Some of Our Parts

The relationship between Dysarthria and individual communication aspects of Friedreich’s Ataxia

To try to focus on the ugly reality of Friedreich’s Ataxia, along with the term and phrase dysarthria will have many confused. Meanwhile, those suffering from the condition find it increasingly difficult to engage in meaningful communication about their condition.

And so, those of us suffering from this blight, find ourselves baring the brunt of stereotype, stigma and presumed lack of ability. Our place in the economy is defined by our “disutility”.

But there is no doubt we can still achieve. In my own case, my achievements have been considerable, but there is still the possibility of further and ongoing achievement, as there is with all who have to battle with Friedreich’s Ataxia.

In my recent blog post, I discuss the relationship between Dysarthria and my individualistic style of Friedreich’s Ataxia. Read it here.

Peter Gibilisco

Free Webinar: PACE Mentoring – Industry Mentoring Program for Students and Jobseekers with Disability

With the unemployment rate of Australians with disability at 9.4%, compared to 4.9% of people without disability, programs like PACE are vital to equitably include people with disability in employment.

PACE, or Positive Action towards Career Engagement, is a free program connecting jobseekers with disability with mentors from leading Australian organisations. It is an opportunity for mentees to work one-on-one with a mentor to gain industry exposure, build professional networks and increase employability skills.

Run across Australia, the program is a four-month commitment between August and December. Mentors and mentees meet at the mentors workplace once a fortnight during the four months. During the program, the mentee and mentor will set goals and desired outcomes, discuss experiences, skills, and career pathways.

In this free webinar, listen to the Program Manager discuss how your student and jobseeker networks can connect with a mentor this Spring in the free PACE Mentoring Program.

Step 1: Webinar Login

http://omnovia.redbackconferencing.com.au/redback

Participant Code: 6367 393 293

Step 2: Teleconference

Phone: 1800 896 323

Participant Code: 6367 393 293

Please advise if you have any accessibility requirements for the session. All webinars will be live captioned. Contact us for more details.

Contact the AND Team on 03 9621 2276 or applications@and.org.au if you have any questions.

US Law Academic Scholarship – Accepting Applications from International Students

The members of the American Law Firm, Kinney, Fernandez & Boire (KF&B) have created the US$1000 KF&B LawAcademic Scholarship, which is in its second year, to help one student lessen their financial burden from school.

Here are some details below:

Eligibility:

• High school seniors who have already been accepted into a college or university.
• Current college students who haven’t reached their final year.
• International Law students that have been accepted into a US college or university – including those on an exchange program.

Guidelines:

KF&B wants to hear your answer to the following question in the form of a 500-word essay:

“Who is your greatest role model”?

Submission Deadline:

The deadline for submissions is May 1st, 2020.

Winner Selection:

The KF&B scholarship committee will select a winner once the submission deadline approaches. The winner will be contacted no later than the first week of June 2020. The winner will have 2 weeks to respond to confirm their information or a new winner will be selected. Once a winner’s information has been confirmed KF&B will award $1000 to the student’s financial aid department at their school.

The $1000 scholarship will be awarded to the winner’s school’s financial aid department.

Please see the link below for more information:

https://kfblaw.com/scholarship/

Global First Report Launched with partners Microsoft and Adobe

A new report by CfID, with partners Microsoft and Adobe, ‘Designing for Everyone’ is full of information to help you get inclusive design over the line

Dr Manisha Amin, CEO of Centre for Inclusive Design, said,

“Inclusive design is design that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference.”

After calls from customers of Centre for Inclusive Design to identify the business benefits, they realised this research had never been done.

Along with partners Adobe and Microsoft, they commissioned PwC to identify how organisations and industries can gain economic benefit from inclusive design.

The outcome is a powerful resource for anyone looking to build a business case for incorporating inclusive design in to their work.

“We knew instinctively economic benefits exist, but the outcomes from the report show an incredible, largely untapped, opportunity.” said Dr Amin.

“Inclusively designed products and services have the potential to reach four times more customers than those that are not designed inclusively.”

Jeremy Thorpe, Partner and Chief Economist, PwC, said,

“Inclusive design is a no-regrets process that creates significant benefits. It is an overlooked step in maximising the potential of Australian business and ensuring a more productive Australia.”

