_________________________________________________________________________________Rights & Inclusion Australia Network Directors’ Report 2017

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DIRECTORS’ REPORT

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Your Directors present their financial accounts on the Company for the 12 months ended 30 June

2017.

DIRECTORS

The names of the Directors in Office at any time during or since the end of the 12 months are:

Michael Fox,

Sue Salthouse

Peter Simpson

Penny Price

Michael Bleasdale

Emily Steel

Zeliha Iscel

OPERATING RESULTS

RI Australia Network (the Company) finished the financial year for the 12 months to 30 June 2017

with a total equity of $4417 and operating loss of $330.00. In contrast the RI Australia Network GIFT

FUND (the Gift Fund) completed the same period with a total equity of $3114 and an operating loss

of $17.

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN STATE OF AFFAIRS

There have been no significant changes in the State of Affairs of RI Australia Network.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES

Rights & Inclusion Australia (RIA) activities during the 2017 Financial Year continued to focus on progressing the goal of more accessible and equitable housing in Australia, with regular updates circulated to members via email and posted at our website www.riaustralia.org. In October 2016, 2 RIA Board members (Michael Fox and Sue Salthouse) and one general member

(Mark Trieglaff) gave presentations to the RI Global conference held in Edinburgh. The 23rd

Rehabilitation International World Congress was a three day event uniting disability experts in

creating a more inclusive and accessible world for all, hosted by the Shaw Trust and held at the

Edinburgh International Conference Centre. The Congress was attended by over 1000 international

delegates from 68 countries. Board member Sue Salthouse participation in the conference was

Rights & Inclusion Australia ABN 60 149 775 100

Rights & Inclusion Australia Network Directors’ Report 2017 2

supported by the Spinal Injury Network Travel Grant in memory of Rosalind Nicholson. Michael’s

presentation was on the theme of housing accessibility and obligations under the Convention on

the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Sue’s on the impact of violence in the lives of women with

disabilities, and Mark’s on universal design in a zoological setting.

During the year RIA has continued to work in close collaboration with the Australian Network for

Universal Housing Design (ANUHD) to write to members of the Building Ministers Forum (BMF) of

the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to update them on activities and ask for their

support in bringing change to the Building Code of Australia to mandate that minimum accessibility

standards be applied to all housing. In addition, RIA has maintained close contact with the Chair of

the BMF, (Federal Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, The Hon. Craig Laundy,

MP). RIA has also had discussions with the General Manager of the Australian Building Codes Board,

Mr Neil Savery.

In December 2016 RIA participated in a forum held by Australian Standards to consult on

harmonisation of Australian Standards for accessibility with the Livable Housing Australia

Guidelines, and various state-based building construction guidelines. This work has continued

through online communication with Australian Standards during the year.

RIA Chair, Michael Fox, was invited to present a paper on Housing Accessibility to the Pacific Rim

conference held in Hawaii in

RIA has an MOU with the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA).

RIA Board member, Emily Steele, is also a Board member of ARATA. In addition, Emily is the

Occupational Therapy Australia member and delegate for the Standards Australia Committee ME-

067: Assistive Products for Persons with a Disability, and was the Australian delegate for Working

Group 10 (Cognitive Accessibility) of the International Organisation for Standardization’s (ISO)

Technical Committee 173.

In addition RIA supported Ms Steele’s participation in the Global Conference on Assistive Devices and Technology held in Beijing in October 2017. The conference was hosted by the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, World Health Organisation (WHO), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and Rehabilitation International. Emily gave a keynote presentation “Promoting and reforming assistive technology provision”, as part of the Model Service Provision Theme of the conference. Her conference participation included speaking on the WHO’s Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE). RIA has maintained its membership of the Pacific Disability Forum and has interactions with board

members and individual members. RIA participated in the launch of a video series on people with

disabilities developed by the Australian Disability and Development Consortium.

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The RIA Gift Fund has been used to support the activities of Katilosa, Disabled People’s Organisation

in Timor L’Este.

SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES

The Vision of RIA is to provide opportunities for all stakeholders to work together to advance the

rights and inclusion of persons with a disability. The RIA focus is to promote the need for

construction of Accessible, Affordable and Appropriate Housing in both the private and public

sphere, and to promote the rights of people with disabilities in the Asia Pacific region as well as

rural, remote and Indigenous communities in Australia.

Our short term objective is to work with governments and community groups towards achieving

more equitable and accessible housing.

RIA has reciprocal membership with a number of organisations, and a Memorandum of

Understanding for cooperation with the Australian Network for Universal Housing Design (ANUHD).

