Latest news, research and events from the Melbourne Disability Institute at the University of Melbourne
Join the Melbourne Disability Institute on 2 December from 12:00 - 1:30 PM AEDT for a free public webinar on the future of disability research, policy and practice.
About this event
The past twelve months have thrown unprecedented challenges our way. Events like the 2019-2020 bushfire season and the COVID-19 pandemic have upended entrenched ideas and ways of working, exposed gaps and overlap in policy and practice,
demanded rapid innovation to respond to crisis situations, and forged new alliances where power, knowledge and resources have been shared.
These massively disruptive events are proving to be an important catalyst for change. The once unthinkable is now open for consideration and it up to us to use the momentum and mindset shift to achieve breakthroughs in access, equality, and opportunity for people with disability.
This free public webinar will feature a panel discussion around opportunities to reshape the landscape for disability research, policy and practice and what the roadmap could look like to achieve a more inclusive society and economy which might make for a healthier, happier and more resilient Australia by 2030.
This event is hosted and moderated by Professor Anne Kavanagh, Chair of Disability and Health, Head of the Disability and Health Unit in the Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and Academic Director of the Melbourne Disability Institute, University of Melbourne and Professor Bruce Bonyhady, Executive Director of the Melbourne Disability Institute.
Panellists include:
Dr Scott Avery, Senior Lecturer in Indigenous Disability at Western Sydney University, research partner of First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) and working party member of the newly formed National Disability Research Partnership
Ms Ellen Fraser-Barbour, Disability Advocate, PhD Candidate at Flinders University and member of the National Disability Research Partnership Working Party
Senator Jordon Steele-John, Senator for Western Australia
We want to know what you think. Follow us on Twitter @MDI_Unimelb and share your ideas on what the future should hold for disability research, policy and practice. Tell us your ideas by using #inclusivefuture. We will try to share as many ideas as possible during the live event.
This event will be Auslan interpreted and live captioned.
Questions? Please contact us at md-i@unimelb.edu.au.
For many Australians, access to suitable, secure and affordable housing is a challenge. For people with disability, often this is amplified.
To tackle this challenge, the Melbourne Disability Institute together with the Brotherhood of St Laurence and people with lived experience have developed Housing Pathways for People with Disability: a series of guides which provides information and resources on the various pathways to accessing and maintaining a suitable place to live.
Join us on 9 December from 12:00 - 1:00 pm AEDT as we lead a discussion around some of the key recommendations for housing pathways and funding options. In this 60-minute webinar, we will discuss:
- A five-step plan to finding a suitable house
- Information and services related to housing, framed around eight housing segments (new and existing SDA, supported accommodation, social housing, private rental, own home, family home, and innovative housing models)
- Funding models, some innovations in the housing market and support services
A copy of Housing Pathways will be distributed to all registered attendees in advance of the session. Housing Pathways will be made freely available on our website (www.disability.unimelb.edu.au) from 9 December; or you can email us to request a copy.
This event will be Auslan interpreted and live captioned.
Questions? Please contact us at md-i@unimelb.edu.au.
Webinar: 2pm-4pm Tuesday 24 November
The National Disability Data Asset is holding a webinar to discuss how data linkage may generate a better understanding of the services, life circumstances, opportunities and other factors that influence the well-being and quality of life of people with disability in Australia.
Use the button below to read more information and to register.
There is a new study being conducted by researchers from the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology and the Department of Social Work within the School of Health Sciences at The University of Melbourne. The project is investigating the impact of face masks on communication for adults.
Use the link below if you want to share your thoughts on what helps to make communication easier and please feel free to share this survey widely: we want to collect data from adults with and without hearing loss.
Read the Pursuit article: COVID-19 Face Coverings Mask the Message
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.
