Some of Our Parts

Take a look at the amazing documentary, Deaf Teens: Hearing World, directed by Claire Braden. The film follows five deaf teenagers as they take their first steps into the hearing world. It follows some extraordinary young people who have some extreme and surprising attitudes towards their deafness, highlighting how not all deaf teens want to be able to hear and are often defiant against being part of the hearing world, but also the lengths some deaf teenagers will go to to improve their hearing.

The Sound of Nature by Tang Yau Hoong

Welcome to the first Friday DLU Round Up of 2o14!

Each Friday morning we will post up some of the most interesting and important disability related news from around the world.

• Find out why Stella Young is obsessed with toilets.
• Want to head to the Melbourne Comedy Festival and need an Auslan interpreter?
• Check out the Guardian‘s photo series on school children in Uganda with vision impairments to assist the Sightsavers charity campaign  to change attitudes about living with disabilities
• Meet Australia’s Winter Paralympic team for Sochi 2014!
• Does the international symbol for disability need a re-design?
• The cutest ever little boy and his cutest ever three-legged dog. EVER.

And that’s it for this week. Hope you all had a fabulous first week back!

Happy weekend!

Youngcare is an organisation that supports people with high needs and provides ‘At Home Care Grants’ allowing high needs young people aged 18-65 to live at home, preventing the need for them to move into aged care facilities.

One off grants can be used for provision of essential support items such as hoists, wheelchairs, emergency respite care and renovations to make homes disability friendly.

This year, $200,000 is available to young Victorians needing assistance.

Applications close on Friday 4th April, 2014.

See the Youngcare website for more details including Victorian grants.

From Monash Sport News:

As a part of our ongoing commitment to provide for all our member’s and customer’s needs, Monash Sport is proud to continue to improve accessibility specifically for those with limited mobility or wheelchair access requirements.

As a part of this commitment, we have refurbished the Change Rooms at the Doug Ellis Swimming pool to feature two dedicated accessible change rooms. The male and female change rooms also feature an ambulant toilet.

Additionally, the accessible ramp and adjacent stairs at the main entry to the Monash Sport building (Building 1) has been updated to include a compliant hand rail and tactile tiles.

With refurbishments to the Stadium Change Rooms finishing in February, the accessible change room was open to also provide great accessibility to Monash Sport for all. This change room has been reconfigured so that the entry is located directly on the main corridor, rather than near the entry to the male change rooms. The male and female change rooms also feature an ambulant toilet.

To further this commitment, we are also currently constructing an accessible lift to allow access from the ground floor to the first floor of the Gym at Clayton. These works are already underway and will be finished by February/ March 2014.

Monash Sport looks forward to further improving our environment in 2014 to provide greater accessibility access.

Welcome to the Monash O -Week for 2014!

The sun is out, the festivities are buzzing, the music is pumping and the lines for free food are growing! Make the most of the week by checking out all the various events and activities and events on your Monash campus.

Just a reminder, as well – the Monash Disability Liaison Unit is running an Open House all this week. That means if you have any questions at all about disabilities or mental health conditions that you feel might impact on your studies, pop into the DLU in Building 55 (right at the bus loop, near the Law Building and Menzies). You can speak to one of our friendly Disability Liaison Officers who will be able to assist you with any inquiries you might have.

Also, starting tomorrow, we will also be running DLU Campus Tours around the Caulfield and Clayton campuses. Tours are open to all registered students, and will operate as a drop-in service with no formal registration required. However, if there are any specific parts of the university or DLU services you are interested in visiting on one of these tours, please let us know in advance and we will try our best to cater for your requests.

• Clayton tours will run from 2pm on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of O-Week (26th, 27th and 28th February)
  Tours will meet outside Building 55 at 1.50pm for a 2pm start
• Caulfield tours will run from 2pm on the Tuesday of O-Week (25th of February)
  Tours will meet outside Monash Connect (Building A, ground floor) at 1.50pm for a 2pm start

Campus maps will be provided on the day and it may be advisable to bring your own pen and paper to take notes.
Let us know in advance if you require Auslan interpreters, electric scooters or have any other accessibility requirements.

If you have any further questions or concerns about the tours, please contact Sarah Mander at sarah.mander@monash.edu or on 9905 3857.

A message from I CAN Network co-founder, Penny Robinson:

The I CAN Network was started by Monash alumnus Chris Varney, and current student James Ong, and we had our first meeting on Thurs 19 Sept 2013. We have had a busy few months since we started.

Social get-togethers at Monash Caulfield

Last year, a few people expressed their interest at some I CAN meetings being at the Monash Caulfield campus. Penny Robinson, Monash staff member + student, will be at Caulfield campus on the following dates for a coffee get-together for anyone interested in meeting up and having a chat (Note: She has a block day from 10am – 4pm, so might be slightly late.) Please let Penny know via email (Penny.Robinson@monash.edu) if you plan to come.

