DIRC provides a professional and friendly, free information and referral service to the people of South Australia. It is impartial, apolitical and non-sectarian.

DIRC has a library that offers material on most disabilities and related issues. The main collection has over 2,500 resources in various formats including books, kits, posters, videos, DVDs and CD-ROMs. The periodical collection has over 140 Australian and international journals and newsletters.

DIRC produces the Disability Information Directory South Australia. It provides up-to-date and detailed information on over 650 South Australian disability service and support organisations and it lists disability information services similar in function to DIRC that are located in other Australian states. Also listed are peak national disability organisations. The Directory is also available on-line.

DIRC created and maintains the ‘History of Disability in South Australia’ website. It highlights the contributions people with a disability have made to South Australia and the lives of people with a disability.

DIRC is a unique and extremely important service.

DIRC’s History

The beginning

The Disability Information and Resource Centre (DIRC) had its beginnings in 1979 when a group of eight people with disabilities met to discuss the possibility of establishing an information and resource centre specifically for people with disabilities.

Jeff Heath headed the group and it gained support from a number of individuals active in the disability sector as well as from Link Magazine, the South Australian Council of Social Services (SACOSS), the Department of Local Government Working Party on Information Services and the Bright Committee.

Jeff Heath AM

Jeff Heath AM created Link Magazine to provide a long-term voice for people with disabilities. He was an advocate for people with disabilities, instrumental in forming community organisations and served on a number of boards and committees. He was involved in the establishment of Disabled Persons International, a businessman, nationally recognised lobbyist, author and commentator on disability issues. He was an Inaugural Board Member of DIRC in 1982 – 1984. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2003.

The 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) South Australian Government Offices Sub-Council chaired by Richard Llewellyn, had 72 departments working on initiatives to break down the barriers for people with disabilities. A major outcome of its 1982 evaluation of the International Year’s activities was a submission to Trevor Griffin, the Attorney-General that an information and resource centre be established.

Richard Llewellyn

Richard Llewellyn championed the rights of people with disabilities for almost forty years. He started the Club of Physically Handicapped in Adelaide, the first self-help political group in Australia. He was active in the Australian Council for Rehabilitation of the Disabled (ACROD), Executive Director of the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association, played a key role on many national committees, gave countless speeches and wrote many articles on disability issues. He was appointed Disability Adviser to the Premier, John Bannon from 1984-1991. Later, he established a consultancy service specialising in disability access issues.

The concept of an information and resource centre was supported by the then recently formed Disabled Persons International, and a Public Service Association working party on disability. Later, in 1982 the national body Australian Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (ACROD) lent their support and finally the Liberal government endorsed the centre.

The Attorney-General, Trevor Griffin allocated $60,000 toward the establishment of an information and resource centre.

The Hon. Trevor Griffin

The Hon Trevor Griffin retired from the South Australian Parliament in 2002 following almost 25 years as a member of the Legislative Council. He was the Attorney-General in the 1979-82 Liberal government and again in 1993-2001. He also held a number of other Ministerial offices.

“Credit should be given to Trevor Griffin, then Attorney-General, who was the member of the State Government who was willing to accept responsibility for this, and to make sure that adequate government funding was available…Without the government backing assured by Trevor’s support, I doubt if the idea would ever have seen concrete success”.
Professor A. C. Foskett, a member of DIRC’s first management committee

The creation of an information and resource centre was also supported by the Labor Party during the election of November 1982. The Labor Party won the election and when it came into government the Disability Information and Resource Centre (DIRC) was established as an incorporated body under the control of a Board of Management.

DIRC Inc.

On 16 February 1983 the Attorney-General Chris Sumner and the first chairman of the DIRC Management Committee Harry Darcy announced the appointment of Kevern Gill as Director of the newly formed Disability Information and Resource Centre Incorporated.

Kevern Gill

Kevern Gill was chosen as Director based on his many years experience in management and administration and his background in public relations and workforce development. He began work as Director in March 1983 and his initial tasks were to find suitable premises for a centre and to recruit staff.
He selected a converted house at 215 Hutt St, Adelaide as a temporary home for DIRC and employed Beverley Hunter, who was born with spina bifida, as a receptionist/typist. They moved into the house in June 1983.

Bev Hunter

The next ten months were hectic as the staff set about identifying all the organisations in South Australia which were assisting people with a disability.  DIRC employed two project officers, funded under the Job Creation Scheme, to help with the task. More than 350 organisations were identified and personally interviewed using a 34 page questionnaire to obtain detailed information about each group.

A librarian/computer operator, Gunela Astbrink, was employed to create a database on every disability, to facilitate storage and quick retrieval.

“Gunela’s outstanding skills and dedication in establishing a system, which is still in use, cannot be overstated.”
Kevern Gill

During this period a non-medical library of books, journals and magazines dealing with disability was established.

At the end of April, 1984 the centre was ready to open its doors and at 11 am, on 2nd May the Attorney-General, Chris Sumner M.L.C. officially opened the Disability Information and Resource Centre.