David Masters, Corporate Affairs Director, Microsoft Australia, said,

“Accessibility is often focused on compliance, and while that is incredibly important, this report clearly shows that inclusion drives economic benefit too. Embedding inclusion in the upfront design phase ensures organisations are delivering products and services for everyone. Inclusive design is driving innovation at Microsoft and is a concept that all organisations should be embracing.”

Suzanne Steele, Managing Director, Adobe Australia and New Zealand, said,

“Through our partnership with the Centre for Inclusive Design and Microsoft, we want to raise awareness of the importance for organisations to include a diverse range of voices and perspectives within their teams in order to reflect the diversity of the Australian population in their products and services.”

The report analyses three key industries in Australia – education, retail and financial services – that can benefit from implementing inclusive design and drive financial, economic and social improvements.

Among these benefits, businesses have the opportunity to increase their revenue by growing their target markets and include Australians vulnerable to exclusion, who possess over $40 billion in annual disposable income.

You can access the full report and a summary here:

http://www.centreforinclusivedesign.org.au/community/blog/2019/may/21/world-first-report-research-reveals-inclusive-design-can-expand-customer-reach-fourfold/

Apply Now for PACE Mentoring

PACE Mentoring connects students and jobseekers with disability with mentors from leading Australian organisations. You’ll be matched to an experienced professional who will help you identify and reach your career development goals and build your confidence in a workplace environment.

How does it work?

PACE runs across 16 weeks between August and December. You’ll meet with you mentor once a fortnight during that time. Meetings last around one to two hours and are planned to suit you and your mentor’s schedules.

Mentees can discuss their career goals and aspirations, and get help to develop a plan for their personal and professional development. Meetings with mentors may include:

• Reviewing resumes and cover letters
• Mock interviews
• Networking with other professionals
• Building confidence
• Attending events and team meetings

After you apply, AND matches you with a mentor based on the information provided in your application. Consideration for matching includes your preferred industry, the skills you want to develop, the goals you set, and your location.

Am I eligible?

• Be over 18 years of age
• Identify as having any type of disability

 How do I apply?

• Read the details on our information page for students and complete our online application form before the end of June 2019. Early applications are recommended.

Apply Here Now!

Dial in to an Info Session:

For more information about what to expect from the PACE Mentoring program, dial in to one of our info sessions via webinar.

• Friday 31 May 12:30pm – 1:15pm
• Thursday 13 June 12:30pm – 1:15pm
• Monday 24 June 11:30am – 12:15pm

(If you are dialling in from outside Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra, please consider time differences)

Step 1: Webinar Login

http://omnovia.redbackconferencing.com.au/redback

Participant Code: 6367 393 293

Step 2: Teleconference

Phone: 1800 896 323

Participant Code: 6367 393 293

Please advise if you have any accessibility requirements for the session. We can arrange captioning for the session with 72 hours notice.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

• Contact the AND Programs Team at applications@and.org.au or 03 9621 2276.
• Follow the PACE Mentoring Facebook Page for updates

The Programs Team (Philip, Sneha, Tess & Isabel)

Stepping Into & PACE Mentoring

Level 3, 80 Clarence St, Sydney, 2000

Level 1, 2 Queen St, Melbourne, 3000

T 1300 36 36 45  |  W www.and.org.au  |  E applications@and.org.au

To hear about opportunities for students and jobseekers with disability subscribe to our Mailing List

Have You Shared Information about Your Disability with an Education Provider or Employer?

Ali Parker, from National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) team, wants to help people build skills and confidence to share information about disability with potential education providers and employers. This includes information about adjustments or supports that may be needed.

How can you help?

The NDCO needs as many people as possible who have a lived experience of disability to complete a survey.

Have you shared or tried to share information about your disability with an education provider or employer?  Is this you? They would love to hear from you!

• This survey is completely anonymous. Please fill in and/or share.
• Link to the survey: https://forms.gle/GhiPqGZPeHUXFBLz7
• Survey closes 29 April 2019.

Thank you – from the National Disability Coordination Officer team.

