Some of Our Parts

Next Week is Pride Week!

Pride Week 2022 coincides with the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) on 17 May, and provides an important opportunity to bring our community together to share stories, learn, teach and to celebrate our LGBTIQA+ community.

• Pride Week commences with the Pride Flag being raised concurrently at each of our Victorian campuses on Monday 16 May at 10am.

Pride Flag Raising Ceremony

• Monday 16 May, 10am
• Caulfield, Clayton, Parkville and Peninsula

Join us at each of our Victorian campuses as we raise the Pride Flag to mark the start of Pride Week 2022. Hear how Monash is fostering a culture of inclusion and respect, and join your campus community and allies for morning tea.

The Pride Flag will fly at each of our campuses across the week, and is an important symbol of our solidarity with the LGBTIQA+ community.

Register now

• LGBTIQA+ Ally Training, as well as the new student-delivered Pronoun Pro Training, are also running during this week.

I CAN Network Resources to Help Young People with Executive Functioning Challenges

The I CAN Network have made available online a downloadable tip sheet, “Executive Functioning & Anxiety: Insights & Tips for Adults Who Support Autistic Young People“, which also contains tips for the classroom and home, along with recommended resources.

They have also included a complementary tip sheet, ‘Getting Things Done – Tips For Our Younger Autistic Peers’ which contains practical advice for young people (see below).

In addition to these Autistic-crafted tip sheets on Executive Functioning, I CAN Network also have an array of other tip sheets to support the wellbeing of Autistic young people including:

• Managing Overwhelm (Meltdowns, Shutdowns & Burnouts)
• Support for Autistic LGBTIQA+ Young People
• Nurturing Self-Esteem Pride In Autistic Young People and more

Key Insights to Helping People with Executive Functioning Challenges

• APPRECIATE THAT EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ISN’T JUST PLANNING, ORGANISING AND TIME MANAGEMENT.

It also includes prioritisation, problem solving & flexible thinking, working memory, self awareness & self regulation, task initiation to task completion, attention and self advocacy. Many of us Autistic/Neurodivergent people find these things quite difficult.

• RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE & MINDSETS.

Often young people who have poor executive functioning skills are labelled disorganised, messy, resistant, underachievers, daydreamers, manipulative or disruptive. But they are really just young people who lack skills to be able to carry out certain functions without meaningful support and understanding.

• UNDERSTAND THAT ANXIETY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ARE INTERCONNECTED.

When your anxiety goes up, your executive functioning capability goes down and with it, your performance. This reduces your confidence and your motivation, which can create a downward spiral unless support is put in place. Reducing anxiety for your young person – through things like sensory accommodations and clarity around expectations, for instance – is central to supporting their executive functioning capability.

• BE THAT SAFE PERSON.

Your young person/student might feel confused, frustrated and embarrassed that everyone else around them seems to have solid executive functioning skills and they do not. You are more likely to be able to help if the young person trusts you, feels safe and does not think you’ll judge them.

• DEVELOP A COLLABORATIVE PLAN WITH YOUR YOUNG PERSON.

Work with your young person on a plan. Quick, simple changes that can be implemented every day are likely to be more effective than something that takes two weeks to learn, but the young person gives up before it becomes a habit. It should be a team effort, the young person doesn’t necessarily have to make all the changes. Start with what is getting in the way the most, or where the young person wants to start.

• CONTINUE TO SEEK OUT AUTISTIC & OTHER NEURODIVERGENT VOICES.

Executive functioning and its impact on daily living and sense of self are common themes among Autistic/Neurodivergent authors, bloggers and vloggers (see links embedded in the tip sheets below as examples). Seeking out these insights will not only help you understand and support your young person more effectively, it will help reassure your young person that they are not alone.

• Find out more about these resources and other helpful programs at I CAN Network online

Have You Been Diagnosed with ADHD in Adulthood?

There is a research project to better understand your experiences and the types of supports you want!

Researchers from the University of Canberra are looking for university students aged 18 and older who have been diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood.

This research seeks to discover the daily challenges of ADHD and how these challenges are being addressed in the university setting.

Dates and times for participating are flexible and involve 60- minute interviews with the researcher and the completion of a 5-minute survey both conducted online.

Participant Requirements

• Students who are 18 years or older
• Are currently attending an Australian university
• Been diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood by a health professional
• Speak English as a first language

Contact Information

If you meet the criteria and are willing to participate, please contact the email address: u3202854@uni.canberra.edu.au

• This project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Canberra (HREC – 11599)

Job Opportunity for Students: eExams Assistant

AUSLAN Interpreted Theatre Performance on Clayton Campus

Monash Uni Student Theatre (MUST) are thrilled to be presenting an AUSLAN interpreted performance on campus next month – Friday May 6 2022!

MUST are presenting the first full-scale Melbourne production of Kill Climate Deniers, a riotous black comedy by David Finnigan;

“…one of the most daring and important plays of the decade.” (Pleasance Theatre, UK).

