Letterhead Image with the kind permission
of Tiwi Designs, see their arts & craft at www.tiwidesign.com
Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples' Education Fund
Contact: Frank Hall-Bentick Chairperson
Unit 4, 65
Tel: 03 9429 4210 Email:
info@adipef.org.au
a sub-fund of the Melbourne Community Foundation
Latest News:
The Australian Disability and Indigenous
Peoples’ Education Fund has just completed our first round of funding
which closed on 30th September 2009. We received 52 applications totalling $170,000 but as we are only a small fund we were
only able to assist 7 applicants.
Following this
intense interest in the Education Fund we will change our closing dates from
quarterly to six monthly with the next deadline for applications being 31st
March 2010.
Enquiries Welcome.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the
traditional owners of the Land on which we live. We pay our respects to Elders,
past and present, and to all Indigenous people and recognise
their continuing spiritual connection to the Land.
Background
Following thirty years
involvement in disability advocacy, Frank Hall-Bentick has asked his sisters
Lesley and Annette and a group of friends Rae, Lyndall,
Cath, Ros and Jody to help
him setup and run an education fund for people with disability. Titled the
Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples' Education Fund (ADIPEF), the fund
will assist indigenous and non-indigenous people with disability to participate
in both formal and informal education programs through small grants.
Frank has a life long disability and along
with other members of his family has experienced many years of hospitalisation, special schools and disability services.
For the last thirty years Frank has been involved in disability advocacy and
the empowerment of people with disability locally, nationally and
internationally. Realising that the work to empower
people with disability is ongoing he has long considered the best way to
support this is through further education and learning.
In April 2008 he with his sisters and these
friends set up the Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples' Education Fund
(ADIPEF) under the auspice of the Melbourne Community Foundation. This Fund
will assist people with disability gain empowerment through access to formal
and informal education programs.
They believe the importance of education
should not be measured in graduate degrees and diplomas or in salaries people
achieve or careers people have undertaken and achieved. The importance of
education should be measured by peoples' continual learning of cultures,
relationships, history, tolerance and honing the skills to apply this learning.
Unfortunately for many people with
disabilities their early years are more about cure and rehabilitation than
stable, well grounded education. The skills to make and retain careers,
relationships and friends are developed while they attend school however
continuing disruption of this education impacts greatly on this learning. For
many children presently attending school medical treatment and rehabilitation
continues to disrupt their education. Many indigenous people with disabilities
experience further disruption to their education due to poverty, isolation,
lack of services, family breakdown.
Education is continuously growing,
developing, changing, so many people undertake courses to begin again the
education they never completed or to keep abreast with these new developments.
With the development of technology, education has become more accessible for
people with disabilities leading to people completing higher levels of
education which in turn can lead to more complex and skilled work.
For many people with disabilities from both
indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds, education can go a long way to not
only developing their skills but also their self esteem and the pride of their
family, friends and community.
For many, a small financial grant will enable
them to undertake a course. This education fund is about helping people
complete or undertake courses and programs through providing small grants.
Our fund is looking to distribute small
quarterly grants of up to $2,500 to assist people with disabilities to continue
their learning.
Contact Frank at info@adipef.org.au
Advisory Committee Members
3. Annette Rooke
4. Rae Hurrell
5. Ros Sackley
8. Lyndall Grimshaw
Eligibility
People with
disabilities of any age may apply for any assistance to help with both formal
and informal education. While people may need assistance to complete the
application, we would like a letter in the persons own words telling us why
they want to learn.
Deadlines for Applications
March 31st, 2010
September 30th, 2010
How to Apply
Download the form below, complete it and
send it back to us. Any questions please contact us.
How can I donate
To help us with
this work you can donate to the Education Fund. Click on the form below,
complete your details and send it back to us.
Forms for Printing only
…………………………………………………
Australian Disability and Indigenous
Peoples' Education Fund
a sub-fund of the
Letterhead Image with the kind permission
of Tiwi Designs, see their arts & craft at www.tiwidesign.com
Send comments and mail to Frank Hall-Bentick fhallbentick@connexus.net.au
Unit 4,Last
updated by frank HB on 29-10-09