Some of Our Parts

“Another myth that is firmly upheld is that disabled people are dependent and non-disabled people are independent. No one is actually independent. This is a myth perpetuated by disablism and driven by capitalism – we are all actually interdependent. Chances are, disabled or not, you don’t grow all of your food. Chances are, you didn’t build the car, bike, wheelchair, subway, shoes, or bus that transports you. Chances are you didn’t construct your home. Chances are you didn’t sew your clothing (or make the fabric and thread used to sew it). The difference between the needs that many disabled people have and the needs of people who are not labelled as disabled is that non-disabled people have had their dependencies normalized. The world has been built to accommodate certain needs and call the people who need those things independent, while other needs are considered exceptional. Each of us relies on others every day. We all rely on one another for support, resources, and to meet our needs. We are all interdependent. This interdependence is not weakness; rather, it is a part of our humanity”

– AJ Withers, Disability Politics and Theory, p109

A new initiative run by Hunter TAFE’s NSW Consumer Support and Training Project with disability consultants, E-QUAL is calling out for applications to ‘Leaders for Tomorrow’. The 12 month program is designed to for young people with disabilities to enhance their leadership potentials through a range of training, coaching, mentoring, other leadership development opportunities and a two day workshop retreat.

Applicants are invited from all areas of skill levels and leadership interests.

And best of all – it’s free! The program is funded by the Australian Government Department of  Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and covers Travel and accommodation for the retreat, workshop, most course costs, conference costs (domestic), carer or other support cost, interpreters and child care.

At the completion of the year long program, graduates will then be able to pass on their own pearls of wisdom to the following intake, working as mentors.

Click here for more information and application forms.

The Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS) is part of the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria and works with and alongside young people who have disabilities. As part of their advocacy work, they aim to make voices heard, as well as shift the way in which disability is viewed and understood in our culture. YDAS provides both individual and systemic advocacy, and has in the past held many events and workshops that address various issues faced young people with a disability.

One of their most recent projects has been to educate young people with disabilities on the support services available if they are thinking about moving out of home.

While we at the DLU will endeavour to keep you informed of future events such as these through the Some of Our Parts blog, we would like to invite all DLU students to browse through the YDAS site, and check out what events are happening throughout the year.

For the meantime, as the start of semester dawns upon us, classes clash and unclash, and sleep-ins become all that more precious, future Monash DLU students should watch ‘Tips for Tertiary’ – a 30 minute video by YDAS (includes closed captions), in which university and TAFE students share their individual experiences in tertiary education. The film covers the advice that current students with a disability would have loved to have had when they began their tertiary journey, as well as insights from professionals in the field of inclusive education and disability.

La Trobe University is sponsoring a research projected titled Successful Transition to Post-Secondary Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who started the first year of a course at TAFE, College or University in Semester 1, 2012 and their parents/guardians are sought as participants.

Participation will involve a series of short, anonymous questionnaires online about the student’s background and their own, or their child’s, experience at TAFE, College or University. This will take about 20 minutes and links with be provided via email once you have registered your interest.

If you would like to participate, please contact Robin Giles by email  rbgiles@students.latrobe.edu.au, phone 0419 177 098, or see the attached flyer.

NOTE: participants in this project have the opportunity to enter a draw to win 1 of 2 $100.00 JB Hi-Fi vouchers (1 student, 1 parent voucher). This project has been granted approval Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering Human Ethics Committee, and complies with the National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans and with University guidelines on Ethics Approval for Research with Human Subjects.