Ali Parker

National Disability Coordination Officer – Western Melbourne Region 12

M  0413 362 076   |  E  a.parker@deakin.edu.au   |   www.ndcovictoria.net.au

6 and ½ Years on a Dunghill: Life in Specialist Disability Accommodation

New Book by Monash Alumnus Peter Gibilisco

Peter Gibilisco’s aim in this book is to affirm vital principles that must be better understood and implemented if the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is going to be of benefit and fulfil its mandate; so that care doesn’t become careless.

He wants to encourage people to keep on pushing the case for disability justice! His book is aimed at those providing a service to people with disabilities with high support needs.

Peter wants to address all who are involved in disability care: professionals, social workers and especially those managing facilities that look after communities and groups of people.

Reviewer’s comments:

“Peter Gibilisco writes of his experience living with a disability and fighting for his rights. It is a remarkable insight into the frustrations of dealing with bureaucracies for those with disabilities. Peter describes his experiences and his views on how the lives of those with a disability can be improved by changing processes and removing barriers.”

Prof. Martin Delatycki, Med. Dir., Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Dir. Friedreich Ataxia Clinic, Monash Medical Centre, Co-Dir., Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

“This book will strike a chord with people who have disabilities everywhere, especially those with severe physical disabilities living in shared supported accommodation facilities. With great intelligence and integrity it describes the mental torture associated with a disintegration of control and individuality worsened by factors as fundamental as a lack of empathy and continuity in the caring relationship. It gives voice to serious shortcomings in a system that is failing many in the provision of truly individualised care.”

Jenny Williams, BA BSW MSW, Social Worker, Friedreich Ataxia Clinic, Monash Medical Centre 

Ordering: 

Six and a Half Years on a Dunghill can be purchased from Amazon as a paperback or in kindle ebook format. It can also be purchased from Fishpond for Australians.

You can also order directly from Peter Gibilisco.

Internship Applications Closing on 7th APRIL 2019

The Australian Network on Disability runs the Stepping into Program twice a year. Stepping Into is a paid internship program designed specifically for university students with disability to assist them to gain meaningful work experience in the area of their study, to assist them to transition into employment once they complete their degree.

Students learn about the recruitment process, job interviews and if successful, gain exposure to degree-relevant work in a forward-thinking organisation

Internships generally last four to eight weeks (with the opportunity for flexible work hours to manage your disability or other commitments).The AND programs team are available throughout the entire process for support, advice and guidance on how to ensure your internship is a success.

This Winter cohort we have a variety of organisation participating

To view the current positions available, please visit our website. www.and.org.au/pages/current-internships.html

Opportunities are based in:

• Canberra
• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide
• Newcastle

Am I eligible?

• Applicants must be in the penultimate year of their degree – this means due to graduate either middle or end of 2020
• Applicants must identify as having disability
• International students may apply pending they have full time working rights within Australia
• Applicants from all degree areas are encouraged to apply

How do I apply?

To be considered for the program, Apply Here before midnight Sunday 7^th April 2019

• Please keep your Stepping Into application form generic.
• The team at AND will contact you to arrange your Skype/ phone/ face-to-face Interview
• The team at AND will inform you of the outcome of your application May 2019.

For previous applicants and still eligible

• If you have previously applied and still eligible for the program please email us so we can copy your application to the Winter cohort.
• There is no need for you to complete another interview if you have attended an interview for the last 12 months.
• Submit your 3 preferences before or by 7^th April 2019 by EMAIL. Click here for the list of opportunities for Winter 2019 internships.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

If you’d like to find out more, please visit the AND website, email applications@and.org.au, or call 1300 36 36 45 to speak to a member of the Stepping Into team.

Taking Accessibility Into The Design Process (Hassell Inclusion)

Inclusive design is starting to ride a wave of popularism, formed from companies like Microsoft and Adobe making a commitment to ID.

READ MORE…

Inclusive Clothing (ABC News)

‘When Trish Jackson goes shopping at any department store, she knows it will be a difficult experience to find items that suit her needs.

More than 4 million Australians are estimated to have a disability, yet there are only a handful of boutique manufacturers across the country making inclusive and adaptive clothing for them.’

READ MORE….