DIRC at Hutt St

From left, Kevern Gill, Bev Hunter, Gunela Astbrink and a volunteer

Before DIRC opened its doors to the public in 1984, information about disability was scattered among various disability-based organisations. By 1987 DIRC had collected information on over 400 organisations and listed them in a first-ever directory.

On March 16th, 1987 DIRC launched its 150 page Disability Information Directory at a cost of $20. The Directory provided a comprehensive listing of services and programs provided by organisations in South Australia to meet the needs of people with a disability. The Directory is updated annually.

Kevern Gill spent seven years as Director of DIRC. In 1990, when DIRC was well-established, he retired.

Jubilee 150 Project

“The building is the best of its type in Australia.”
Kevern Gill about DIRC’s permanent home

Late in 1982 the construction of a permanent home for DIRC was officially accepted as a Jubilee 150 project by the SA Jubilee 150 Families, Religion and Cultural Communities Executive Committee headed by Dame Ruby Litchfield.  The project was supported by the Sub-Committee for People with Disabilities led by Mrs Natalie Bowen.

Natalie Bowen & Barbara Worley were both members of the Sub-Committee for people with Disabilities

The Jubilee 150 Committee and the management committee of DIRC identified a vacant piece of government land on Gilles Street and the government allocated the land to them.

Mrs Bowen’s sub-committee approached the Master Builders’ Association (MBA) to accept responsibility, on behalf of the building and construction industry of SA, to build the new centre for free. The Master Builders’ Association agreed and built the new premises for DIRC as their contribution to the State’s 150th anniversary.

A model of the proposed centre

Work on the centre began in June 1985, and nine months later, in March 1986, DIRC’s new premises were completed. Mrs Bowen’s sub-committee was also responsible for acquiring all furniture and equipment valued at $200,000 for the centre.

The official opening of DIRC’s new permanent home at 195 Gilles St was on the 17th June 1986.

Part of the official party pictures at DIRC's opening

From left, MBA President Dick Cook, Brian Fricker, of Fricker Carrington Group, Attorney-General The Hon. Chris Sumner, Dame Ruby Litchfield, Gordon Reid and the Governor of SA, Sir Donald Dunstan

“On behalf of the Government I would like formally and publicly to thank the members of the Master Builders Association, Woods Bagot Architects and everyone who gave their time and their skills or their financial support to this Jubilee 150 project. They include businesses, employer and industry associations, trade unions, service clubs and individuals, whose generous and public-spirited donations capture the spirit of our birthday year.”
Attorney-General Chris Sumner’s speech at DIRC’s opening

A unique and valuable service

In 1990 Neil Lillecrapp became DIRC’s new Director. He is one of South Australia’s most respected disability rights advocates and has worked in a wide range of roles within the disability sector. He has been a social worker, Community Information Officer at the SA Equal Opportunity Commission and served on Boards of disability advocacy organisations.

Neil Lillecrapp

Neil Lillecrapp was DIRC’s Director until he retired at the end of 2006. During his 17 years he continued and improved on the unique and valuable service DIRC provides. Among many of Neil’s achievements was the establishment of EnableNet and instigating and obtaining funding for the ‘History of Disability in South Australia’ Project.

DIRC library

DIRC recognised that the Internet has the potential to enhance, enrich and empower the lives of people with a disability, and saw itself as having a strategic responsibility to ensure that this potential was realised. To do this DIRC developed EnableNet with funding from the State government Department of Human Services.

EnableNet was an on-line disability portal, created and maintained by DIRC. It was an electronic meeting place where anyone with an interest in disability could explore, research, communicate, debate and advocate on issues affecting the lives of people with a disability.

EnableNet poster

EnableNet was officially launched on 15th March 2002.

DIRC reception

A new beginning

“One in five people in Australia (3,958,300 or 20%) had a disability in 2003.”
Australian Bureau of Statistics

In early 2007 Sandy Puddy became DIRC’s Director. Sandy has been working within the disability services sector for more than 20 years and has progressed from support worker and cottage parent to management roles.

Sandy Puddy

On June 28th, 2007 the ‘History of Disability SA’ website went live. The website explores the history of disability in South Australia since settlement in 1836 and records and celebrates the experiences of people with a disability.

On the 14th June 2007, DIRC’s Director received a couriered letter, from the State Labor government, announcing that DIRC had lost half of its funding. A complete review of DIRC’s organisational structure and services was begun and a significant number of cost cutting changes were implemented. This included closing down EnableNet.

Article by Elissa Doherty The Sunday Mail 17/06/07

Despite the cut in funding, staff and management are committed to the long-term survival and success of DIRC. With the support of a proactive Board and dedicated staff, Sandy has expanded and improved DIRC’s services and sought new opportunities. They include assisting organisations with disability action plans, quality auditing and access consulting, establishment of the LifeCare service and organisation of Disability and Ageing Expos. These have contributed to raising DIRC’s profile and creating an income. However, more work needs to be done to create stability and ensure DIRC’s future.

DIRC 's staff

From left, Doug Lyall, Jane Hyde, Sandy Newman, Carolyn Gerhardy and Claudia Brookshaw

“It is the belief that DIRC can make a difference that keeps us focused.”
Sandy Puddy