Melbourne Disability Institute - Newsletter 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. 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 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. 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. Virtual Disability Conference |