Disability Coordination Office ACT - Negotiating the Maze

The Mature Study resource www.maturestudy.unisa.edu.au is designed for mature age people with disabilities and/or medical conditions considering tertiary education at TAFE, University or with a Registered Training Organisation. The website provides information on all aspects of tertiary study in Australia. 

The resource also provides information for serivce providers, employment agencies and case managers to help them identify and explore tertiary education as a re-skilling option and pathway to employment for their mature age clients with disabilities.  Practical help is provided by the use of interactive worksheets, which are designed to assist prospective students in making informed decisions about tertiary study.  Examples of worksheets include:

Do you need to know what Assistive Technology can help with Reading, Writing, Spelling, Literacy, Planning and Organising, Maths and Tests?

The updated Assistive Technology Resource for Education Will this Help? Computer Technology that may assist students with reading, writing or organising their work is now available.  The CD provides information on popular assistive technologies used in education.

The CD compiles information on the following technologies:

Are you in year 10 and thinking about different jobs that interest you?

Do you want to know the skills you need and what employers are looking for in over 600 different jobs?

Then Job Guide is for you.

The Australian Government produces Job Guide. It is published as a book as well as being available on CD-ROM and on the Internet. Each year it is sent to schools, colleges and TAFEs so that year 10 students get their own copy.

Many ageing parents and carers are concerned about what will happen when they are no longer able to provide care for their sons or daughters with high support needs. The Australian Government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) has produced two booklets ("Planning for the Future" and  "Special Disability Trusts") to provide practical advice on how to navigate the options available and plan for the future.

Testing a website for accessibility can be a time-consuming and laborious process. The free Web Accessibility Toolbar can do most of the hard work for you.

A new version of the Web Accessibility Toolbar is now available - Web Accessibility Toolbar Version 2.0 Beta

The new version is compatible with Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Vista. The toolbar is Freeware, provided by the Web Accessibility Tools Consortium. It can be downloaded from:

www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html

What else is new?

www.cybersmartkids.com.au/

Cybersmart Kids Online is a community awareness project developed by Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with the objective of providing parents and young people with information and tools to help them have a rewarding, productive and safe experience of the internet.

ACMA is responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, radiocommunications, telecommunications and online content in Australia.

Cybersmart Kids Online can help students, parents and teachers find out how to be cybersmart and use the internet safely. The site includes a young person's guide to smart 'net surfing, chatting and emailing.  It also has separate sections written for teachers and parents. Parents can learn important tips on safe ways to enjoy the best of the internet. Teachers can use the lesson plan, online teaching resources and homework tips to help students be cybersmart. There is also a section on mobile phone use.

When choosing a program it is important to select one that best suits your needs. Career Explorer 2008 may help you explore the various career options available at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). The document (2.3 MB PDF) may be dowloaded  from CIT's website at www.cit.act.edu.au/study/choose/career_explorer/ or you can explore options online.

You can also discuss your needs by contacting the CIT Information Centre on (02) 6207 3188, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tunnels and Cliffs: A Guide for Workforce Development Practitioners and Policymakers serving Youth with Mental Health Needs. Podmostko, M. (March 2007) ISBN 1-933493-06-2

This Guide was developed by the US National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), through a grant from the US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy. The Guide aims to help workforce development practitioners, administrators, and policymakers increase their understanding of youth with mental health needs and the supports necessary to help them transition into the workforce successfully.

This guide and other NCWD/Youth resources and publications can be downloaded for free from
www.ncwd-youth.info/

Tunnels and Cliffs Guide link: www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/mental_health.html

Source: Disability Education and Employment News: No. 10, Vol 3. 13/7/07 

If you are a student with a disability who is studying at TAFE or University or are planning to commence study at a TAFE or University within the next year, you may want to consider joining the Australasian Network of Students With Disabilities (ANSWD) Discussion List.

The ANSWD is a student organisation, advocating, promoting, lobbying and campaigning on disability issues. They seek to achieve equality, access, and representation of students with disabilities in the tertiary education sector.

ANSWD Discussion List Goals: