Breaking news- in Sydney on the 24th April, DTA have been able to negotiate and secure a special presentation and interactive workshop with Canadian specialist Prof Sherry Dupuis. It will ask attendees to think about how their practices align with the culture change of person-centred and relational care. This DTA special event will attract those who work specifically with people with dementia for a Dementia Specific focus workshop. So if you work with people with dementia and are looking for the definitive and latest activities and research put this date in your diary! Don’t miss out!
Hello and Happy Chinese New Year (as I am writing these celebrations are in full swing)! I hope that the start of 2015 has brought abundance to you, your clients, participants and residents and that it continues to do so.
We certainly had an abundance of fun and education at the first DTA workshop for 2015 -NSW Sydney Access to Leisure on 6th February. This disabilities focused workshop was attended by 35 people and held in Parramatta, Western Sydney. It was great having Kylie Rice, DTA NSW Board Rep and Renee Dunne, DTA Secretary, – both experienced disability Diversional Therapists- there to support us and promote the DTA website, DTA membership and share their presentations on Fun and putting together a Chess club and its successful outcomes.
Veteran DTA member and great advocate for our association, Lauretta Kaldor attended with her resources for sale and feedback was really positive regarding the disability aspect of leisure /health /DT roles and the relevance of speakers. We also had 4 people applying for DTA membership. It is great to see our association grow and more people see the benefit of joining.
Our first speaker, via YouTube, was David Bowen, CEO of the National Disability Insurance Agency and though we missed that interaction and question time, it was good to hear “from the horse’s mouth” where we are up to with trials and the way forward under the NDIS. The presentation by Rebecca Sciroli, a ‘Living Life My Way’ Ambassador gave her perspective on the NDIS from the point of view of someone living with a disability and her particular story was inspiring. Diversional Therapist Aja Goddard, from BCA Access Solutions, took us through some of the latest innovations and information relating to accessibility and showed some great demonstrations on how access has changed with new technologies and innovations- even an underwater wheelchair! In the afternoon we were revived by BrainGym practitioners Jenny Round and Ann Davies. Experienced DTA Takeaway Café presenter and member, Gaylene Henderson, once again gained all her PD points by presenting her Takeaway Activity on Bingo adjustments for people with differing physical needs.
Thanks to everyone who supported the workshop and enjoyed the fun and networking opportunities throughout the day. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Access to Leisure workshop!
The date for the Mount Gambier workshop has changed to the 13th of March 2015 the same day as the Brisbane workshop -so education will be happening in two parts of the country on this date- see if you can make one of them if they are in your area and support DTA education coming to you!
So until next time,
Steph Bejma
DTA National Education Coordinator