News from Beyond Disability - December 2008

Wheelie Kids - children

Melbourne Grammar's Grimwade House year 10 students create e-kids link.
Five students form Melbourne Grammar's Grimwade House, adopted Beyond Disability as part of their social enterprise strategy. These five young 11-year-olds are mature well beyond their years and have a really great empathy with disabled children. The support shown by their parents and the school is exceptional. They presented their project recently at Melbourne University and won. They are off to the US in May 2009 to show off their project. Well done!

Budawang special School, Ulla Dulla NSW
BDI's first laptop to NSW has gone to a 13-year-old disabled girl. TAD NSW informed us by phone that they no longer have their computer loans scheme and TAD NSW has the same issues as Beyond Disability in sourcing these disappearing laptops. Where do they go?

Where, oh where, are all the laptops going?
We sent out 45 letters to corporates last May. We had only one reply - from Patricia Ilhan of Crazy John’s who donated 13 laptops. Come on corporates, where is your social enterprise and conscience? Take a leaf from Crazy John's and find a few laptops for our wheelchair school children.

Veterans
We are aware that many of our veterans are disabled, homebound and also suffer depression. We want to hear from you. We have support from Vic Health to assist with well-being. That means keeping us well and helping those who need some help. Beyond Disability is a communication programme using recycled computers, online access and home volunteer support to get people socially connected and included into community. Emailing a photo or two to family and friends anywhere in the world is great fun, especially when you get a reply.

BDI offers its condolences to Paul Newman's family

Paul Newman lived far away from our project but he touched us in a way that we cannot forget. Contributions from his foundation have helped us in no small way. A great many people will miss him for the deeds he did on the silver screen. At BDI, we will miss a philanthropist who cared.

Call for volunteers to grow this wonderful programme

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch took great enjoyment in launching the Beyond Disability programme.

BDI has grown out of the Rural & Peninsula Disability Support programme started in 1997. Although many people said it was a good idea, most said it was too complicated to ever work. Richard Stubbs has worked tirelessly despite his own disabilities with the support of a dedicated group of volunteers and Rotarians, together with the Councils of Casey, Frankston and Mornington, Community Support Fund, Microsoft Community Initiatives and local philanthropists.

Dame Elisabeth believed in the programme from day one and has been a supporter from the outset. Her enthusiasm is a major motivation for the volunteers.

Dame Elisabeth presented a new laptop to Charlotte who is in the Wheelie Kids program and also to George and Mary. Mary has advanced multiple sclerosis and George is the President of the Mornington Peninsula MS support Group. They have been in the program for many years.

In launching the rebadged Beyond Disability programme, Dame Elisabeth asked for other community groups, Service groups and individuals who want to be part of helping other less-abled members of our community to join in helping to geographically grow this wonderful program. It is a great way for semi-retired people to get a lot of personal satisfaction from helping others.

It only takes a group of 5 – 6 volunteers with the help of training materials from BDI including paper and CD materials and a volunteer induction manual. You need a car, some basic computer skills and a lot of patience.

BDI has already put over 75,000 volunteer hours back into the community and helped many housebound disabled to reconnect with family and friends and access the world’s online biggest information base. The programme helps most physically disabled people and Wheelie Kids helps low income wheelchair physically disabled school children. Donations are tax-deductible.

New volunteers can contact Tricia McGill, team leader on 03 5995 2080. Our secretary can be contacted on phone/fax 03 59776547 or by email at lewie@bdi.org.au.