About Us
BackgroundOverview
Objectives
Management and Governance
Membership
Voting
The Role of the Chairperson
Priorities
Background
Current demographic trends, in Australia and globally, indicate a new industry is emerging worldwide in response to the growing sophistication of people with disability in identifying product, services and management needs for which they or government and its agencies are prepared to pay.
South Australia is recognised nationally as a leader in providing innovative and quality services for people living with a disability.
Disability Innovation SA is a framework designed to create and realise value from its present lead position by:
- Drawing together the competencies and resources currently dispersed across the three tired disability spectrum, especially within the state of South Australia, The spectrum comprises Government and its agencies, universities, and pubic research organisations, industry associations, community based agencies and firms from the Disability' and related industries;
- Creating a critical mass of connections and pathways at state, national, and international level that facilitate the transfer of knowledge, tacit and explicit experience and emerging technologies and services;
- Integrating learning as a means of forming 'Advantageous Alliances' around specific commercial, market or community opportunities.
Overview
Disability InnovationSA has been formed to develop initiatives that make better use of the synergies within the disability sector and between organisations to market collective and individual expertise.
Grouping this expertise so that it can cross-fertilise and be packaged to address a spectrum of customer need will make the industry more marketable. It will also provide enhanced opportunity for ongoing improvement.
Economic policy and social policy in most countries have largely been separate agendas involving different participants. Disability InnovationSA works on the principle that there is no inherent conflict between promoting business development and addressing social needs.
A productive and growing economy requires rising education and skill levels amongst its workers but it also requires a commitment to social justice so that everyone benefits from economic development. Social and economic policy need to be integrated so our communities provide economic benefit to all society's members.
TopObjectives
Fostering innovation in the disability sector by:
- Leading the planning and implementation of activities, initiatives and events which promote innovation in the disability sector;
- Encouraging broad interest in the disability sector;
- Providing, information, advice and support to others who are interested in becoming involved with disability innovation;
- Identifying strategies for achieving the required resource support;
- Connecting through the economic development initiatives of the SA government, to other business development initiatives occurring in South Australia;
- Linking services, agencies, organisations and individuals who have particular knowledge, expertise and commitment to the disability sector and to developing South Australia;
- Promoting the export of disability products, services and programs.
Management and Governance
The Leadership Group will be responsible for the management and governance of Disability InnovationSA. The Leadership Group will consist of representatives from key areas of the disability sector and may co-opt other representatives from business and other areas of government as required.
The Leadership Group will;
- Elect a Chairperson for a term of one year
- Unless otherwise agreed to by the Leadership Group it will meet on a bi-monthly basis at an agreed time and venue.
- Maintain an accurate record of each meeting`.
- Encourage participation from a broad range of Disability stakeholders.
- Review the Terms of Reference annually and recommend enhancements as required
Membership
Membership is open to all organizations in the Disability Sector including Government, Non-Government and private companies.
TopVoting
- The group will seek to achieve a consensus on the issues addressed. However in circumstances where this can not be achieved decisions will be made on a majority vote.
- Each group member has the right to exercise one vote on any given matter. The group member must be in attendance at the meeting to exercise voting rights.
- Observers, other stakeholders or non Leadership Group members or other invited attendees do not have voting rights.
The Role of the Chairperson
The Chairperson is responsible for the following:
- The development and circulation of meeting agendas, minutes of the previous meeting and relevant papers at least 5 working days prior to the next meeting.
- The active participation and involvement of all group members in meetings and in support of actions taken by the group in relation to agreed matters.
- The ongoing monitoring of the group's performance against these Terms of Reference, in particular ensuring group objectives and activities align with the Strategic Plan.
Priorities
The key priorities for 2005 are included in the Disability InnovationSA 2005-06 Strategic Plan. (.doc 56KB)
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