing the community and work with the community, government and private sectors to remove unnecessary barriers.

Mostly, we work with people to bring about positive change but as needed we lobby loudly and strongly in public forums to protect the rights of people disabilities. The result is a better Canberra for all of us.

We believe that it is important for people with disabilities to work together to build this better future. Therefore, we work closely with other organisations in the ACT disability community. We have a close association with PWD Australia and we convene the Australian Disability Rights Alliance. We also work closely with ACROD ACT and other service provider and advocacy organisations on a number of issues, such as access.

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What do we do?

We participate in the ACT Disability Advisory Council, the ACT Access Planning Advisory Group, the Australian Network for Universal Housing Design, the Board of the ACT Council of Social Services and other bodies giving advice to Government and the Canberra community. We also play a role bringing the community together in other ways. For example, we took a lead role in Canberra celebrations for the UN International Day for People with Disabilities and we were a host organisation for the ACT Inclusion Awards (2003) and the Canberra Disability Arts Festival 2004.

We work hard to listen to people with disabilities as well as their friends, families and carers and to provide a voice for their concerns. We lobby for improvements to provisions and services for Canberra people with disabilities.

Here are just some of the issues PWD has worked hard on and made significant gains in:

Improved home care for people with disabilities
Improved planning for access to new buildings and public spaces
Adaptable Housing
Equal access to all forms of information
Vocational education and training
Support for people with disabilities to manage their own care and become independent
Improvement to public transport access, including accessible taxis
Inclusive attitudes towards people with disabilities generally.

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Advocacy Online

Do you have a systemic advocacy problem you would like PWD to try and solve? An issue you think needs to be addressed? Well, let us know about it through our online advocacy service. Download Online advocacy form

Fill out the form and email the file to the Executive Officer

Join us:

Would you like to join PWD ACT? (34 KB)

Download membership form

Fill out the form and email the file to the Executive Officer

Your membership fees can be paid by direct deposit into our bank account. Please contact our Executive Officer for details.

Donate to PWD

Bequests

1. How you can assist PWD in your will

Your generous support will guarantee the future of our work to assist government, business, the general public and other agencies to provide services and facilities that will make every facet of our community accessible to citizens with a disability. Your bequest may take the form of the whole of or a portion of your estate, a specified sum of money, real estate, stocks and shares, insurance policies, works of art, collections, silver, furniture or personal effects such as jewellery. It is advisable to discuss the way in which your gift will be most effective with an Estate Planning Advisor or your solicitor.

Suggested wording for your will or codicil ...

"I bequeath for the general purpose of PWD ACT the following items (please indicate clearly what you wish to bequeath) free of all succession estate capital gains tax and other death duties and declare that the receipt of the Treasurer or other authorised officer of PWD ACT shall be sufficient discharge to my Executor in respect therefor."

People With Disabilities ACT Inc.
Phone 6290 1984
pwdact@shout.org.au

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