Some of Our Parts

Students registered with Monash Disability Services can apply for a limited number of funded places for the Willing and Able Mentoring (WAM) Program, now run by Diversity Recruitment and Training. WAM matches mentors with students with disability within the professional area the student is interested in.

In the 13 years the WAM Program has been operating, mentees report that through their participation they have:

• gained confidence and clarity about their career direction
• valuable contacts in the professional area
• increased skills in developing their resume
• improved interview skills
• developed ideas about solving disability related challenges

Some mentees gained work-placements and others have even gained a job.

The WAM Program involves:

• Induction session (via phone or in person) detailing the program
• A series of mentoring meetings in the mentor’s workplace
• A program manual to guide the mentor and mentee through the program, plus full support from our staff
• Debriefing and certificate presentation event at the conclusion of the program.

How to apply for the half-year intake in 2014

If you are registered with Disability Services and wish to apply for a funded place in the WAM Program, please complete the Expression of Interest Form, which will be sent to: disabilityservices@monash.edu .

You may also post, fax, or drop off the form to the main Disability Services Office at Level 1, Building 55, Clayton Campus, Monash University VIC 3800; fax number: 9905 5517.

*NOTE: all applications for funding to Disability Services must be received by close of business, Friday 29th August, 2014. No WAM Mentorships for Monash students will be funded without prior approval by Disability Services.

PACE (Positive Action towards Career Engagement) has been developed in response to requests from our members wanting to facilitate opportunities for people with disability. PACE gives students and/or jobseekers with disability an opportunity to develop their skills and confidence in a workplace setting, which can assist them in their job search, as well as their personal and professional development. The aim is to give participants a range of skills, experiences and advice about the workforce, as well as providing mentors with a rewarding professional developmental experience.

PACE recognises that job seekers with disability frequently find themselves with little or no work experience, and may not be fully aware of the skills and attributes they can offer an organisation. This adds to the difficulties that job seekers may encounter as they try to enter their chosen career.

To start setting the PACE, learn more about the program and how to get involved. To learn about potential impacts of mentoring, read an inspiring case study.

The Vision Australia Further Education Bursary 2015 is now open for Applications

In 2015, Vision Australia will award Further Education Bursaries to a select number of students who are blind or have low vision. The Bursaries provide adaptive technology to help ensure that these students can fully participate and succeed in their chosen studies.

Eligibility Criteria

Students of any age can apply for a Vision Australia Further Education Bursary.

Applicants must:

• Be or become, a client of Vision Australia
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Be living or moving to Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory or Tasmania
• Be enrolling to study at an institution in Victoria, ACT, NSW, Queensland, the Northern Territory or Tasmania
• Be enrolling to study in at least Certificate IV or higher accredited courses including undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (not a Foundation or Enabling course) at the start of the year or be already enrolled in such a course (preference may be given to those in the early stages of a course).

Each year a Victorian Bursary recipient selected by our committee to have best met these criteria will also receive the Fairhall Memorial Scholarship of $150.

See the Vision Australia website for more information regarding the bursary and applications.

‘A Voice for People with Disabilities’ is a campaign aimed at giving people with disabilities a voice again following the closure of ABC’s Ramp Up. It was announced in the Federal government budget that funding for ABC’s disability news and opinion website, Ramp Up, was discontinued. Sadly, the ABC decided not to incorporate Ramp Up into their core operations. Therefore, Australia’s only legitimate media outlet for the Voices of people with disabilities has been axed.

This project will take action to give people with disabilities a voice again by creating a news and opinion website that will continue the important work of Ramp Up. It will also create employment opportunities for people with disabilities by paying for content and engaging people with disabilities in editorial and marketing roles.

See more on the A Voice for People with Disabilities campaign website.

Do you know a woman with a disability or a group of women with disabilities who have inspired you, or provided and enhanced opportunities for women with disabilities to participate in a safer and more inclusive community in some way?

Women with Disabilities Victoria is proud to offer the Brenda Gabe Leadership Award again this year. The award recognises and celebrates the contribution that women with disabilities make to improve the status of women with disabilities, with a secondary focus on their contribution to their local and/or wider community.

Eligibility:

• Individual women being nominated for this award must have a disability and be a resident of Victoria.
• Groups nominated for this award must have a majority membership of women with disabilities and be residents of Victoria.

Selection Criteria:

• The contribution the woman with a disability or group has made to improve the individual or group status of women with disabilities.
• Secondary selection criterion The contribution the woman with a disability or group has made to their local and/or the wider community.

Nominators are welcome to represent their nominees from last year. Their nominations will be viewed favourably.

We encourage women from diverse backgrounds and/or life experiences to be nominated.

The winner of the award receives $2000 toward a capacity building project or professional development.

Battle of the Brains is Employment and Career Development’s brand new showcase event for Semester 2, 2014. Not only will students have the opportunity to network with employers and build their employability, but as a team, have the opportunity to win up to $4000 in prize money!

It is a competition through which student teams will compete against one another in a set of two challenges designed to build employability skills, including innovation, problem solving, team work, communication and resilience. Top teams are invited to take part in the final assessment centre style battle attended by employers and followed by a networking hour.

Further details about the competition can be found online and on the Facebook competition page.

Disability Services is seeking volunteer student mentors as part of our Disability Services Peer Mentor 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 with a student mentor who is also registered with Disability Services 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

Peer mentors should:

• Be a registered Disability Services student
• 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 DS Peer 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

Leadership training helps to unlock your potential – enhancing your ability to have a positive influence on your peers and on the world. We seek participation from students who come from a diverse range of backgrounds, interests and courses, who wish to improve their community and their own leadership skills. If you are a first year student who has a vision for constructive change in society, then we encourage  you to apply.

Applications for positions in the Vice-Chancellor’s 2015 Ancora Imparo Student Leadership Program are now open and close on Monday 4th August 2014.

The Ancora Imparo Student Leadership Program kicks off with a three-day residential in mid-February 2015 followed by eight evening seminars spread over the academic year and a graduation ceremony in mid-October 2015. Commitment to each of these events is compulsory but other events such as attending lectures, forums and social events are optional. Best of all there are no exams or assignments to complete!

Visit our website to apply and to find out more about the Ancora Imparo Student Leadership Program.

See our profile of Shaz Sturk, Ancora Imparo alumni and Disability Services student on our website.

Hope everyone’s enjoying their (cold) holiday break! Here’s a little disability-related reading to read under while snuggling under your blankets.

• 4 Wheel City – rapping their way through rehab
• Solving the Beauty Equation – Wendy Crawford’s TEDx talk
• Nordstrom seems to be taking on Crawford’s message in their new campaign
• Thinking about travelling to New York one day? Wheely is a new app being developed to a provide a wheelchair accessible guide to the Big Apple

Happy Friday!

School’s out! Hope everyone is having a wonderful break (except you hard working postgrads!).

Here’s some disability-related news around the world to keep you warm:

• Can you spot the guide dog?
• How do you feel about feel good films about people with disability? Inspiration or inspiration porn?
• An appreciation of bodies
• Are you an artist or arts worker with disability?
• Verizon, the internet and accessibility

And your weekly dose of disability-related cuteness!