personal and professional skills of women with disabilities from - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A New Culture. A New Perspective. How an innovative model for international volunteering built the personal and professional skills of women with disabilities from Australia and Fiji.

Alexandra Kay

Disability Development Officer, Scope Global

Caroline Conlon

Co-presenter

@Disabilityemplt #DES2016 Concurrent Session 11:45am – 12.30pm in M9

This presentation has been developed by Scope Global, a delivery partner for the AVID program.

A new Culture. A New Perspective.

How an innovative model for international volunteering built the personal and professional skills of women with disabilities from Australia and Fiji. Alexandra Kay Disability Development Officer Scope Global Caroline Conlon Team Leader Disability Empowerment Skills Exchange

What is AVID?

The AVID program provides Australian’s with opportunities to be a part

• f Australia’s aid program.

Why volunteer?

Where are volunteer opportunities?

AVID William Shea, Advocacy Specialist, United Cerebral Palsy Roda Untuk Kemanusiaan Indonesia, photo credit: Scope Global

Improving the lives of people with disabilities

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Development for All, 2015 – 2020

Strategy for strengthening disability-inclusive development in Australia’s aid Program Overarching objectives:

• enhance the participation and

empowerment of people with disabilities

• contribute to reducing poverty among people

with disabilities

• contribute to improving equality for people

with disabilities in all areas of public life

Barriers for disability inclusion within AVID

What is the key barrier to disability inclusion?

Disability Empowerment Skills Exchange (DESE) Pilot project launched!

The DESE journey..

The DESE team

Uma, Connie, Nas, Caroline and Zel at their team building day prior to mobilisation to Fiji. Photo credit: Scope Global

The DESE experience

• 28 days
• Suva, Fiji
• 5 DPOs:
• The United Blind Persons of Fiji
• The Fiji Disabled Person’s

Federation

• The Spinal Injuries Association
• The Psychiatric Survivors

Association

• Fiji Association for the Deaf
• Tasks undertaken

Scope Global staff member and DESE team member shopping in Suva market Photo credit: Scope Global

The Impact: Bilateral capacity growth

For the DESE team

Improved personal skills Improved professional skills Confidence with travelling Public Speaking Developed independent skills – cooking and budgeting Computer accessibility Confidence interacting with someone who is deaf and working with an interpreter Communication Ability to think quickly and creatively Networking & exposure to DPOs, NGOs Out of comfort zone and experiencing new ways of doing things Team Work More faith in my own abilities Working with people from culturally & linguistically diverse backgrounds Marketing and social media Designing and facilitating a workshop Understanding of governance

Nas, DESE team member. Photo credit: Scope Global

“It (DESE) makes me feel that everything about me is important – my skills, abilities, knowledge, experience and even my disability”

Zel – DESE Team Officer

Zel, DESE team member. Photo credit: Scope Global

The Impact: Bilateral capacity growth

Local counterparts reported improved knowledge in the following:

• Increased interactions with other
• rganisations, both in the disability

sector and outside of this sector

• Knowledge of social media and

marketing plans

• Public speaking
• Media interviews and press releases
• Telling and sharing their stories
• Policy making and governance
• Workplace rights, ethics and

practices

• Improved website accessibility

DESE team members meeting staff at the Pacific Disability Forum. Photo credit: Scope Global

The Impact AVID staff

“My view of life has changed, my admiration of those with a disability has grown. They have the courage that is beyond us. These women have taught us to accept, know your strength and maximise it and become effective." AVID Staff reflection

Scope Global AVID Staff members in Fiji learning and practicing disability inclusion Photo credit: Scope Global

The Impact Community Level

“Our visibility as people with disability in the community has been a vital tool to break down the attitudinal barriers in Fiji”

DESE team member DESE team members and sighted companions out and about in Suva Central District Photo credit: Scope Global

“They were empowering to more people than I think they even realised and provided a bigger impact in their daily interactions than I think can be measured”

AVID volunteer in country

DESE team members and sighted companion grocery shopping in central Suva. Photo credit: Scope Global

The Impact Community Level

Lessons Learnt

• 1. Time frame
• 2. Training
• 3. Communication
• 4. Team Leader role

DESE team members reading an article about disability inclusion within the University of South Pacific. Photo credit: Scope Global

From here…

 Full analysis and report to be completed  Share stories of the impact  Provide opportunities for further engagement with the DESE 1 team  Continue to improve accessibility within AVID  Launch DESE 2, taking on board lessons learnt from DESE 1

AVID volunteers participate in disability education night run by the DESE team. Photo credit: Scope Global

Questions?

Alexandra.kay@scopeglobal.com carolinemconlon@yahoo.com.au

Alex and Caroline learning how to make roti in Suva, Fiji. Photo credit: Scope Global

@AusHumanitarian http://dfat.gov.au/people-to- people/avid/volunteer/pages/volunteer.aspx

Thank you!