Some of Our Parts

We are looking for volunteers who are registered with Disability Services to assist academic staff in understanding the point of view of students with disabilities so they will be enabled to approach students with greater confidence.

The volunteers will NOT be providing practical advice and assistance on how to handle or solve problems caused by students’ disabilities (e.g. accessibility issues and accommodations). That is the role of Disability Advisers within Monash Disability Services. The focus of this volunteer program is to serve as a ‘port of call’ for staff who want to better understand the perspectives and experiences of students with disabilities to enable them to work more cooperatively and sensitively with a particular student. The role is expected to involve a single conversation with the teaching staff member for any given student: recurring queries about the same student/issue will be referred to Disability Services.

If you are considering volunteering, for this program, it is important that you feel comfortable with declaring your disability. Even though your identity will not be on the public Monash website, it will be on the Monash Intranet which is accessible to all Monash staff.

To fulfill the duties of the role you will need to make yourself available 1-3 hours per week.

Training will be provided by Disability Services to further define the role and answer any questions you may have. It is expected this will take no more than one hour.

The following table sets out the broad areas of disability. If you have personal experience of any of these and are interested in volunteering to help staff to discover how they may implement inclusive practices in their classes, please add complete this form. If you have any questions about the program please contact Michelle.woods@monash.edu.

Happy Friday every body!

• The Attitude Foundation has been established to develop and promote media content to shape a new understanding of disability throughout Australia.
• Toys Like Me are also seeking to change the way we represent disability in young children’s playthings.
• Stella’s Challenge, inspired by the late Stella Young, is a new national campaign designed to change social attitudes towards people living with disabilities.
• This week is Schizophrenia Awareness week – and one writer wants you to know that its nothing to fear.
• The town of Selby in North Yorkshire has just elected the UK’s first mayor with learning disabilities.
• “If only one ramp on one beach for one day can make a difference, imagine what an access-friendly India could feel like.”
• The Hallmark Disability Research Initiative presents a free one-hour lecture covering the current disability discrimination law for European and Australian jurisdictions.
• Check out the Victorian Writer’s profile of disability and queer activist, Jacki Jax Brown.

The Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education at the University of Newcastle currently has a scholarship opportunity for a PhD student to study Equity & Excellence in Australian Higher Education under the supervision of Professor Geoff Whitty & Professor Penny Jane Burke

The Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education will award a PhD studentship for research examining the policies, discourses and practices of ‘excellence’ and ‘equity’ in Australian Higher Education.

The research will consider how different universities address agendas of excellence and equity, the possible tensions and dilemmas this raises, differences and similarities across institutions, contexts and regions and the ways policy impacts on the different strategies, practices and perspectives within and across universities.

The candidate will be supported with a stipend to the value of $30,000 per annum for a period of 3 years. This scholarship is open to domestic and international students.

Inquiries in the first instance should be made to Professor Penny Jane Burke via email: PennyJane.Burke@newcastle.edu.au, no later than Friday 29 May 2015.

Happy Friday every body! Hope you are all keeping cozy inside.

• Ever wondered how people who are blind do their make up?
• Backyard floristry in Canberra working for the future employability of people with disabilities.
• The Tribe is garnering some high praise from critical reviews  and possibly changing the game in deaf film.
• Dopa-kinesia, created with the assistance of support artist/curator Kim Anderson, is artist Pezaloom’s series of experimental self-portraits intended to challenge the many myths and misconceptions surrounding Parkinson’s Disease – at No Vacancy Gallery in the city, 15 June–5 July 2015.
• Gigwise – a documentary on what its like to go to a gig in a wheelchair.
• The 8th Human Rights Arts & Film Festival (HRAFF) has announced its 2015 program of films, art and forums – Many of HRAFF’s films have English subtitles.
• Dogs on double shift – the service dogs who work two jobs for their owners

Stepping Into is a paid internship program designed specifically for university students with disability, who want to gain some paid hands-on work experience in their chosen field of study. The Australian Network on Disability (AND), work with their members to identify and provide opportunities for university students with disability to “step into” the workplace to gain exposure to their potential career field and get involved in projects and work alongside experienced professionals.

Students benefit by gaining valuable experience in their potential field of work, opportunities to develop networking skills, contacts and social skills associated within the professional environment, as well a chance to showcase their skills and knowledge in the workplace. The internship experience will equip students with newly obtained skills, knowledge and experience that will serve as a valuable attribute on any future graduate’s resume.

All students may benefit from participating in the Stepping Into program, by gaining skills in job applications and interviewing, with support and resources offered by AND, such as briefing sessions hosted by the Stepping Into Program Manager, interview tips and guides, professional communication coaching as well as continual support throughout the program.

AND will be hosting an information session at the Australian Catholic University on Friday 15 May for students to come along and hear about the Stepping Into program. They will be discussing the opportunities available for our winter program in July, and allowing students to ask any questions they may have.

