Online petition on change.org.au with 19,000 signatures to support the TTSS campaign

Mark appeared on ABC radio and in an article on Sydney Morning Herald promoting awareness of the issue and calling for change. From the article in the North Shore Times Mark secured a meeting with the transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian on 19th April to discuss the importance of the TTSS.

Board Member for the Assisted Community Living Ltd (ACL)

Assisted Community Living Limited (ACLL) is a privately run organisation consisting of members who are mostly parents, relatives or guardians of clients of ACL Disability Services Ltd.

ACL Disability Services is a not profit organisation that provides support to people with mild to moderate learning disabilities. ACL Disability Services upholds to highest level of service delivery and specialises promoting independent living skills and normalisation for people with disabilities within the community

Members elect a president and board at the AGM. The board meets monthly to discuss various issues concerning the organisation.

Liaison Officer for Injured Players – Hearts in Union Foundation

Hearts in Union is a charity that is all about assisting those players who have suffered severe spinal injury during a rugby game. Unfortunately, some players through a freak accident have their lives changed forever. Spinal injuries place a physical, emotional and financial strain on the player for the rest of their lives.

As a Liaison Officer, we aim to ensure those severely injured players who are suffering financial hardship receive the best possible support throughout their lives

Reserved Member of the Sustainability Council (Willoughby) and Access Committee

Sustainability is about living within the limits of what the environment can provide without jeopardising the potential for future generations to meet their needs. Living sustainably means thinking about where the products and services that you buy or use come from, where waste goes, and what impact your consumption of products and services has on other humans and other species.

As a member of the Council I contribute to the development of strategies and actions incorporating sustainability, specifically related to climate change, waste, water and water sensitive urban design, sustainable buildings and open space.

Member of the Access Committee Willoughby Council  (Aged and Disability)

 There are two committees resourced by Council that represent aged and disability issues in the Willoughby Local Government Area: The Access Committee and the Willoughby Home and Community Care (HACC) Advisory Committee.

These committees make recommendations to Council to address issues for older people and people with a disability in Willoughby.

Policy and Advocacy Officer at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia

 Spinal Cord Injuries Australia’s Policy and Advocacy Team address many of the issues that affect people living with a spinal cord injury. It is our role to ensure that public money is spent on projects that promote inclusiveness, and to lobby for new programs and services that address unmet needs.

Spinal Cord Injuries Australia undertakes advocacy in two forms: systemic and individual. Our systemic advocacy addresses key issues that affect the general population of people living with a spinal cord injury and through our individual advocacy we endeavour to represent an issue that affects a single person. Individual advocacy often involves many people including partners, family member, carers and service providers.

Ambassador for Lifestart Kayak for Kids

Lifestart is an organisation providing early childhood services for children aged from birth to 6 who have an intellectual disability or developmental delay. It was established in 1996 by eight families who wanted to create a service that gave their children, all of whom had special needs, the best possible start in life.

Lifestart Kayak for Kids is Sydney’s own one-of-a-kind paddling event that attracts competitors and spectators from all over the state to benefit children with a disability or developmental delay. The event is open to all people, of all ages and all paddling abilities.

This spectacular event takes place each year usually on the last Sunday in March.

Mark is involved in the following submissions:

Better Start Program – Currently, children who have paraplegia or quadriplegia from a spinal cord injury are not eligible for the Better Start program. SCIA has some suggestions on how the Better Start Program could be improved to include these children.

Proposal to think tank to discuss issues in regard to the NDIS – SCIA has a proposal for a “Think Tank” to discuss issues impacting on services providing support to people with disability, the family, friends and carers in relation to the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the NSW Government’s policy reform.

Outcomes Measurement to People with Disability – National Disability Services (NDS) prepared a policy paper on outcomes measurement for people with disability and sought advice from members to inform the development of meaningful and measurable outcomes for people.

Factors affecting the supply of Health Services and Medical professionals in rural areas – A Federal Senate Committee inquiry is currently taking place into factors affecting the supply of health and medical professionals in rural areas.

IPART – 2012 Review of NSW Taxi Fares – IPART is conducting a review of taxi fares for NSW and will be making recommendations to Transport for NSW on the taxi fares to apply from July 2012. SCIA’s specific interest in the inquiry is in relation to the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS) and seeks the support of the IPART members to recommend to Transport for NSW that an increase to the TTSS subsidy percentage and/or an increase to the taxi fare limit should occur.