Click here to view PDF flyer

Wednesday 13 June 2012

4:00pm- 6:30pm

TAFE Space, Wodonga

Who should attend?

This free professional development session will be beneficial to those who teach or support people with Autism, in particular high functioning Autism, including:

• Secondary school teachers
• TAFE teachers & University tutors
• Integration aides & support staff

What is the focus of the session?

This session will explore the characteristics of Autism and the impact of those characteristics on learning and share best practice strategies for teaching students with Autism, in particular high functioning Autism, in secondary and further education.

Who is the presenter?

Tricia Glass has education and welfare experience in primary, secondary and tertiary settings. Recently she worked as Victorian Team Leader for the national Australian Autism Education and Training Corporation delivering professional development to school staff across all sectors. Further to this she delivered workshops to parents and carers around Australia through the Positive Partnerships program.  She is currently the Autism Project Officer with Sandhurst Catholic Education.

RSVP:

Wednesday 6 June 2012

vdrage@wodongatafe.edu.au

Enquiries: 02 6055 6924

When registering please advise us of any dietary or accessibility requirements

This event is registered with VIT Pdi and counts towards professional development hours for registered teachers in Victoria.

Last year the Career Industry Council of Australia, CICA, engaged Miles Morgan to develop guidelines for effective career development services for young people (15-24) with disability.

The report has recently been released and can be downloaded online

Effective Career Development Services for Young People (15-24) with a Disability

From CICA’s website (www.cica.org.au) :

CICA is a unique collaboration of non-profit career practitioner associations and a world first in the career industry. CICA provides a voice for the career industry.

CICA receives operating funding from the Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

It is a focal point for government and other organisations concerned for and interested in promoting quality career development services in Australia.

Click here a flyer for Preparing Students with Disabilities for Transition.

This information session for parents and educators of young people with disabilities or learning difficulties in Secondary School in Victoria is a  free  event.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

5:45pm-8:00pm

Bairnsdale Sporting and Convention Centre

Click here for a map

The session focuses on options and supports that are available to students with a disability who transitioning from school in this region with a structured sequence of presentations.

Representatives from employment agencies, apprenticeship centres, further education, day programs, Centrelink and others will be in attendance to answer specific questions.

Who should attend?

Year 9-12 students with a disability or learning difficulty and those who advise them including:

• Parents
• Careers Advisors
• Year Level Coordinators
• VCAL or MIPs coordinators
• Integration Aides
• Welfare officers
• Youth and Disability Workers
• Special Education Coordinators

(Please Note: Information in the session will relate to students with a wide range of disabilities including physical, learning, intellectual, sensory, neurological, psychiatric and chronic illness.)

This session is registered with VIT and can be used to count toward Professional Development hours for staff.

This event is a joint partnership between the NDCO program, Gippsland East LLEN, Department of Human Services, East Gippsland Specialist School, Bairnsdale Secondary College, Nagle College.

RSVP:

Wednesday 16th May 2012

info@gellen.org.au 

Enquiries: 03 5153 1745

When registering please advise us of dietary or accessibility requirements.

The March issue of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ publication "Australian Social Trends" includes an article on "Disability and Work".

This article looks at the characteristics of working-age people with disability and their involvement in the labour force.

PDF link:      Disability and Work March 2012

Online link:  www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4102.0/

Friday 30 March 2012 marks the launch of the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN). This national peak organisation will represent 37% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia who are living with a disability and also their families and carers. 

'This is a historic occasion, we now have a strong voice at a national level for our people with disability'  says Aunty Gayle Rankine, founding member of the FPDN.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with disabilities are amongst the most disadvantaged Australians, yet the vast majority remain at the periphery of the disability service sector. 

The focus on Aboriginal people with disability has been from a health perspective. Whilst primary health care is essential, it has come at the cost recognising the social aspects of Aboriginal disability. This has meant that discrimination against Aboriginal people with disability remains firmly entrenched. The general wellbeing of Aboriginal people with disability has not improved in any meaningful way. It is time to bridge the disability gap in Australia.

“FPDN will advocate robustly for the promotion and protection of the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with disabilities to ensure their equal participation within their own communities and the wider Australian community” says the FPND Executive Officer Damian Griffis.

“We are also developing a ten point plan for the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with disabilities to ensure this policy meets the unique needs of indigenous Australians.”

Please join FPDG members, guests and Senator Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities to celebrate the launch of the FPDN.

THE FACTS

• 37% of indigenous Australian (15 years+)  live with a disability.
• This does not include people with a psychological disability.
• This prevalence of disability is nearly twice that of the non‐indigenous Australians.
• The time for this to change is now. 

Damian Griffis and Gayle Rankine are available for media interviews: 0412 979 857 

Click here for the Media Release in PDF

Enquiries are now welcome for the next round of Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples' Education Fund scholarships.

Closing deadline is 31^st  March 2011.

The Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples' Education Fund (ADIPEF) aims to assist indigenous and non-indigenous people with disability to participate in both formal and informal education programs through small grants.

For many people with disabilities from both indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds, education can go a long way to not only developing their skills but also their self esteem and the pride of their family, friends and community.

For many, a small financial grant will enable them to undertake a course. This education fund is about helping people complete or undertake courses and programs through providing small grants.

Our fund is looking to distribute small six monthly grants of up to $2,500 to assist people with disabilities to continue their learning.

People with disabilities of any age may apply for any assistance to help with both formal and informal education. While people may need assistance to complete the application, letters must be in the persons own words explaining why they want to learn.

To apply download the form below, complete it and send it to Frank at info@adipef.org.au  or post to:

Frank Hall-Bentick

Unit 4, 65 York Street,

Richmond Victoria 3121

Word  ADIPEF Application Form

PDF  ADIPEF Application Form

For further information contact Frank at info@adipef.org.au or phone on 03 9429 4210      

ADIPEF Brochure

ADIPEF Flyer

Media Access Australia has recently released a new publication called Sociability: social media for people with a disability.

For people with a disability, such as a hearing, sight or mobility impairment, social media websites and applications have their own barriers. In late 2011, Media Access Australia undertook research to determine how the accessibility issues found in each of the most popular social media tools can be overcome.

Funded by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, the Sociability: social media for people with a disability review aims to enable all users to have equal access to the inclusion which social media allows.

Australia’s most popular social media tools were tested for their accessibility. Users with disabilities then contributed their tips and tricks on how to overcome each social network’s inaccessible features.

For further information view:

http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/online-media/social-media