Some of Our Parts

KPMG has been engaged by the Australian Government Department of Education to conduct an evaluation of the Disability Support Program. The Disability Support Program is one of the Australian Government’s key responses to assisting people with disability and removing barriers that may be preventing access and participation.

The evaluation will use a variety of methods and tools to collect information including this online survey.  The survey asks broad questions of your experience as a student with disability at university and you do not need to have knowledge of the Disability Support Program. The survey is entirely voluntary and please be assured your responses will be confidential.

Interviews (face to face or telephone) will also assist in the evaluation of the program. The final question of the survey asks if you would be willing to participate in a short interview with one of KPMG’s team. Your participation, whilst very much valued is optional. If you would like to be a part of the interviews would you be so kind as to indicate “Yes” and then complete the contact details as KPMG will need a way to contact you. Guidance about how KPMG will store and use your information can be found in KPMG’s privacy statement.

We greatly appreciate your participation in this survey as we understand this is busy part of the year for you.

Follow the link to the online student survey.

“You’re a really nice computer.”

Happy Friday every body! It’s going to be a cracker of a weekend, so make sure you get some sunshine (and study for exams of course…).

There’s a whole bunch of news this week about the visibility of people with disabilities in the media.

• Where are they all? In children’s books? On TV? On The Apprentice?
• Well here are 10 amazing characters who happen to have a disability.

In other disability news…

• Different bodies, different clothes?
• More wonderful bodies in a fashion shoot.
• A panel discussion on art, bodies and disability.
• Thinking about breaking into politics?
• A personal narrative on mental health.
• Think you knew blindness?

With exams only only two weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about some self-care strategies to support your mental health and well-being and  carry you through to exam success!

The Victorian Department of Education has put together a Strategies for Students document with some handy hints on looking after yourself under stress.

ALSO – did you know that Monash Counselling Services are now available online??

The young carer bursary programme application open SOON on Monday 13th October. These bursaries will assist young carers in greatest need, to continue to study and to relieve the financial pressure for them to undertake part-time work while studying and caring.

Who is eligible?

Young carers aged 25 years and under (born in 1990 or later), may apply for a 2015 bursary if they are:

• studying an approved course either full-time or part-time during 2015 at:
• secondary school
• TAFE
• an apprenticeship, or
• an undergraduate course at university.
• an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident
• not receiving another bursary or scholarship

Young carers may also be eligible if they are not currently enrolled in study or training in 2015 but can prove enrolment if granted the bursary.

How do you apply?

Applications for 2015 bursaries will open on the Monday 13 October 2014 and close on Sunday 9 November 2014. An on-line application form will be available from 13 October which is linked to the Young Carer website. An independent selection panel will assess applications and select recipients based on greatest need.

For more information visit www.youngcarers.net.au ; email ycbursaries@carersaustralia.com.au or ring 1800 756 238.

Good morning everybody! It’s Friday, the sun is (kind of) shining and spring is in the air! Here’s some disability news links to take you into the weekend.

• It’s the last day of Mental Health week! The BBC asks if well-being and mental health are connected and you can get in on a free mindfulness session at Clayton!
• More and more and more Mental Health week articles!
• Consider yourself a bit of a leader? Check out the Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s Empowering Leadership Guide
• The Guardian‘s design blog looks at some amazing new wheelchair technology.
• The amazing Stella Young is a Digital Writer in Residence for the next four weeks – join the conversation!
• A little history lesson in Victorian disability self-advocacy.
• What’s It Like Being Blind and Gay?

Patrick Smith’s Striking Minimalist Posters Reveal What It’s Like To Live With A Mental Health Condition

The ABC’s Q&A program tackled the topic of mental health this week as part of their Mental Health Week.

You can watch the program here.

Dear friends,

We are so proud to share with you that I CAN Network has turned one year old! We have YOU to thank for all your support helping us spread the ‘I CAN’ attitude and promote the fruits of AWEtism.

In a little over a fortnight we run our first-ever I CAN Teens Camp (17-19 October, Doxa Youth Camp, Malmsbury) in partnership with Doxa Youth Foundation and UN Youth Australia. This camp is all about connecting 15-18-year-olds with Asperger’s or high-functioning Autism and giving them opportunities to have fun, make new friends and build their social confidence.

The camp will be run by a team of mentors from I CAN Network who are either young adults on the Autism Spectrum or who work with/ are family to a teenager on the Spectrum. All mentors have Working With Children Checks, have been trained in duty of care and several have been trained in first aid. We will have a registered psychologist available for all participants during the entire camp.

This camp is the perfect opportunity for any Aspie or high-functioning teens out there who want to share their interests, talents and quirks from being on the Autism Spectrum and also empower themselves with the ‘I CAN’ attitude.

Here’s a snapshot of what teenagers will get up to on the I CAN Camp (flyer also attached):

• Games, fun and making new friends
• Team building activities
• Outdoor activities
• Expressing ‘I CAN’ workshop – show what an ‘I CAN’ belief means to you through writing, drawing, music, performance and construction
• ‘Dress to Obsess’ – dress up on Saturday night in your favourite obsession
• ‘I CAN’ talks from speakers including Chris Varney (I CAN Founder) and Tim Chan (19-year-old I CAN Advocate)

This camp will be an awesome experience for Aspie or high-functioning teens. We only have 10 spots left so get in quick! We cannot take any more registrations after Friday 10 October.

We have a simple two-step process to register:

1. Register your interest here and one of our Camp Organisers will give you a call

2. After the call, you can send in the attached registration form and pay the $100 camp fee via http://www.trybooking.com/99628. Note the password is TeensCamp (no space between ‘Teens’ and ‘Camp’)

Your booking will be confirmed once you have returned the registration form electronically and provided a copy of the receipt of payment. Please retain a hard copy of the registration form for the participant to bring to the camp.

For more detail on what’s happening with the Teens Camp, check out this video made by Penny (All Round I CAN Guru) and see the attached info sheet. If you’ve got any queries, please contact Jackie Chanzi (Camp Organiser) on 0403-067-533.

To give you some inspiration, see our #AWEtismRethink video made at our I CAN Camp in April. This is what participant Daniel Giles had to say:

‘The I Can Camp gave people on the Autism Spectrum an opportunity to learn about their strengths and realise that Autism can be used as a strength. The camp also enabled people on the Autism Spectrum to enable others to say ‘I Can’ to life’s opportunities, all from the horse’s mouth!’

Thanks for your support!

I CAN’s Core Enabler’s

Hope every one is enjoying their holiday break! It’s that time of the week for disability related news from around the world.

• Any American Horror Show fans out there? What do you think about the title of this season?
• October is Silent Morning Tea month!
• Young people in Canberra are skilling up in hospitality thanks to a new program!
• Kanye’s disability problem
• A “very accessible and sweet story about disability and coming out“
• Art on the outside
• FRINGE FESTIVAL – QUIPPINGS!

It’s break time! Hope you have some fun/relaxing plans for your mid semester break!

• Access all areas at the Melbourne Fringe Festival
• The annual recipients of the Sync Leadership Training have been announced.
• Disability simulation and “disability for a day”
• Shaky hands and spoons don’t always go so well… until now!
• Have you seen The Dreamhouse? It’s an ABC iView series on independent living.