Some of Our Parts

Polio Awareness Month is This October 2024

As we mark Polio Awareness Month this October, we invite you to stand with the tens of thousands of people affected by polio across Australia who are living with the Late Effects of Polio (LEoP).

The theme, We’re Still Here, highlights the resilience of our community and the urgent need for specialised care for those living with post-polio conditions.

Polio Australia is committed to improving this situation. They offer education and resources to both health professionals and polio survivors to support the management of post-polio conditions.

This year, over 90 landmarks will be participating in their Polio Awareness Month illumination campaign to help raise awareness for all people affected by polio living in Australia.

• You can view a list of all confirmed landmarks illuminating orange here.

How You Can Support the Illumination Campaign

1. Contact local landmarks in your area – If you haven’t already, there might still be time to contact your local council, or a building or landmark in your city/town. There is a template you can copy and paste (make sure you fill in the parts in brackets!). You can find the template at this website. If it’s too late, ask them about next year! They typically light up the second week of the month.

2. Remind them! – If you’ve already sent out a letter or email and haven’t heard anything, why not give them a little nudge? You can forward your original email to them with a polite “in case you missed it” message, or perhaps give them a call.

3. Take photos! – If a landmark in your area is illuminating, check it out and take a photo to send to – office@polioaustralia.org.au. They would love to post it on our Polio Awareness Month website as well as their social media accounts.

Polio Awareness Month Events and Activities

There are many events to celebrate Polio Awareness Month and World Polio Day.

• You can find a list of events here and here.

Keep checking back, as these lists are continuously updated as we hear about more events. If you are aware of any other events in your area, email them at office@polioaustralia.org.au, and they will add them to their website.

• Don’t forget to wear orange on Monday, 7th October and join in for the monthly Zoom chat. They will snap a photo of everyone in their orange!
• If you’re on social media, you can change your profile picture and cover photos to promote Polio Awareness Month.
• Continue to use the hashtags #StillHere and #PolioAwarenessMonth to keep the campaign moving!

Thanks for helping us spread the word!

• Polio Australia Incorporated
• PO Box 2799, North Parramatta NSW 1750
• Phone: +61 3 9016 7678
• Email: office@polioaustralia.org.au
• Websites: www.poliohealth.org.au / www.polioaustralia.org.au

Accessible Theatre Workshop at Monash with Artist Jess

You are invited to attend a workshop for disabled artists and anyone curious about making accessible theatre, led by Jess Kapuscinski-Evans.

This workshop starts with a one-hour exploration and discussion of an existing theatre text, followed by a performance excerpt from The Waiting Room Arts Company’s new work 2050: a post-apocalyptic drama about Melbourne (Naarm) in the year 2050, exploring environment, disability and asking, “what does utopia mean to you?”

Jess Kapuscinski-Evans is a writer/performer and sings with “crip folk” trio the Bearbrass Asylum Orchestra. She is artistic director of The Waiting Room Arts Company and enjoys playing with existing texts and pop culture.

Jess is supported by Monash University Performing Arts Centres in the development of her new play, 2050.

• Where: David Li Sound Gallery, The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts
• When: Thursday 10 October 2024 11:00 am
• Tickets: $15 – $25
• For tickets go the Monash Performing Arts Centre Web Page

Be Part of The Monash Library EDI Action Plan

Monash University Library is developing an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan, as part of their commitment to Monash University’s EDI Framework.

They’re working closely with the EDI team at DVC Education to develop a three-year plan. The Library wants to consult widely to capture and reflect the diverse perspectives and needs of our communities.

As part of this process, the Library invites Monash University staff and students to contribute their ideas and experiences: good, bad or indifferent.

You can do this in two ways:

• Complete a 10-minute survey. You can opt in to go into the draw to win one of five $100 eGift cards*
• Express your interest in participating in a 90-minute focus group, run by the EDI team. All students who are selected selected will receive a $75 gift card.*

Your responses will help shape our plan so that it can have a real impact at Monash.

Call for Participation: Inclusive Data Visualization Design Study at Monash University

• Do you want to help make data visualisation (i.e., chart and graphs) more inclusive and easier to use?

Our study is all about creating data tools that are universally accessible, with a special focus on the autistic community.

Our aim is to find out what kinds of visuals and ways of showing data to help people understand and use information better in their everyday lives and jobs.

What is Involved in This Study?

• We’re looking for Monash students who are 18 or older, and diagnosed with autism or if you’ve self-diagnosed, to join our study.
• You’ll start by answering some questions about your demographic and how you use data visuals. It will take approximately 10 minutes.
• Then, you’ll take part in two phases of the study, where you’ll look at different data visuals and complete web-based tasks.
• After each phase, we’ll discuss your experiences with you. Both user-study and interview will take approximately 120-150 minutes.

We really want to make sure this study works for you, so please tell us if there’s anything we can do to make it better for you!

Participant Appreciation

As a big thank you for your time, you’ll get an AUD $50 voucher for groceries.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Must have a diagnosis of autism, or self- diagnosed.

Interested in Participating?

• To take part in this important study, please follow this link.

REGISTER NOW!

*This project has Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee approval – Project ID: 41238

Unzip Our Voices: Exploring Diversity in Communication at Monash

Do you ever feel that your voice is zipped up and there’s no way to express yourself at the right time or in the right way?

At the Monash Assistive Technology and Society (MATS) Centre, we are doing interdisciplinary research for and with university students in Australia who are at risk of marginalisation and exclusion because they communicate differently. These differences may arise from disabilities, neurodiversity, and native languages/cultures.

In such situations, information can be exchanged without or alongside speech via augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). You might not be familiar with this term, but you may already be using various forms of AAC even if your tutor/supervisor isn’t aware of it!