The National Disability Insurance Agency are offering Business, HR, Law, PR and Communications and IT students paid internship opportunities in Geelong and Canberra this winter through the Stepping Into Winter internship program.

Are you a student with disability who wants to:

• Gain paid work experience in a leading organisation?
• Build a network of contacts?
• Develop valuable skills and experience?

Stepping Into is a paid internship program designed specifically for university students with disability who want to gain some paid hands-on work experience.

Positions with NDIA for students are in the following areas:

• Engagement Branch – Geelong
• Risk and Business Planning team – Geelong
• Legal – Information law – Canberra
• Finance branch – Geelong
• ICT Management – Geelong
• ICT Management – Canberra
• People and Culture intern – Geelong

You can view the position details and download an application form on our website.

The internships will run over the university holidays in July, allowing students to accommodate their studies and other commitments. Placements are for a minimum 152 hours. These hours can be worked either full time or part time depending on your requirements for workplace adjustments. Students must be in their penultimate or final year of study to participate in Stepping Into, and must be registered with Disability Services at their university. For full details on eligibility requirements, please click here.

Next week is the MSA’s Disabilities and Carers Week! The Disabilities Officers have something on every day Monday to Thursday at Clayton next week and  events are open to everyone!

Monday: Social Model 101 with Andrew Day
Get to grips with the basics of Disability critical theory and learn how your Disabilities and Carers department can better make a difference to your life at Clayton.
VENUE: TBA
TIME: 1:00

Tuesday: Foodapalooza!
Not so much foodapalooza as we’re handing out pumpkin soup – nice change from sausages and I think much needed in this frosty weather.
VENUE: South Lawn (near Lemon Scented Lawns)
TIME: 12:00 – 2:00

Wednesday: Disabilities and Employment
Christine Giannakopolous who works with Dandenong Valley Job Support – a FREE to use disability employment support service – will be coming in to talk about how people with disabilities can better navigate the job market and what they can access to assist them in finding and keeping a part time job at university.
VENUE: TBA
TIME: 1:00

Thursday: Mental Health Workshop
MSA Queer officer and mental health nurse in the making Vivian Stewart will be holding a small workshop on common mental health problems experienced at university, how to navigate them, services available and how you can be a better ally for someone with mental health problems.
VENUE: MSA Meeting Room.
TIME: 1:00

No verbal dialogue, no subtitles. A film, now showing at ACMI, shot entirely in sign language, is not only for people who are deaf. It’s about time for a film communicated entirely in sign language – but who expected it would be the sign language of Ukraine, spoken only by a few thousand people.

A new student arrives at a Ukranian boarding school for the deaf. He is immediately inducted into a shady underworld of violence, prostitution and robbery.

The Tribe is brutal, uncompromising and sometimes uncomfortable, but its near-silence, along with strong performances from a cast of unknowns, makes this hypnotic viewing.

The Tribe is playing at ACMI from May 2–10.

acmi.net.au/film/seasons-and-screenings/the-tribe/

Warning: film trailer features nudity.

Via Broadsheet Melbourne.

Telstra is offering IT and ICT students paid internship opportunities in Melbourne this winter through the Stepping Into Winter internship program.

Are you a student with disability who wants to:

• Gain paid work experience in a leading organisation?
• Build a network of contacts?
• Develop valuable skills and experience?

Stepping Into is a paid internship program designed specifically for university students with disability who want to gain some paid hands-on work experience.

IT and ICT related positions with Telstra are in the following areas:

• Internal Telecommunication Services
• Telstra Operation/Wireless Network Engineering
• Connect and Collaborate Team
• Networks, Program Management

You can view the position details and download an application form via our website.

The program will run over the university holidays in July, allowing students to accommodate their studies and other commitments. Placements are for a minimum 152 hours. These hours can be worked either full time or part time depending on your requirements for workplace adjustments.

Students must be in their penultimate or final year of study to participate in Stepping Into, and must be registered with Disability Services at their university. For full details on eligibility requirements, please click here.

Telstra is offering Engineering students with disability paid internship opportunities in Melbourne this winter!

Are you a student with disability who wants to:

• Gain paid work experience in a leading organisation?
• Build a network of contacts?
• Develop valuable skills and experience?

Stepping Into is a paid internship program designed specifically for university students with disability who want to gain some paid hands-on work experience.

Opportunities with Telstra in Melbourne for Engineering students include:

• Networks – Managed & Security Product Engineering
• Business Support & Improvement
• Telstra Operation/Wireless Network Engineering
• Connect and Collaborate Team
• Networks, Program Management
• Transport and Routing Engineering Team

For more information about these roles, visit our website.

The program will run over the university holidays in July, allowing students to accommodate their studies and other commitments. Placements are for a minimum 152 hours. These hours can be worked either full time or part time depending on your requirements for workplace adjustments.

Students must be in their penultimate or final year of study to participate in Stepping Into, and must be registered with Disability Services at their university. For full details on eligibility requirements, please click here.