Some of Our Parts

In response to some enquiries we’d had over here at the DLU regarding clubs and societies on campus, we decided to share with you the process of how you can start your own Monash associated club.

Firstly, you’ll need to see the Development Officer in the Club and Societies Office on Level 1 of the Campus Centre to discuss your options and the formal application process.

Be warned, it can take almost a semester to start up a new club. This includes the time taken for the aims and objectives to be submitted and approved; the club constitution written; 20 names (minimum) of Clayton enrolled Monash students collected on the ‘Expression of Interest’ form; convening the Inaugural Meeting; and new club committee training.

For more information on how to start a club, or to get involved with one of the many existing clubs, see the Monash Clubs and Societies page.

Hi everyone! It’s Friday again….!

• RMIT proposes controversial new ‘Fitness to Study’ tests for mental health
• In more higher education news, some UK schools are moving online.
• Tackling the Kokoda Trail is no big deal, right?
• Sex ed? Zambia? Deafness? It’s a thing, and it’s happening now.
• New hopes to walk again in a robotic exoskeleton. Watch this space!
• Are you technologically savvy? The Australian Human Rights Commission is going to sponsor an award for an accessible app that accommodates the needs of people with disability.

What happens when you give stickers to thousands of kids?

Your vote is important, no matter who you are. We here at the DLU are encouraging all registered students to voice their opinion on September 7th.

For those who are blind or have a vision impairment, the Australian Electoral Council has set up telephone voting and assisted voting services.

Registration for these services opens on the 19th of August, and will be open up until election day.

Google votes!

Happy Friday every one!

I hope you’re keeping warm out dry, it sure is blustery out there.

Some disability news from around the interwebs:

• Election 2013 – what matters to you?
• American Able, a series of photos by Holly Norris, featuring model Jes Sachse.
• Is it just a wheelchair? An insight into disability and identity.
• Disability rights history – ‘The League of the Physically Handicapped‘
• Are any of us neurotypcial? A new PBS documentary investigates.
• Team Obama to chair the 14th Special Olympics in Los Angeles 2015.
• Silent comedy? Check out Lost Voice Guy before the Edinburgh Fringe!

Almost the weeeeekend! (via cute n tiny)

Welcome back every body!

In the news this week:

• It’s the 23rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act! Check out the Capitol Crawl which finally caught the attention of US Senators.
• Sacramento has begun a new campaign for mental illness – Stop Stigma – which aims to show that mental health is an important issue for everyone.
• Today ends Cerebral Palsy Awareness Week – check out what’s going on in your area today!
• This week, Australia announces the an Ambassador for Disability Inclusive Development as part of AusAID‘s work in developing countries.
• All Eyes on Us – a documentary about four amazing individuals performing at the Paralympic games opening ceremony.
• The Dax Centre at Melbourne Uni is hosting a Poetry Collection on the 15th of August. The Centre works to promote mental health and wellbeing by fostering a greater understanding of the mind, mental illness and trauma through art and creativity.

Franco Matticchio

Have a wonderful, cosy weekend!

For August and September only, HumanWare is lowering The price of the Accessible, hand-held, easy-to-use Trekker Breeze talking GPS.

The GPS is now only $695.

Trekker Breeze automatically verbally announces names of streets, intersections and landmarks as you walk. You always know where you are and where you are going on foot or in a vehicle and you can easily find out what is around in your location (public services and businesses).The Trekker Breeze gives you the step-by-step instructions from start to end for following a route to a destination.

At the Vision Australia Texpo exhibition there will be a HumanWare stand and where you can go and have a good feel of, and look at the Trekker Breeze and ask any questions you may have about how it can help your particular travel circumstances.

Humanware can be contacted on 02 9686 2600 or emailed at au.sales@humanware.com if you have any questions about Trekker Breeze or wish to place an order.

Hi everyone!

It’s O-Week, I hope you’re all enjoying your one last week of holidays before classes start again on Monday!

• If you haven’t already heard, Raise the Platform is a new disability advocacy radio show starting on SYN 90.7FM this Saturday at 11am – tune in and you might hear some familiar voices!
• An amazing story from the Guardian about a man who taught himself to see.
• Reasonable adjustments and Ramadan
• Meet Pint Size Boogie – Australia’s first Guide Horse!

It’s a pretty slow news week over here, but let us know if you see or hear of any great disability news!

Also – check out these Food Flags made by advertising company WHYBINTBWA for the Sydney International Food Festival!

Happy Friday every body!

How are your holidays?

• The Gothenburg Cooperative for Independent Living in Sweden is brewing beer for disability awareness! Cheers!
• While these wonderful songbirds are writing A Song, A City to raise funds and awareness around Spina Bifida.
• Fashion Freaks have a range of wheelchair friendly fashion with patterns that you can sew yourself.
• Wheelchair to waves – nothing is impossible.
• The Australian première of HELLO, a long distance dance project for people with disabilities is on next week at 1000 £ Bend in the city!

It’s been pretty quiet around here.

If you hear/see/know of any great items to share on the Friday round up, let us know!

Unite by Lim Heng Swee

It’s that time of the week!

Hope you’re all enjoying your holidays, wherever you are!

Here’s some disability related tidbits from the grapevine from this week:

• Christina Stephens, the Amputee OT takes on a challenge and puts together her Legoleg!
• Check out this gadget that could help you see with your ears!
• Help get Audio Description up on the ABC permanently! Check out the Blind Citizens Australia website to lodge your own complaint.
• Ableism, much?
• Critical gender theory and art nerds! It’s Sunaura Taylor AND Judith Butler taking a walk together!
• Calling all artists! The Institute on Disability is looking for some creative types for it’s 2014 calender!
• Unfit to plead? An interesting article from Bernadette McSherry, theFoundation Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute at the University of Melbourne.
• A Brief History of Down Syndrome
• Why deaf people sneeze silently?

VACATIONS II - Design by Maria del Pilar Botero

I hope you’re all doing marvellous things on your holiday!

Distinguished Monash Alumni, Ron McCallum AO is the Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Chair of Radio for the Print Handicapped of New South Wales Co-operative. He is also one of two Deputy Chairs of Vision Australia and in 2008 was appointed as a member of the Federal Government’s National People with Disabilities and Carers Council.

In 2003, he was awarded a Centenary Medal for his role as a labour law scholar and for his role as a disabled citizen in our nation. In 2006 the Queen’s Birthday honours recognised Professor McCallum with an Officer in the Order of Australia for his services to tertiary education, for industrial relations advice to governments, for assistance to visually impaired persons and for social justice. In 2007 Professor McCallum received an Alumni Achievement Award from Queen’s University Canada where he had undertaken postgraduate studies in law from 1972 to 1974.

In 2008, McCallum was elected to the first Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations which monitors compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In February 2009, he was appointed inaugural Rapporteur to the Convention and in October was elected Chair of the Committee. He was re-elected to the Committee in 2010 and remains as Chair.

Watch his inspiring TedX Talk, ‘My Insight Into The Blind Reading Revolution‘, or read his Alumni profile here.