Toolkit offers new way for people with a disability to have say on quality

An interactive toolkit designed to help Queenslanders with a disability, their families and carers have a greater say in the quality of services they receive was officially launched in Brisbane today.

Disability Services Minister Warren Pitt, who launched the new product, said the Interactive toolkit: Bringing quality to life gave people with an intellectual disability and complex communication needs the opportunity to provide feedback to their service providers.

“The toolkit includes a CD, DVD and several books as part of a suite of communication materials to complement each of the 10 Queensland Disability Service Standards,” Mr Pitt said.

“The audio-visual materials, which include case studies, showcase the importance of the service standards and how they contribute to better services for people with a disability.

“The toolkit has been designed to make it easy to use by people who require communication support and includes features such as audio-visual cues, signing, symbols and pictures.”

The Interactive Toolkit: Bringing quality to life, produced by Disability Services Queensland, was developed and tested with the help of people with a disability and organisations such as the Endeavour Foundation.

Endeavour Foundation senior disability advisor Michael Hutchinson said he was pleased with the involvement of people with a disability, who provided feedback and suggestions regarding the information incorporated in the toolkit.

“The toolkit will be of huge benefit to the disability sector as it will allow for support staff and families to help people with complex communication needs discuss their requirements in relation to the service standards,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“It will also assist in a positive way with the involvement of these people to have a say about the services they actually receive.

“The different resources provided are of high quality and should assist many people with complex communication needs to truly be part of the quality system.”

The Disability Sector Quality System, introduced on 1 July 2004, requires service providers to implement their own quality systems before undergoing an external independent assessment.

Mr Pitt said the Disability Sector Quality System was designed to ensure service providers continually improved the quality of services offered to people with a disability in Queensland.

For more information about the Disability Sector Quality System, visit www.disability.qld.gov.au/quality or phone 1800 177 120.

Media contact: Peter Nibbs, 3235 4280