Members are kept up to date with events in the disability movement internationally and nationally

through its regular monthly (and often bi-monthly) update bulletins and through information

posted on its website.

LONG TERM OBJECTIVES

The long term objectives of RIA are to promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of

people with disabilities through implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons

with Disabilities (CRPD), with particular focus on achieving national equitable and accessible

housing policy, and improving the lives of people with disabilities in the Asia Pacific region as well as

in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES

RIA undertakes the following strategies to achieve its objectives of using the CRPD as a basis for

protecting and advancing the human rights and social inclusion of people with disabilities by:

i. Organising and participating in both disability-specific and mainstream events;

ii. Initiating cooperation and partnership with both disability specific and mainstream civil

society organisations;

iii. Disseminating information about relevant national , international and local initiatives;

iv. Providing feedback to members about relevant national, international and local initiatives;

and

v. Providing feedback to governments about relevant policies.

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KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

i. Organise at least one national forum per annum;

ii. Establish reciprocal membership or cooperation with at least 2 civil society organisations per

annum;

iii. Participate in the governance of at least one other organisation;

iv. Provide at least one monthly update bulletin to members; and

v. Make at least one submission to government.

RIA has met all Key Performance Measures during the 2016-17 Financial Year as follows:

i. Work commenced for staging the RIA/ANUHD 6th annual housing forum, to be held in

conjunction with the annual conference of the Housing Modifications Australia (MOD-A)

conference in August 2017 in Sydney.

ii. RIA maintained contact and cooperation with a number of organisations during 2016-2017.

It maintains an MOU with the ARATA, and with ANUHD, and has continued its membership

and engagement with the Pacific Disability Forum, and has international members including

American Disability Act Compliance & Training Services (ACT Services Inc.), and established

international dialogue with a series of RI Global members and participants in the 23rd RI

Global World Congress.

iii. The MOU with ANUHD continues to be a strong linkage, and RIA members also have

membership of ANUHD and participate in monthly teleconferences.

iv. A minimum of one update bulletin has been distributed to the membership every month,

with additional update bulletins in several months. Each bulletin contains information from

a minimum of 3 other organisations.

v. RIA has co-developed the ANUHD/RIA submission to Standards Australia and the Position

Statement to the Building Codes Board of Australia. Letters have been written and personal

approaches made to both national and state/territory politicians.

DIVIDENDS PAID OR RECOMMENDED

The memorandum of association of the Company prohibits the payment of dividends.

INFORMATION ON DIRECTORS

The information on directors is as follows:

Michael Fox appointed 18th November 2014

Sue Salthouse appointed 7 December 2016

Peter Simpson appointed 7 December 2016

Penny Price appointed 7 December 2016

Michael Bleasdale appointed 18th November 2014

Emily Steel appointed 18th November 2014

Zeliha Iscel appointed 19th November 2015

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Michael Fox - AM, B Arch, MTCP, FAIA, FPIA

Chair

Michael Fox is an architect, planner and access consultant with involvement in access and equity

since the 1980s. Michael was President of RI Global from 2004-08. His international role includes

involvement in the drafting, adoption and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities, ratified by Australia in July 2008. From 1996 to 2004 he was Global Chair

of the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility for RI Global. Related activities

include University lecturer in Access, Equity & Design; and ongoing membership of Standards

Australia ME/64 Access and Mobility Committees.

Sue Salthouse – B Ag Sci, Dip.Ed

Treasurer

Sue is an educator and disability rights advocate, and has worked in both education and disability in

Central Australia, Nepal, and Italy. She is a member of the University of Canberra Council, and was

Co-Chair of the ACT Expert Panel for the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. She

has been an inaugural board member, and Chair of the Australian Communications Consumer

Action Network, and a former president of Women With Disabilities Australia. Sue has the lived

experience of disability after an accident in 1995. She was the 2015 Canberra Citizen of the Year,

and 2014 ACT Senior Woman of the Year.

Michael Bleasdale – M.LITT (Sociology), BA (Hons), Grad. Dip Soc Sc, MAICD Director

Michael held positions as the inaugural CEO of Home Modifications Australia (MOD.A), the national

peak/industry body promoting home modifications for older people and people with disability; and

was Executive Director of the Attendant Care Industry Association and an Executive Director of

People with Disability Australia. In the community sector he has worked as a disability support

practitioner; Principal Researcher at the Disability Studies and Research Institute (DSaRI); held a

range of vocational training positions and university lectureships, and worked as Senior Policy

Officer at the Home Modification Information Clearing House. He has written widely on issues of

human rights for people with disability, and on self-determination and individualised funding.

