Welcome to the Melbourne Disability Institute newsletter We would like to thank you for your support and wish this community a happy new year! In 2020 we have exciting plans to develop the recently announced National Disability Research Partnership, build our research program, expand our funding streams, launch a new Doctoral Academy to support PhD students, and continue our efforts to build a collaborative, interdisciplinary and translational research program to improve the lives of people with disability. ONEINFIVE PodcastAt the end of last year, MDI launched ONEINFIVE, a new podcast which explores some of the most complex issues facing people with disability today. The podcast gives voice to people with disability and asks about their experiences with employment, housing, the law, supporting families and early intervention. Over the course of seven episodes, a range of experts including people with disability, researchers and people working in the sector talk about what we can do to improve the lives of people with disability. Feedback? If you would like to tell us what you think, complete our quick survey! National Disability Research Partnership We are delighted to share with you the news about a National Disability Research Partnership, which was formally announced at the end of last year by the Hon. Stuart Robert MP, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services. As part of a new National Disability Data and Research Policy, which is being developed by the Disability Reform Council, the Commonwealth Government has committed $2.5 million to further develop a
National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP), led by the Melbourne Disability Institute. The NDRP will bring together a range of other interested research and community organisations. The Commonwealth has also committed $15 million to the development of a National Disability Data Asset (NDDA). The NDDA will bring together a range of data sets, including disability, health, social security, tax and employment data and provide a platform for policy-related research. The Hub will facilitate a collaborative, translational research program through deep engagement between academics, government, service providers and advocacy groups to conduct cutting-edge applied social policy research to guide reform. The Partnership will be inclusive and will ensure that top researchers from around Australia and internationally work closely with government and the sector to conduct high quality research that provides evidence that can be applied to solve pressing and emerging disability policy and practice challenges. We have set up an initial working party with the University of Sydney, Griffith University, University of New South Wales and National Disability Services to help with the first steps, and we will be engaging with the sector, universities and research organisations as well as governments more broadly over the coming months. We will share more information as it becomes available - watch this space! MDI Welcomes New Team MembersCampbell Message, Program Manager Campbell has a multidimensional perspective on disability which has been shaped by living with a disability and working with people with disability for many years. His perspective of disability includes high expectations of potential of people with disabilities, which have been learnt and experienced through many years playing elite level wheelchair basketball, and through being involved in Paralympic Games (where he was part of the Silver Medal winning Australian Wheelchair Basketball Team). He has also worked for 14 years in sub-acute and community rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries as Leisure Specialist, and has built personal and professional networks in disability, health and para sport. Campbell joins MDI to lead the Community-based research scheme and manage a range of research projects. Lishia Singh, Program Manager Dr. Sue Olney, Research Fellow Dr Sue Olney has recently joined our team as Research Fellow. Sue is also a Visiting Fellow in the Public Service Research Group in the School of Business at UNSW Canberra, and an Honorary Senior Fellow in the Melbourne School of Government at the University of Melbourne. Her research examines market-based reform of public services with particular focus on welfare-to-work and disability services. Sue has worked in the Victorian Government Departments of Education & Training, Victorian Communities, Planning & Community Development, Human Services and Health and in the not-for-profit sector, and been involved in numerous cross-government, cross-sector and interdisciplinary research projects, government and community sector initiatives, committees and working groups to promote access and equity in employment, education, training and disability services in Australia. Her academic experience includes teaching and research on governance and public administration in the Melbourne School of Government, the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne and in the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). She is also on the editorial board of the Australian Journal of Public Administration and co-director of the social policy discussion platform Power to Persuade. Sue holds a PhD in Public Policy and a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Melbourne. Community Events and UpdatesFind out about events that are happening in the community below. Interested in promoting your event? Send the details through to Sara.Donaldson@unimelb.edu.au. Making the City of Melbourne more inclusive for youth with disability |