Conventionally, AAC includes systems, approaches and practices like Auslan, communication boards, whiteboards, text-to-voice engines, email/texting, and subtitling.

More broadly, for multilingual/international students, it may just involve using everyday mobile apps like Google Translate, Otter.ai, or ChatGPT so you can understand better in English.

You Are Invited to Participate in Our Survey

We need your help to understand what kind of AAC you regularly use to address your communication needs at Monash, how you feel about using it, and what you think can be done to make Monash a more inclusive place through AAC.

To work towards this goal, we are inviting you to participate in a 15 to 30-minute online survey.

In return, you will gain a renewed sense of purpose – something greater than your past exams – because you know how your experience, when heard by the right people, could help redefine inclusion in academia.

Join us in unzipping our diverse voices together, along with our pride (or frustration) in being different!

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE

• Please note this is part of my PhD research project. If you are interested and leave your email address in the survey, I may contact you for further collaboration.
• If you have any further questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me on jing.hu@monash.edu.

The Monash Guarantee/SEAS Testimonial Opportunity

The University’s marketing team is hoping to showcase some of our students who may have benefited from the Monash Guarantee or Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS).

We’re sharing this opportunity to see if you would be interested in sharing your story.

This opportunity is open to domestic, undergraduate students who have a WAM of 60 or higher who feel they have benefited from SEAS or the Monash Guarantee. If you need a reminder of what is covered in SEAS and the Monash Guarantee see our website.

• Your registration with DSS will remain confidential and you don’t need to disclose your disability or medical condition if you don’t want to or do not feel comfortable.

What’s In It For You

If you’re interested, we’ll send you some questions about how Monash Guarantee or SEAS has helped you to achieve your aspirations. We may also ask about extracurricular activities you’ve enjoyed as a student.

• We’re able to provide a $50 gift card for your time!

What’s Next

If you’d like to participate, you will need to consent to the use of your image and a quote to be used for marketing purposes by the University to highlight the positive outcomes of these opportunities.

It’s possible that the story may be picked up by a news outlet, and if this happens you may be asked for an interview, but this is not guaranteed, and you would be free to decline the opportunity.

If you’re interested, could you please email Susan Newland (details are below) By Friday June 28th.

• Susan Newland
• Senior Coordinator, Projects and Development, Access Inclusion and Success
• Susan.Newland@monash.edu

Mindful May Events hosted by Counselling and Psychological Services Caulfield

The Counselling and Psychological Services team at Caulfield Campus is running a series of drop-in mindfulness sessions over the next 3 weeks as part of Mindful May.

Mindfulness of eating/Mindfulness of thoughts

• Date: Tuesday 14 May
• Time: 12pm- 1pm
• Venue: K105 Caulfield
• Description: This session will involve 2 mindful exercises to cultivate present moment awareness of our eating, and our thoughts.
• No registration required.

Mindfulness of the senses

• Date: Tuesday 21 May
• Time: 11am- 11:45am
• Venue: K105 Caulfield
• Description: In this session we will explore using our five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell to gently guide our awareness and attention to the present moment.
• No registration required.

Lunchtime mindful movement (online chair yoga)

• Date: Tuesday 28 May
• Time: 1-1:45pm
• Description: This chair yoga session combines yoga-based movements, breath practices, meditation, self-massage and psychoeducation. It aims to increase body awareness, reduce stress and enhance wellbeing.
• Registration required via link.

SMRC Open Day at Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre

Southern Migrant and Resource Centre (SMRC) is happy to invite you to their Open Day at Dingley Village Neighbourhood House to showcase their services they offer to people born overseas and their carers.

SMRC staff will be available for those who need information and assistance in accessing services and aged care systems.

A variety of sessions will be available throughout the day such as:

• Tai Chi
• Dance class
• Horticultural information session
• Potting class and more!
• Refreshments available

Where: 31B Marcus Rd, Dingley Village.

When: Friday 24 May 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For more information visit:

• Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre
• or call SMRC on 9767 1900 or
• E: smrc@smrc.org.au
• www.smrc.org.au

Join Career Connect for Explore Week (11-15 March)

• Are you uncertain about your career direction?
• Would you like to discover ways to explore the diverse options available to you?

Enhance your career planning skills and delve into various career pathways during the upcoming Explore Week series, scheduled from Monday, March 11th, to Friday, March 15th.

Throughout this series, you’ll assess your career preferences, gain insights into different career paths and opportunities, and access a range of career tools and resources that will empower you to make informed decisions and strategically plan your future.

For those who have envisioned being their own boss or innovating in a start-up, The Generator will host a panel of professionals who have integrated entrepreneurship into their careers.

Or if you’re in the process of charting a course towards a career change, join us for an alumni panel where our panellists will share their personal journeys of career evolution.

Crafting a Career is Something That Doesn’t Need to Wait

To view the full program and to register, click here.

• Don’t forget to check out the extra offers and prizes!

Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us at: careerconnect.students@monash.edu.

Future Reset – Maker Space – Free Art Workshops for Deaf and Disabled People

Arts Access Victoria are running a year of FREE creative workshops!

Future Reset – Maker Space is a year of free in person and online visual and digital arts workshops.

• Future Reset – Maker Space is for young Deaf and Disabled people aged 18 – 25 who live in Victoria.

Beginners welcome!

This is a safe space for making art, socialising and creating community with your peers.

Workshops in visual and digital arts, professional development and free studio time, led by Deaf and Disabled artists.

• All workshops are Auslan interpreted.

Join us in person on Saturdays in Melbourne CBD, and online on Wednesday evenings.

Make 2024 your year of creativity and meeting new people.

• Book your free place in the workshops on the Arts Access Victoria website.