Melbourne Disability Institute - Newsletter
Latest news, research and events from the Melbourne Disability Institute at the University of Melbourne
I know that we are all watching the development of the coronavirus pandemic with feelings of concern and uncertainty. We all – the MDI team and the world in general – are in uncharted territory, and it is important that we show solidarity and stand by each other in this difficult time.
At MDI we remain committed to our mission and are looking for ways to support a targeted research response to COVID-19 for people with disability, their families and the disability service sector. Last week we signed and helped distribute a statement, coordinated by the Centre for Research Excellence in Disability and Health which included a series of recommendations to ensure specific action is taken to support the disability sector.
You can access the full statement here.
We are working hard to deliver on our core activities, but given the the fast-changing nature of the virus and the wide-reaching impact on the community as a whole, we have decided to postpone the initial round of our seed funding and community research grants. If you would like more information about the funding schemes, please contact us directly or visit our website for further details.
As always, we appreciate your support and thank you for your understanding.
MDI News and Events
Congratulations to Professor Anne Kavanagh who has been awarded the prestigious Convocation Medal for Distinguished Alumni at Flinders University 2019
Anne Kavanagh has been awarded the prestigious Convocation Medal for Distinguished Alumni at Flinders University 2019. Anne received the award at a special ceremony on Thursday 27 February.
The Convocation Medal was established in 1991 to recognise graduates of Flinders University who have made a substantial and outstanding contribution to the local, national and/or international community. Professor Anne Kavanagh studied medicine at Flinders and graduated back in 1987. She was awarded the Convocation Medal for outstanding leadership, and for the advancement of research and knowledge on health inequalities, particularly the health of people with disabilities. Read more.
Melbourne welcomes Indian delegation from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Joint Secretary Tarika Roy and Under Secretary Sanjay Singh from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD) in India visited the University of Melbourne at the end of February to advance a number of collaborations, including a co-designed community-based disability course.
Developed in partnership with DEPWD and the University’s Nossal Institute for Global Health and Melbourne Disability Institute, the unique course is designed to train and equip locals to help them respond to the rehabilitation and inclusion needs of community members living with disability. It is currently being rolled out in India.
During their visit, the Joint Secretary and Under Secretary have participated in a roundtable with University experts in public health, disability and education, before attending an official reception dinner hosted by the University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor International, Professor Michael Wesley. Read more.
Over January and February MDI welcomed visiting fellow, Catalina Santa Cruz Leyton, Education Psychologist specialising in early childhood development and psychometry from the Center of Educational Justice of the Catholic University of Chile.
Catalina spent a month with MDI while researching her current project around education and opportunities for children with auditory or visual disability.
She has since returned to Chile, but before leaving she gave us a presentation on her project which seeks to answer the question; Which school type represents better opportunities for children with auditory or visual disability?
You can access her presentation here.
ONEINFIVE Podcast
At 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.
Community Events and Updates
Find 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.
Virtual Disability Conference
31 March 2020 | 11am-5pm
The Virtual Disability Conference is still on! In light of the current situation we wanted to take this opportunity to reassure you that the conference will go ahead as scheduled on Tuesday 31st March.
The Scope-University of Melbourne Partnership together with Ability First Australia and supported by the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations are excited to present the second Virtual Disability Conference.
Conference topics include:
- Finding the support that is right for you
- Providing accessible services that people with disability want
- Practical approaches to support choice and decision making
- Supporting people with complex and high support needs
The Melbourne Disability Institute was established in 2018 to build a collaborative, interdisciplinary and translational research program to improve the lives of people with disability. The MDI program of research aims to capitalise on national reforms and active partnerships with the disability sector to deliver evidence for change and is centered around providing much-needed evidence for the disability sector and broader community to address the complex problems facing people with disability, their families and carers.
