Following the brief AGM formalities we’ll be having a focussed conversation with a young polio survivor who is taking the NDIS to VCAT, as well as a disability advocate about the importance, benefits and challenges of “speaking up for ourselves”.

We hope you can join the conversation and attend our AGM.

• Interactive group sessions and one-to-one consultation opportunities with a variety of allied health professionals
• Hydrotherapy and exercise options
• Latest orthotics, aids and equipment displays
• Chair Dancing
• Meditation Sessions
• Activities To Keep The Mind
• Active Creative Workshops

Master of Clinical Psychology student Kristine Koh and supervisor Dr Toby Newton-John are from the University of Technology Sydney. They are conducting a research project and would like to invite people with Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) who are experiencing chronic pain to take part. They are hoping to recruit between 100 and 200 participants.
Continue reading Chronic Pain and Post Polio Syndrome Research Project

The formal Annual General Meeting will be followed by a presentation and review of the 2016 Australasian Pacific Post Polio Conference: Life Stage Matters.

RSVP by Friday 14th November

PPV Secretary Ron Exiner…………….. or postpoliovictoria@nullgmail.com

If you will need carer assistance on the day and/or would like PPV to provide some financial support (50%) for the taxi or public transport cost, please let us know.

You are invited by Post Polio Australia to attend the first ever Australasia-Pacific Post-Polio Conference, “Polio: Life Stage Matters”, to be held in Sydney on 20 to 22 September 2016.

For more information please visit Post Polio Australia website

PPV is supporting Polio Australia in a fundraising campaign.

Funds raised by PPV will be shared between PPV and Polio Australia.

Read the 2014 Presidents AGM Report

Download the AGM-Open Forum Day Invitation Flyer Here

Guest Speaker: Dr Kevin Doughty
Morning tea included)
Free to consumers

Continue reading Assistive & Enabling Technologies for Consumer Empowerment

Polio Australia is, once again, asking for polio “heroes” to join them at Parliament House, Canberra on Wednesday 26th June 2013, in the lead up to September’s federal election.

We encourage as many polio survivors and their supporters as possible to join the federal election “We’re Still Here!” Campaign. There has never been a better time to make our voices heard, especially as most polio survivors will not derive any benefit from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (now Disability Care Australia) due to the 65 age limit by the 2018 roll out.

Continue reading “We’re Still Here!” – 2013 Federal Election Campaign

Weird and Wonderful is a feature length documentary that tells the story of the rise and fight of the disability rights movement from the late 1960′s until today. Why did people with disabilities rise up and start complaining about their lot. Who were the leaders of this rights movement and how did they get this message out? Disability rights is possibly the last minority revolt following on from the women’s movement, the civil rights movement in the US, the indigenous rights movements in countries like Australia and the gay right movement. Unlike other rights movements it’s one that any of us can join at any time by virtue of accident or illness, and yet so far this story has barely be seen as worthy of attention… certainly never in Australia.

Filmmaker Sarah Barton has been working on this documentary for more than 4 years and is now in the editing phase. She and her team are currently seeking Crowdfunding through Pozible and invite you to pledge a donation between now and March 15th 2013.

Continue reading ‘Weird and Wonderful’ Documentary Crowdfunding Campaign

Our Strategic Planning meeting was held on Monday 22 August at Northcote Town Hall. To our delight, about 70 people attended. Some were already Polio Support Group members, others had attended Polio Days but many had not been previously to any polio related meetings. There were also representatives from Independence Australia, Polio Services Victoria, Rotary and the Council of Self Help Groups.

The meeting was expertly facilitated by our consultant, Cheryl Sullivan, but the real stars were the participants. We had three hours of participation, engagement, ideas, questions and lunch. People shared their views with the facilitator and with each other and the feedback straight after the meeting was how useful and satisfying participants had found the day.

Many ideas were raised at the meeting. Amongst these were the need for better awareness of how to access information on Post Polio, advocacy for aids and other community assistance to help people be as independent as possible, the need to collaborate with other services and group here and interstate, and the need for better education of service providers, particularly GPs and paramedics.

The other important issue that was discussed was the need for people to get involved with PPV in order to do the things we identify as important. A number of people have offered to be involved in working groups on such issues as research, advocacy and communication. We have had offers assist in other ways as well. We also need people to nominate for the Committee at our forthcoming AGM (Saturday November 26).

The next step is that Cheryl Sullivan will present a revised draft Strategic Plan to the Interim Committee meeting in late September. The Plan will then be put to our AGM for adoption.

Thanks to the committee, the wonderful helpers, The City of Darebin and the Disability Advocacy Resource Unit who provided funding, the participants and to Cheryl for contributing to a successful day.

Liz Telford