Michael has served on a number of management and advisory committees, including as Treasurer

of the Australian Council of Social Service.

Penelope Price – BA, B Ed, MA

Director

Penelope is a disability advocate with extensive experience in research and program development

for children with disabilities and early intervention including working with parents, both in Australia

and the Pacific Islands. Penelope has trained teachers to work in inclusive school settings and assist

children to transition to mainstream schools. She has conducted research for UNESCO on inclusive

schools in Asia and the Pacific, and has had experience in establishing Community Based Inclusive

Development and has had an advisory role with the Pacific Disability Forum since its inception in

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2002. Penelope worked in the Social Development Division of ESCAP designing, implementing and

evaluating the 1st & 2nd Asian & Pacific Decades on Disability. From 2004-08 she was Chair of the

Education Commission of RI Global.

Peter Simpson – Dip. Arch. Tech, Cert IV Small Business Management,

ACAA Accredited Access Consultant

Director

Peter is the Principal, and sole director of PSE Access Consulting, and has been consulting on access

audits and appraisal and advice on accessible built environments for over 20 years. He is a board

member of Physical Disability Australia, and member of Physical Disability Council of NSW, People

with Disabilities Australia, Master Builders Australia and various Council advisory committees. Peter

undertakes systemic advocacy on housing and accessibility issues, particularly as they relate to the

built environment as well as transport and employment for people with disabilities.

Dr Emily Steel – PhD, BOccThy

Emily is an occupational therapist and academic, and Senior Lecturer (Human Services) at University

of Southern Queensland, where she has developed and teaches the Graduate Certificate in

Business (NDIS Studies). Her work focuses on understanding the lived experience of disability,

promoting community inclusion, and improving access to and outcomes from assistive

technologies. Emily is a Board Member of the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology

Association (ARATA), Australian delegate for Working Group 10 (Cognitive Accessibility) of the

International Organisation for Standardization’s (ISO) Technical Committee 173, Occupational

Therapy Australia member and delegate for the Standards Australia Committee ME-067: Assistive

Products for Persons with a Disability, and member of Queenslanders with Disability Network

(QDN), Access Arts Queensland and Motivation Australia.

Zeliha Iscel – BA (Politics & Government)

Zel Iscel was born blind and migrated to Australia with her family from Turkey at the age of 6. She is

number 4 of 6 children and has an elder sister who is also blind. Both sisters are very active in the

disability community but Zel’s claim to fame seems to be the high heels she loves to wear.

Zel has a BA in Politics and Government from Edith Cowan University. She has been involved in

disability movements since she was in her late teams, working in paid and unpaid roles. She now

also has her own business called Inclusive World which she feels is another channel to promote and

foster disability rights.

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MEETINGS OF DIRECTORS

The Company is limited by Guarantee. Under Section 6.3 of the RI Australia Network Constitution,

each Member’s liability on winding up is limited to a maximum of $2.00.

AUDITORS INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION

The Lead Auditor’s Independence Declaration is pending for the year ended 30 June 2016 and is to

be circulated when available:

Signed

Sue Salthouse

Dated this 16 Day of December 2017

DIRECTORS’ MEETINGS

Number eligible to attend Number attended

Michael Bleasdale 2 1

Michael Fox 2 2

Penny Price 2 2

Sue Salthouse 2 2

Peter Simpson 2 1

Emily Steel 2 1

Zeliha Iscel 2 1

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RI AUSTRALIA NETWORK DIRECTORS’ DECLARATION

To be completed in accordance with the review of financial papers report of the Company and of the Gift Fund when completed.

At that time, the Directors of RI Australia Network will make a resolution to declare that:

(a) the financial statements and notes, set out in the attached reports

(i) comply with Accounting Standards;

(ii) give a true and fair view of the financial position as at 30 June 2015 and performance, as represented by the results of the operations and cash flows, for the year ended 30 June 2015; and

(iii) in the Directors' opinion, have been made out in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001; and

(b) at the date of this declaration, in the Directors' opinion, there are reasonable grounds to believe that RI Australia Network will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable in Australia.

For and on behalf of the Directors

Michael Fox Sue Salthouse Chair & Director Treasurer & Director Date: pending circulation of the review of financial reports as above AUDITOR APPOINTED for 2016 - 2017

Tony Ager CA, B.Ec. Accountants Registered Company Auditor/Registered SMSF Auditor M: 0419 541 727 E: tony.ager@optusnet.com.au