Currently, a student intern from the Griffith Business School, Kianna Lowe is currently going through our Resource Library to identify any broken links so that these can be tidied up.   It isn't a fun or especially invigorating job, but it is an important one.  It is another job that we don't need to find extra time to do.   We really appreciate the hard work of Kianna, the contribution that she is making to the platform and the terrific support that we have received from GBS.  

Providing university programmes like PhD study online isn't only a matter of convenience for some Australians who live with a disability, it determines whether up to 20% of society can pursue their academic/research potential.  As Australia's population ages, the size of that exclusion will increase.  The platform strongly supports the provision of university courses online. Underpinning our views on PhDs is a belief that research about disability should be steered by people who live with a disability.  When we secure funding, we plan to commission seven online business micro-courses from the Griffith Business School.

Recently, Gabrielle Wilson, a GBS student currently doing an internship with the platform drafted a report about registering with the NDIA. We approached and consulted Rollie Pontigon, General Manager of Plan Partners (An NDIS plan management service provider) to have a look and review the summary of Gabrielle’s report and provide us with feedback and comments. The input from Rollie was fantastic and provided us with a great basis to improve our submission for NDIA registration. Plan Partners is the company that manages Gary’s NDIS plan, "so we are very supportive in helping him fulfil his goals and aspirations, more importantly in sharing this to all participants towards economic social and community participation fostering disability entrepreneurship in Australia and the role the platform could play in supporting Australians who live with a disability to pursue their entrepreneurial potential". If you know an Australian who lives with a disability, a carer or other person with an established connection to disability in Australia please encourage them to contact us at [email protected] or phone us on 0436 480 769.

With the fantastic assistance of GBS student intern Kianna Lowe, we have started reaching out to people that would be great facilitators/speakers.  Conversations have already commenced with a couple of them.   Our plan is to conduct monthly webinars that can be attended by Bronze and full members of the platform.  The last 15 minutes of each webinar will be devoted for Silver and Gold members for a discussion about how an NDIS plan and other sources of support could be used to pursue the matters raised in the webinar. Our hope is these webinars will be amongst the reasons people will choose to join the platform and remain members.  If you know an Australian who lives with a disability, a carer or other person with an established connection to disability in Australia please encourage them to contact us at [email protected] or phone us on 0436 480 769.