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Not Being Able To Speak Is Not The Same As Having Nothing To Say.

For more than forty years Dr. Rosemary Crossley worked with children and adults with little or no speech to teach them to communicate. Rosemary died in 2023 and the committee of management of the Anne McDonald Centre wanted to capture her knowledge and wisdom for the benefit of future generations of non-speakers and their families and supporters so that they may continue to have the tools to help develop communication skills. This series of video provide insight and techniques to help non speakers learn to communicate. We hope that these lessons will help families, teachers, medical staff, people in the legal profession and anyone else who encounters someone without speech to “presume competence” and find a way for that person to tell you what they are thinking. The videos draw from a large archive of films made by Rosemary during her lifetime and are augmented by words from Anne McDonald Centre President and mother of Mitch, Leane Leggo. Mitch and Leane Leggo were clients of Rosemary’s and supported the centre for many years. We hope that when you encounter someone who cannot speak that you find this a useful and practical resource. More Details

A woman looks into the middle distance with several hands on her head and shoulders

Gaslit

A young disabled woman fights to hold on to her identity in the face of the world’s assumptions, and strives for independence from her parents, who doubt her ability to become a mother. More Details

Naomi Chainey is a white woman wearing big black sunglasses, standing in front of a wall with paste up art on it. Text on screen reads "I talked about wheelchair and scooter use."

Disability Pride Mural

The disability community comes together to celebrate disability pride and a new mural in Footscray but only after the original mural was destroyed. More Details

Margins To The Mainstream

Women with lived experience of disability including neurodiversity, mental health and chronic health conditions came together as the Experts Group to prevent violence against women with disabilities through the Margins to the Mainstream Project. The Experts Group co-designed important message about equality for women with disabilities. They came up with 16 messages about gender and disability equality. More Details

Julie McNamara and Heath Davidson chat with Emily McLean at a table.

The Glove Box

The good the bad and the ugly as disabled people talk about their experiences with taxis and Ubers. The series includes chats with disabled drivers and deaf drivers. More Details

Text on Screen reads "Breaking the Silence"

Breaking The Silence

World renowned communication expert Dr Rosemary Crossley works with three new clients who have never spoken. What she gets them to say in their first 90 minute training session will amaze you. Watch Trailer

Casa Del Crip, Wheelchair, tennis, Madeleine Dyer, Shane Hryhorec

Casa Del Crip

Sebastian and his loopy girlfriend Stacey lure a group of disabled housemates into their home with the promise of in home support, but things aren't quite what they should be in Casa del Crip. Watch Trailer

The Defiant Lives title card with a pink background

Defiant Lives

Defiant Lives is a feature documentary that tells of the rise and fight of the disability rights movement. Watch Trailer

A graphic reading "Defiant Lives Files" sits over a flight of stairs and a man's face.

Defiant Lives Files

This is an exclusive Disability Busters series of longer interviews from the acclaimed documentary Defiant Lives. Activists talk about their role in the rise and fight of the disability rights movement. Supported by the City of Melbourne COVID 19 arts grants. Watch Trailer

4 women sit around a desk smiling

Lessons in Disability Etiquette

originally produced for the taxi industry, in these video podcasts disabled people talk about how to provide great support - what not to ask about, how to mind your own business and other important things you always wanted to know about relating to disability etiquette. More Details

Module 1 Disability support worker training - Human Rights practice.

In module 1 students will understand human rights practice through disability history and the disability rights movement More Details

In a bedroom in an aged care facility a young man tests the blood pressure of an elderly woman.

Module 2 Disability & Aged Care Training - Ethics of Care

This 5 video module examines the ethics of care in professional settings. More Details

Module 3, Disability and Aged Care Training - Diversity and Difference

This module looks at how workers can support disabled clients and older clients from diverse backgrounds. it also looks at diversity among the support workforce. More Details

Module 4 Disability and Aged Care Training - Enabling Technology.

This module looks at how technology can enhance independence and access. More Details

Module 5 Disability and Aged Care Training - Power and Abuse.

This module explores how power can lead to abuse and how disabled people and elders can be at risk of abuse. More Details

A young girl in a pink top wears a white riding helmet and is smiling broadly.

More Than Horseplay

A documentary about a world first scientific study of the therapeutic benefits of horse riding for children with cerebral palsy. The film features renowned hippotherapist the late Barb Heine. Watch Trailer

No Limits

No Limits brings you unexpected stories about what it’s like living with disability. Presented and produced with disabled people it’s a place to build community and identity. Watch Trailer

A group of students walk through a university campus

Opening Doors to College

Hundreds of colleges across the U.S. are opening doors to higher education for students with intellectual disability. This 36-minute film “Opening Doors to College” shows how students like Curtis, Janet, Fudia, and Missy are leading this inclusion revolution as they immerse themselves in classes, residential life, extracurricular activities, and the entire college experience at Millersville and Temple Universities. More Details

Genni Batterham uses crutches as she gets out of a van watched on by the driver.

Pins and Needles

Genni Batterham was a healthy 24-year-old student living in Sydney when she contracted multiple sclerosis (M.S.) in the 1970's. Within 18 months she became a paraplegic. Pins and Needles takes a poignant look at overall reactions, treatment and acceptance of disabled people and offers some enlightened alternatives to the options available to the disabled at that time. Genni was a trailblazing disability activist during the 1970's and 80's and watching her story decades later we are struck by the things that have changed and the many things that remain the same. More Details

A group of people carry a woman in a sedan chair through the bush.

Riding the Gale

In this companion film to Pins And Needles Genni Batterham's MS has progressed and she must now face her increasing frailty and dependence on others, especially her adored husband Kim. This absorbing film is a love story as well as an unflinching account of a degenerative disability and how to face one's demons. Produced by Genni and Kim Batterham this film shows what is possible when living with a severe degenerative disease and also includes wise council from author Alan Marshall who was a mentor and friend. More Details

Bev Aisbett in her studio

Secret Fear

Hidden stories of Anxiety and recovery More Details

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