• Wed 19 Feb from 4 pm, Gryph Inn Bistro & Bar, Caulfield campus
• Tues 25 Feb from 4 pm, Gryph Inn Bistro & Bar, Caulfield campus
• Wed 12 March from 4 pm, Gryph Inn Bistro & Bar, Caulfield campus
• Fri 4 April from 4 pm, Gryph Inn Bistro & Bar, Caulfield campus

We’ve got a strong social media presence now:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/I_CAN_Network

Facebook for the I CAN Network (Australia). [Open group, so everyone can see the group and can see your posts.] https://www.facebook.com/groups/icannetwork.au/

Facebook for the I CAN Network (Monash). [Currently a secret group – it will be changed to a “closed” group soon. Your friends can see the group, but can’t see what you post within the group.) https://www.facebook.com/groups/The.ICAN.Network.MonashUni/

Basic website: www.icannetwork.com.au

Email address: the.ican.network@gmail.com

We have also produced two editions of a newsletter, which we’ve called “The Grapevine”. If you want to subscribe to The Grapevine mailing list, send an email to the I CAN Network.

The Nov edition is here.

The Dec/Jan edition is here.

Thanks,
Penny

The Disability Liaison Unit (DLU) is seeking volunteer student mentors as part of our PEERS Program. Successful registered students who are willing to share their knowledge and experience are encouraged to apply. We also welcome applications from mature-age students.

The program matches students registered with the DLU with a student mentor for regular meetings throughout semester. Mentors provide support, encouragement and information to their mentee to assist them successfully navigate university life. This could mean attending university social events together, referral to appropriate Monash services, navigation around campus or simply having a chat over coffee.

Mentors are trained and supported by the Disability Liaison Unit. Participants will receive a certificate of appreciation at the end of semester.

Why be a mentor?

Being a mentor can:

• Enhance your personal and professional development
• Add skills to your résumé to enhance employability
• Introduce you to new friends and social activities
• Increase your networking potential across the University

What is required

Peer mentors should:

• Be available to attend a 1-hour training and induction session
• Be able to meet with your mentee regularly for the duration of the semester (this can also be in an online capacity)
• Be able to provide the details of a referee upon request
• Have knowledge of Monash academic and social life

Complete the application form to register your interest in becoming a DLU PEERS Mentor.

We will be in touch with further information before the beginning of semester. Participation in the program is obviously dependent upon finding a suitable student for you to be matched with.

If you have any questions about the program please contact Sarah Mander on 03 9905 3857 or email sarah.mander@monash.edu.

Heading into the city with your wheels? The City of Melbourne has now equipped its  libraries with recharge points for anyone using electric scooters or wheelchairs. The designated power points are available to recharge the batteries for standard mobility aides (users will need to supply their own battery charger).

The City Library, North Melbourne Library and East Melbourne Library are all equipped with multiple recharge points at locations within each library. Recharge points are also available at Travellers Aid sites at Flinders and Southern Cross Station and are available to use free of charge.

Other recharge points across Victoria can be found listed at the Recharge Scheme’s website.

It’s been a long time between drinks, and we hope you all had a brilliant holiday break soaking up the sun, globe-trotting,  spending some time with your friends or whatever it is you got up to.

If you are a newly registered DLU student or thinking about registering with us, this is our blog, where we bring you news and events from around the internet that might be of interest to our students. Here you’ll also find specifically related DLU news, which may be relevant to you.

While enrolments are only slowly beginning, and you’re probably only just starting to think a little bit about the semester that lies ahead, the Some of Our Parts blog is starting to get on track with 2014.

• Jillian Mercado is one sassy wheel-chaired fashion blogger, who sits front row at New York Fashion Week, and featured in a Diesel fashion shoot.
• Online dating with a disability? What’s your strategy?
• If you’re a talented artist with a disability, you should check out the Australia Council’s Grant. You’ve got until the start of March to get your application in!
• Liz Carr, UK comedienne, broadcaster, actor and disability rights activist is doing a special performance presented by Disability Media Australia on the 6th of February at 6pm, Loop Bar, in Meyers Place Melbourne. See the Arts Access Victoria link for more details!
• Back to Back Theatre is a Geelong based theatre company prides itself on creating theatre with people who are perceived to have a disability. They are holding a Summer School Program in March for any budding Thespians.

That’s all we’ve got for now, just drop in again soon – and don’t forget to keep in touch! We love when our students submit stories and events.

Amazing Christmas Special Open now until Friday 20 December!

New Generation of Victor Reader Stream on sale at never to be repeated prices!

This unit normally retails at $425. You can have it for $300 (plus shipping).

This very special once only price is subsidised by Vision Australia Library for people signing up to become online only members using the i-access online service to download books, magazines and newspapers instead of receiving compact disks.

The new Generation of Victor Reader Stream incorporates many features frequently asked for by users. Some of these are listed here:

• A clock for having the time and date announced;
• The ability to charge the device with a USB connection to a computer or USB wall charger such as that used for a mobile phone;
• A clearer and louder speaker so you can easily listen to books and other audio files over normal ambient noises at home or work;
• New types of Text-To-speech voices (including an Australian voice) which sound almost human-like;
• A redesigned casing that is smaller, lighter and very comfortable to hold in one hand;
• Wifi connectivity allows software upgrades and access to Bookshare;
• 15 hours of playback time.

Orders can be placed with Ramona Mandy at Humanware. Email Ramona at ramona.mandy@humanware.com or Call (03) 9686-2601.

Offer is also open to existing library members wishing to become online only members.

Orders received after 20th December will not be accepted.