Who are we?
- Bowan, north to Gumlu
- Proserpine
- Cannonvale & Airlie Beach
- Nebo, Moranbah, Dysart, & Clermont
- Collinsville
- Sarina, south to St Lawrence
In August 2023 Mackay Advocacy opened an office in Finch Hatton to assist the Pioneer Valley community in response to the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project. This offers community members a close, accessible space where they can speak to an advocate about issues they are facing, or use computer, internet, and printing facilities. It is a contact point for information or other services within the region, and can assist in identifying and navigating these services.
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is taking action to help people have a voice, secure their rights, represent their interests, and obtain services they require. Advocacy works in partnership with people and takes their side while promoting social inclusion, equality and social justice.
Advocacy ensures people with a disabilities’ fundamental human rights are being met, and to minimise the risk of harm, neglect, abuse, and exploitation. Advocacy can assist individuals to take control and direction of their own lives.
Advocacy ensures we are all connected and responsible for enabling inclusions.
We do not offer legal advice, financial advice, counselling, secretarial services, or decision making.
What do disability advocates do?
- Providing information to people with a disability on issues, strategies, their human rights and identifying instances of discrimination, including the right to have access to a wide range of services to meet their individual needs.
- Assisting people with a disability to uphold their rights by speaking to people and organisations to raise awareness of problems and seek solutions.
Key advocacy issues include:
- Abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence
- Child protections
- Community inclusion – social and family
- Disability services
- Education
- Health and Mental Health
- Access to justice
- NDIS – Safeguards Commission
- Physical Access
- Vulnerable and Isolated people with disabilities
“The good things in life are universal and include being treated with dignity, respect, acceptance, a sense of belonging, an education, developing and exercising one’s capacities, a voice in the affairs of your community and society, opportunities to participate, a decent material standard of living, a normative place to live, and opportunities for work and self-support.”
~ Wolfensberger et al 1996
We are funded by: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services, Department of Social Services and Queensland Health
MISSION STATEMENT
Mackay Advocacy Inc. provides free, confidential, individual advocacy
and assistance to people with a disability in
Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac regions to ensure their fundamental,
human rights are met.
Management Committee
| President | Raoul Wilson |
| Vice-President | Ray Wegner |
| Secretary | Christian Strang |
| Treasurer | Ros Warner |
| Committee Member | Tarnia Kerruish |
| Committee Member | Paula Creen |
| Committee Member | Gunther Paul |
ACCESSING OUR SERVICES
We offer FREE advocacy services for those with a disability through government funding. Referrals can be made by the person themselves (self-refer), family member, service provider, carer or support person to someone with a disability.
It is important to note that if you are referring someone to us, we are only able to act for that person if they wish us to do so. Referrals are reviewed and prioritized according to levels of vulnerability and urgency.
Making an appointment with an Advocate is essential.
If you are not satisfied with the way in which our advocates work with you on your issues, or perhaps with the way in which the organisation is functioning, you can make a complaint.
This will not affect the work we do with you now or in the future. It will also help us offer better advocacy assistance and make our organisation stronger.