Onemda Weekly eNews - Friday 3 February, 2023

Dear Participants, Families & Carers,

We hope it’s been a good week – we can’t believe it’s February already! Please make sure you take the time to check this week’s updates as some information may affect you, or the person in your care.

HAVING A SAY RETURNS IN 2023…

VALID, in association with Inclusion Australia (NCID) presents the Having a Say Conference 2023! Absent for 2 years (thanks to COVID), the Having a Say conference is the largest conference for people with disabilities within Australia where people can find their voice, to speak up, to be heard and to be respected. The aim of the conference is to empower people with a disability with the opportunity to ‘have a say’ about issues that affect their lives and to celebrate ability and achievement.

This year’s event will be running from 20-21 February and you can join in person at Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, Geelong, or attend online.

For more information about this year’s event, including registering, the program and more, please visit their website.

IMPORTANT – CARPARK SAFETY

The carparks at our Onemda campuses can get very busy, particularly at drop-off and pick-up times. If you are visiting an Onemda campus at any time, or transporting someone to or from their programs, please travel under 10km an hour at all times in carpark areas and pay careful attention to your surroundings, watching for people who may be moving from in between parked vehicles. Thank you for helping keep everyone safe!

REMINDER - FREE RAPID ANTIGEN TEST KITS (RATS)

Victoria’s Health Minister recently announced that free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will be available on request from all Victorian libraries and other council-run services, in order to help detect and combat COVID-19 in the community. People with disabilities and their carers can get up to 20 free tests.

Read all about it here.

SINGLE-USE PLASTICS ARE NOW BANNED IN VICTORIA…

As of 1 February, businesses in Victoria are banned from buying and using single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, cups and take-away containers.

Straws, in particular, are routinely used by people with disabilities and those who support them, so the government has ensured these will still be available to people with disabilities, their support workers, service providers, family members or friends who support their care.

Just a reminder, if you need straws, you will need to request these specially from your retailer. There is no need to prove a disability or medical need.

As products may not always be in stock, this is just a reminder that we do recommend you reach out well in advance if you need to order these!

You can find more information about the ban here.

Knowable.Me - PODCAST

Onemda Board Member, Kelly Schulz hosts this NEW podcast and explores the unique experiences everyday people have, with everyday things and how the uniqueness of being human impacts how we experience the world. Kelly’s podcast will look at products, services, retail, digital and experiences that you might not notice as you go about your day - but her guests certainly do!

Find out more and listen to episode 1 here…

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT

GLENROY – Pathways to Independence & Employment (PIE)

It has been a busy and exciting start to 2023 for the Glenroy PIE Campus. Lots of new faces and programs have created a real buzz and a great energy.

Whilst the TAFE/ACFE and BRITE programs have not formally commenced, participants have been busy learning and researching the course & work expectations. Lots of group discussions have resulted from this which has also been beneficial in everyone getting to know each other.

Soccer has commenced and it's great that campuses can now join in together as this enables quite a social program with participants they wouldn’t normally work alongside. It also creates opportunities for some healthy competition, teamwork and working on communication too.

The Embrace trailer is getting a rebrand at present, so whilst participants are eager to start serving coffees, they are gaining valuable knowledge about how the trailer operates and what their roles will look like. Participants have been informing their peers, family and staff that should visit the trailer once it is in operation – it will be welcomed by all at PIE and LLS who love a cuppa!

We hope you enjoy the weekend. We’re always here to help if you have questions or need information.

You can call us any time on 9842 1955 or use the email addresses below.