Some of Our Parts

Stepping Into is a paid internship program designed specifically for university students with disability.

This summer, Telstra is offering nine paid internships to suitable candidates in their penultimate or final year of a relevant bachelor or postgraduate degree. The internships will commence as negotiated between December 2015 and February 2016, and will be for a duration of 152 hours.

For eligibility requirements and application details, visit the AND website.

Applications for these positions will close on Sunday 22 November 2015 at 11.59PM AEST.

For all queries regarding the Stepping Into program, contact

Steph Littlewood, Stepping Into… Project Assistant

stephanie.littlewood@and.org.au or call 02 8270 9240

Happy Friday everyone,

• November’s Ouch talk show looks at the story of the Disability Discrimination Act, in the month that marks the twentieth anniversary of its passing in the UK.
• Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Perrott, breaking the ice on PTSD with ‘The Ravens’, Nick Galvin writes.
• Geelong Paralympian, Sam McIntosh, says early education is key to disability acceptance.
• Giving women with an intellectual disability a voice to report sexual assault and violence is behind a push by authorities to raise awareness in the community, Laura Armitage writes.
• A disability service has moved its social enterprise project and training services into an iconic building the Bendigo CBD, writes Larissa Romensky.

The Australian Government wants to get more people with disability into jobs. The Government sees a future where people with disability, like other Australians, can enjoy the economic and social gains work brings.

The Disability Employment Taskforce was established to review the entire disability employment system and develop a new National Disability Employment Framework to boost employment rates for people with disability.

To assist in the development of this Framework, the Taskforce completed a first round of consultation based on an Issues Paper and a set of suggested principles for the new Framework.

Building on the principles and feedback from the first round of consultation, a Discussion Paper has been developed outlining more detailed policy proposals for the new Framework and will be used as the basis for a second round of consultation.

The second round will present the findings from the first round of consultation; provide an overview of the Discussion Paper; and encourage feedback on the policy proposals through an online survey. These sessions will commence on 19 November 2015 in Perth and conclude on 30 November 2015 in Melbourne. The survey will remain open until 7 December 2015.  The Discussion Paper, survey and full details of the information sessions, including registration can be found at www.engage.dss.gov.au

Have your say!

The Government wants to hear from people with disability, their families and carers, service providers, employers and peak bodies to explore ways to improve disability employment in Australia.

You can attend a public information session to hear about the policy proposals outlined in the Discussion Paper. Feedback on these proposals can be provided by completing the online survey.

Information sessions will be held around Australia starting on 19 November, in the following locations:

Perth 19 November 2015                             Hobart 26 November 2015
Adelaide 20 November 2015                       Darwin 26 November 2015
Brisbane 24 November 2015                       Canberra 27 November 2015
Sydney 25 November 2015                          Melbourne 30 November 2015

For more information on sessions or to complete the online survey go to www.engage.dss.gov.au

Happy Friday everyone,

• Kathy Evans discusses societies need to turn people with disabilities into inspirational figures, such as the case of Stevie Payne.
• Danielle Kutchel discusses the choices students face as they head toward their final years of schooling, and how this experience is different for students with disabilities and learning disorders.
• SBS will cover Australia’s biggest disability specific film festival, Focus On Ability Film Festival, on Saturday 21^st November 2015, starting 4.30pm .
• Honor Eastly discusses access to mental health care services in Australia, asking readers to contribute their views and opinions as part of the government’s review of Medicare.