http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/the-angry-cripple/ The “Angry Cripple” is anyone who is pissed off at the system. While The Punch generally discourages anonymity, in this case it was important. That’s because people with disabilities depend on the Government-funded system, and in the past they have felt victimised for speaking out. So The Punch has created AC to give people the freedom to speak out. If you want to get in touch, or contribute to the column, contact The Punch, or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) //';l[1]='a';l[2]='/';l[3]='';l[29]='"';l[30]=' 109';l[31]=' 111';l[32]=' 99';l[33]=' 46';l[34]=' 108';l[35]=' 105';l[36]=' 97';l[37]=' 109';l[38]=' 103';l[39]=' 64';l[40]=' 101';l[41]=' 108';l[42]=' 112';l[43]=' 112';l[44]=' 105';l[45]=' 114';l[46]=' 99';l[47]=' 122';l[48]=' 111';l[49]=' 121';l[50]=' 114';l[51]=' 103';l[52]=' 110';l[53]=' 97';l[54]=':';l[55]='o';l[56]='t';l[57]='l';l[58]='i';l[59]='a';l[60]='m';l[61]='"';l[62]='=';l[63]='f';l[64]='e';l[65]='r';l[66]='h';l[67]='a ';l[68]='= 0; i=i-1){ if (l[i].substring(0, 1) == ' ') output += "&#"+unescape(l[i].substring(1))+";"; else output += unescape(l[i]); } document.getElementById('eeEncEmail_Cvp8jfmWsj').innerHTML = output; //]]> , follow @angryozcripple on Twitter, or visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angry-Cripple/161958030523579 en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/build-the-access-bridge-so-people-can-get-over-it/ This week’s Angry Cripple column is by Tom Bridge, who graduated from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) with a Bachelor of Arts, completing a double major in Ethics and Human Rights and Political Studies. He was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus and blogs at Aussie Pollies... Most people run a mile from the idea of the government regulating too many aspects of their lives. But in light of the way people with a disability have been dealt with - or not dealt with - particularly since de-institutionalisation, a strong argument exists for much more government interference. It would be beneficial if the three different levels of government ran interference and legislated for much stronger, even mandatory accessibility provisions. Governments of both political persuasions at the local state and federal level have baulked at any major action on accessibility for some years now and that is not good considering the growing number of people with a disability, including the ageing population who will also face accessibility issues. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/build-the-access-bridge-so-people-can-get-over-it/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/build-the-access-bridge-so-people-can-get-over-it/#item7942 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:39:33 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-dare-you-treat-people-with-disabilities-like-lepers/ Sue O’Reilly, who has guest written today’s column on The Angry Cripple, is a freelance journalist. She is is a parent and raised her son with cerebral palsy until last year, when he died at the age of 21. She co-founded Australians Mad as Hell with Fiona Porter to campaign for an NDIS and established a charity called Fighting Chance to help people with disabilities pay for essential therapy services. When does any form of disability turn into a “disease” to be eradicated? When it is being discussed by doctors and medical researchers seeking money from governments, corporate donors and members of the public to fund research aimed at finding ways to prevent and/or cure some form of disability. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-dare-you-treat-people-with-disabilities-like-lepers/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-dare-you-treat-people-with-disabilities-like-lepers/#item7766 Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:40:46 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/angry-cripple-in-poverty-disability-means-stigma-and-exclusion/ Lucy Daniel is the Advocacy and Policy Officer at CBM Australia, a development organisation working with people with disabilities in the world’s poorest places. It could be the plot of a great Hollywood movie. A political drama. With George Clooney or Matt Damon as male lead. And a young, feisty, female journalist who gets caught up in it all. The opening scene pans to a meeting room, high up in skyscraper land, with a marble round table, iced water jugs and leaders of a big global development Bank. “Gentlemen, you should be proud,” says the silver fox, “This policy forges the path to education for the poorest of the poor.” Clapping and shaking hands all around. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/angry-cripple-in-poverty-disability-means-stigma-and-exclusion/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/angry-cripple-in-poverty-disability-means-stigma-and-exclusion/#item7705 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:45:46 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-heroic-banker-crusading-to-employ-the-disabled/ Sue O’Reilly, who has guest written today’s column on The Angry Cripple is a freelance journalist. She co-founded Australians Mad as Hell last year with Fiona Porter to campaign for an NDIS and established a charity called Fighting Chance to help people with disabilities pay for essential therapy services. Bill Moss was one of the highest paid business executives in Australian corporate history when he worked for Macquarie Bank, prior to his retirement in 2007 on health grounds. As head of the bank’s real estate and banking division, Moss built - literally from scratch - an international real estate and funds management business that spanned five continents, created thousands of jobs and made billions for the bank’s investors, shareholders and, through tax payments, federal Treasury coffers. So really, all Australians are pretty fortunate that the slowly degenerative physical disability with which this razor-sharp businessman was born - a form of muscular dystrophy known as FSHD - happened not to become overly evident (to others at least) until Moss was in his early 40s and had already established his credentials. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-heroic-banker-crusading-to-employ-the-disabled/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-heroic-banker-crusading-to-employ-the-disabled/#item7342 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:35:44 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Disability-2011-the-good-the-bad-and-the-patronising/ This week’s Angry Cripple column is written by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes. It’s a celebration of all the great work done for, by and on behalf of the disability sector as well as a slap across the face for all those who could and should have done more for the cause. Disability is the reality for one in five Australians. But despite those numbers, it flies under the radar. So let’s look at the best and the worst in disability for 2011. THE GOOD The National Disability Insurance Scheme wins the award for the outstanding announcement of the year. As confirmed by the Prime Minister at the National Disability Awards last week, the government is firmly committed to making this happen, and the opposition is on-board as well. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Disability-2011-the-good-the-bad-and-the-patronising/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Disability-2011-the-good-the-bad-and-the-patronising/#item7297 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:45:44 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/when-children-are-off-the-spectrum-of-good-behaviour/ ABC TV’s new series, The Slap, is getting a lot of attention, and deservedly so. It’s Australian drama that’s true to life, featuring all the stereotypical folk we see in backyard barbeques any weekend across suburban Australia, but featuring real-life dialogue. There’s the wog, the hippy, the slob, the cheater, and the cute young thing. But no backyard barbeque these days would be complete without a kid with autism. So I’m calling it. Hugo’s family is one of the half a million Australian families who live with Autism or one of its variants – known as being “on the spectrum”. I’m no psych, but that’s not gonna stop me from flinging around my experience and attitude. My ears pricked up in the opening scenes where the adorable looking kid with the mop of hair was banging around on the cupboards with wooden spoons. Kids on the spectrum often seek input by making their own noises, and ones that the rest of us find obnoxious, repetitive and annoying fit the bill (I know of a family who has to listen The Wiggles “Big Red Car” at Every. Single. Mealtime). feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/when-children-are-off-the-spectrum-of-good-behaviour/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/when-children-are-off-the-spectrum-of-good-behaviour/#item6952 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:35:58 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sick-folk-subjected-to-a-sick-terrifying-mental-health-law/ My illness is psychiatric in nature. It’s biological. It lurks in everybody’s genome, and is active in mine. The name of my illness is weighty. It’s called Seasonally Affected Bi-polar Disorder 1. As opposed to the very brainy Stephen Fry, who reminds us of the severity of mine by calling his Bi-polar 2 (facetiously) Bi-Polar Lite. An illness that slowly over the years, with many lengthy hospital stays, has become manageable. No longer visible to the naked eye, even. To the point that I work, study, raise a family and participate at all levels of the society as best I am able, good health permitting. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sick-folk-subjected-to-a-sick-terrifying-mental-health-law/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sick-folk-subjected-to-a-sick-terrifying-mental-health-law/#item6845 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:50:06 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/they-fail-to-protect-our-children-from-paedophiles/ According to world-renowned expert in child abuse Dr Freda Briggs, paedophile websites frequently recommend to their filthy readers that they target children with Down syndrome because they are “willing to please” and “easy to manipulate”. I have a young son with Down syndrome. He is a national treasure who won the 25 metre freestyle at the State Special Olympics Swimming carnival on Saturday. I know I don’t hold the trademark on parental love, but when I am with him, I’m confident that I could at least try to register it. He is loving, trusting, and has velvet soft skin. No cigars for guessing my deepest fear. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/they-fail-to-protect-our-children-from-paedophiles/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/they-fail-to-protect-our-children-from-paedophiles/#item6801 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:00:06 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Disability-insurance-scheme-Ill-believe-it-when-I-see-it/ You might have heard all the hoo-haa last week about the NDIS, or national Disability Insurance Scheme. In simple terms, it’s like a Medicare for disability. Not many of us use an ICU, but we all pay quite happily, through Medicare, and should the need arise, ICU care is just an ambulance ride away. Disability care and support isn’t that “neat”. Currently, if you have a broken neck, are incontinent, need a wheelchair and an adapted vehicle, live in NSW and you acquired your disability in a car smash, your personal care support needs will be, for the most part, covered. As will your physio, speech and occupational therapy, your continence supplies (and the personal help you need for bowel and bladder care), someone to give you a shower each day, and even your wheelchair will be supplied, generally in a reasonable timeframe. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Disability-insurance-scheme-Ill-believe-it-when-I-see-it/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Disability-insurance-scheme-Ill-believe-it-when-I-see-it/#item6504 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:35:36 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dont-pigeonhole-the-disabled-on-housing-options/ Today’s Angry Cripple column was inspired by Christine Bigby’s ABC Ramp Up column that argued the success of the National Insurance Disability Scheme depends on the type and quality of support and disability services available for purchase. The author is Max Jackson (full bio below). Mahatma Gandhi, one of the twentieth century’s greatest freedom fighters, once said of freedom, and I quote: “Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right.” As emphasised by Gandhi, freedom is a right. However, despite Gandhi’s pronouncement all those decades ago, freedom as a right represents a shadowy illusion on the outer circle of disability rights. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Angry Cripple) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dont-pigeonhole-the-disabled-on-housing-options/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dont-pigeonhole-the-disabled-on-housing-options/#item6457 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:35:36 +0000 The Angry Cripple | Author bios | The Punch