Part action-movie, part documentary, part manic farce and part rave; KCD marries madcap satire with deeply urgent conversations about our future – all accompanied by a pumping techno soundtrack!

As Fleetwood Mac take to the stage in our nation’s capital, armed eco-terrorists storm the building and take the government hostage, threatening to kill them unless Australia ends climate change. Tonight!

Now beleaguered Environment Minister Gwen Malkin has no choice but to grab a gun and stand up for her ideals – one terrorist at a time.

• Directed by Yvonne Virsik
• Venue: The Alexander Theatre, 48 Exhibition Walk, Monash University, CLAYTON
• Season: May 5 – 7, AUSLAN interpreted performance May 6, 7.30pm
• Tickets ON SALE NOW: msa.monash.edu/kcd
• Run time: 90 minutes, no interval

Are You a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Performing Artist?

There is a call out for all scriptwriters, actors, directors, and theatre producers with the plan to put on a show in mid 2023.

Soundfair will assemble a creative team to write and produce an original piece of work that portrays the richness of Deaf and hard of hearing living experiences.

If you’re interested, get in touch at lourdes@soundfair.org.au.

AFL Includes Captions on Club Song

*From ABC News Online

The AFL (Australian Football League) has belatedly installed closed captions on team songs so deaf and hard of hearing barrackers can join in match day singalongs.

All grounds will display words on the big screens.

The improvement has come after years of advocacy.

AFL Disability Inclusion Manager Tim Nield said this was a step towards providing better coverage of the game for supporters.

“Coming to a game of AFL and being able to engage in the team’s club song, whether it’s been at the start of the game or at the end of the game, it’s sort of been an opportunity starved of the deaf and hard of hearing community,” Mr Nield said.

• Read the whole article on ABC NEWS

Caulfield Campus Upgrades to Buildings B & C

Monash is planning several important upgrades and improvements to our Caulfield Campus in 2022.

Part of the plan is to remove the escalators in Building B in April to provide additional usable floor area in Building B.

The existing escalator space will be converted to a diverse informal foyer/ seating lounge on each level to support interactive learning experiences and contribute to the ongoing vitality, function and activation of the Caulfield campus.

During this period we encourage staff and students to use the 3 staircases within the building complex, especially for single floor changes.

Health & Wellbeing signage will be erected to help promote this initiative. For staff and students who can’t use the staircases, are travelling many floors or require wheelchair access, please use the existing lifts (available for usage until mid-January 2023, at which point they will be replaced).

Additional Lifts

As part of the work, we’re also installing additional lifts to provide better vertical transportation within the building. The new lifts will be available ready for usage in January 2023.

To build the new lift core, the existing Campus Community Division area in building C level 1 will be demolished to make way for the new lift core structural foundations and lobby space. Hoardings will be erected outside Building C and in Building C Level 1.

Thank you for your patience while these important redevelopments occur. Please contact DSS if you have any questions or concerns about access.

Through the Employers Lens – A Free Online Event for Businesses!

When: Thursday 21st April at 2pm AEST

• Learn about funding and other assistance that is available to employers to cover the costs of employing staff with disability
• Hear from management at the ABC about their experience with employing staff who are blind or vision impaired
• Hear from employees who are blind or vision impaired about how they work and how they have managed to make their work environment safe.
• Learn how your business can become more diverse and inclusive.

Register now via this link  

• If you have any questions or would like more information, please call Blind Citizens Australia on 1800 033 660 or email cheryl.gration@bca.org.au

Applications Still Open – 2023 Policy Futures Graduate program

The Policy Futures Graduate Program is a two-year industry-leading program that provides recent graduates a unique opportunity to make a positive difference to Queensland communities while building a rewarding career in the Queensland public sector.

As a Policy Futures graduate you will undertake rotations across three different Queensland Government agencies, gaining exposure to diverse and complex policy environments.

Eligibility for the Program

Whatever you studied, from law to accounting, creative industries to social work – it’s likely that your insight and experience will be of value.

To be eligible for the program, you must have the right to work in Australia and have graduated from a bachelor’s degree or higher (including graduate certificate, master’s degree or PhD) between 1 January 2021 and 1 February 2023.

There is no minimum GPA required.

About the Offer

As a Policy Futures graduate you will receive the benefits of working for the Queensland Government which include:

• a starting salary of $65,116 per annum
• up to 12.75% employer superannuation
  contribution
• 17.5% annual leave loading
• flexible work arrangements
• generous leave entitlements
• salary packaging options
• a diverse and inclusive workplace
• programs that support a healthy work environment
• opportunities for professional development, networking and career progression

Diversity and Inclusion

There is a commitment to creating a diverse workforce and workplace where everyone feels safe, respected and included.

The Policy Futures recruitment process is an inclusive process that aims to provide all candidates the best opportunity to demonstrate their suitability for the program.

Accessibility requests can be provided throughout the recruitment process. All applicants are encouraged to apply for Policy Futures.

How to Apply

Visit the Policy Futures website for information on the application process, which includes an application form, online testing, video interview and
assessment centre.

• APPLY HERE!
• Applications close Thursday 7 April 2022.