Brain Injury Australia’s presentation to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, an independent, non-profit law and policy organisation dedicated to social justice.

As part of Monash University’s 2016 Criminology Seminar Series, Brain Injury Australia’s Executive Officer Nick Rushworth presented on brain injury and the criminal justice system.

“…Surely, one aim of, perhaps the core aim of, any therapy is to enable the client, and his or her family, to live in hope – realistic hope – for as long as possible?” Brain Injury Australia’s speech at the Annual Conference Dinner of the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (2014).

“…Brain Injury Australia wants to restrain this week’s celebration. Make no mistake. Many people with a brain injury will be able to navigate the brave new world of DisabilityCare Australia as easily as the old services system. But some will not.”

Nick Rushworth’s (Executive Officer, Brain Injury Australia) speech at the “Placing People with Passion” Business Lunch, in Adelaide, 2011.

Brain Injury Australia’s speech at the 2nd National Disability Summit in Melbourne, 2011.

“Brain Injury Australia’s, its State and Territory Member Organisations’ experience is that the community’s awareness, its understanding of brain injury lags around 20, 30 years behind that of other disabilities. And what we’re told daily is that this is the most re-disabling aspect, doubly disabling for people with a brain injury.”

“My client has an acquired brain injury (ABI) and was in trouble with a bank loan. The bank manager said to his disability advocate “I thought he seemed a bit simple.” Payment plans were put in place. Loan papers were sent to Legal Aid because the advocate thought he’d be better off becoming a bankrupt. However, you cannot become a bankrupt unless you have legal capacity to understand what that means. Bank was in touch with me recently after 6 months so loan is still live and he has obviously defaulted.”

“Brain Injury Australia welcomes the commitment to systemic advocacy contained in the National Disability Strategy. And for as long as Brain Injury Australia is included in that commitment, we will continue with what we think of as the real guts of our work; building awareness of a disability that lags around 20 to 30 years behind that of others, especially within those “invisible” populations, where their brain injury might be undiagnosed, or unknown.”

“…the presence of these injuries is considered indicative of the child having been unlawfully mistreated by violent and obviously excessive (and therefore unlawful) shaking, sometimes accompanied by impact injuries as well.”

Brain Injury Australia’s presentation to the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)/ National Disability Services (NDS)/ Carers Australia National Disability and Carer Congress, 2011. “This is not intended as rain on anyone’s parade but if it isn’t already, the disability sector should brace itself for the next round – not sure how many rounds they’ve been, perhaps this is the 12th – of welfare-to-work reforms.”

Brain Injury Australia presents to KU Children’s Services Combined Director’s Professional Development Day, Sydney, 2011.

Brain Injury Australia presents on Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury at the Council of Social Service of NSW (NCOSS) Children’s Services Forum, 2011.

“I’ve been asked to ‘comment on the burden of injury and meaningful outcomes’. Well, I’m not going to do that…I’d rather talk briefly about two things: hope and the imagination.”

“…I want to say something about subjectivity, about the “view from here” – that there are often limitations (as well as strengths) in what we bring of our life experience to how we do our work…And, so, I want to also say something about the need for disability services to exercise their imagination.”

Brain Injury Australia’s presentation to the Association of Child Welfare Agencies 2010 conference on Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury (ITBI).

Inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI) – also called abusive head trauma, sometimes “shaken baby syndrome” – is the leading cause of death and disability in children who have been abused. Infants are at the greatest risk. Over the last 5 years more than 70 children have been hospitalised with ITBI in New South Wales alone. Nick Rushworth, the Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia, talks to Vision Australia radio about ITBI.

A presentation by Nick Rushworth, Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia, at the inaugural National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Conference, Adelaide 16 June, 2010.

Brain Injury Australia’s presentation to the International Federation on Ageing 10th Global Conference, Melbourne, 2010, “Falls-Related Traumatic Brain Injury In Young-Old People: Under-Recognised, Under-Diagnosed, Highly Fatal And Highly Preventable.”

During Brain Injury Awareness Week 2009, Brain Injury Australia held a forum at the Children’s Hospital, Westmead, in Sydney, on “Children and Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury”. Videos of some presentations from the forum are available to download.

Brain Injury Australia’s presentation to ACE National Conference, the peak body for Australia’s Disability Employment Network Conference, Gold Coast, 2009.

Nick Rushworth, Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia, presents, “Falls-Related Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Australians,” to the Victorian Department of Human Services, 2009.

Nick Rushworth’s presentation on falls-related Traumatic Brain Injury to the Aged and Community Services Association of NSW and ACT 2009 State Conference.

Brain Injury Australia’s presentation to the Scouts Australia Special Needs-Disabilities Conference, 2009.

Presentation by Nick Rushworth, Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia, at the Neurotrauma Workshop, 2008.

Brain Injury Australia’s speech at the Launch of the National Trauma Research Institute, 2003.