Disability Coordination Office ACT - Negotiating the Maze

The Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) announced the preferred providers for the National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) Program on 6 December 2007. The NDCO program replaces and expands two existing programmes, the Regional Disability Liaison Officer (RDLO) Program and the Disability Coordination Officer (DCO) Program.

The new program commenced on 1 January 2008 and is administered from DEEWR's Victorian State Office.  The NDCO Program consists of a national network of 31 coordination officers who will provide information, coordination and referral services for people with a disability who are interested in, or enrolled in, post-school education and training. Providers for each of the 31 NDCO Service Regions are listed on the DEEWR website

Northcott Disability Services will provide NDCO services for the ACT, Southern NSW and Illawarra regions.
Visit Northcott's website at www.northcott.com.au for additional information.

Enquiries may also be directed to the Australian Government Skills for the Future Hotline on 133 873 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Source: DEEWR website 6/12/07

"Microsoft Word files to serve as talking books"

By Elsa Wenzel

CNET News, Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Microsoft and open-source site SourceForge www.sourceforge.net will offer a free plug-in early next year that will convert Office 2007 files to the DAISY format that translates text to speech.

Yesterday IDEAS launched their new accessible website. The site is an accessible web portal for people with disability, their families, carers and other supporters to access and search for information that promotes their independence.

Online versions of resources (databases on services, equipment suppliers & travel options, Infobyte fact sheets and newsletters) maintained by IDEAS can be found on the website as well as an events diary and links to other high quality disability resources.

Check out the new site at: www.ideas.org.au

This Special Election Edition Newsletter includes a summary of the Coalition, Labor, Greens and Democrat's disability policies.

 November 2007 - Election Special Newsletter (360.90 Kb)

Download a PDF copy of  Advocacy for Inclusion's October 2007 Newsletter (397.51 Kb)

For additional information, please contact Deborah Hamilton on 02 6286 9422, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Advocacy for Inclusion is jointly funded by the Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the ACT Department of Disability Housing and Community Services

Media Release: 26 October 2007, Minister for Education and Training, Andrew Barr

ACT Government will invest over $14.6 million over the next four years in a range of pastoral care and student welfare initiatives for ACT public high school students and their families. Mr Barr said the funding will ensure students in every high school have access to a dedicated pastoral care co-ordinator, as well as support from non-teacher professionals such as social workers, community nurses or disability workers.