Advancing opportunities for people with disabilities through the AVID program

The AVID Disability Initiative Grants align with the AVID Disability-Inclusive Volunteering Program Policy and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Development for All 2015-2020: Strategy for strengthening disability-inclusive development in Australia's aid program. The grants support the twin-track approach and ensure that persons with disability themselves are involved as both beneficiaries and agents of development. Volunteers proposing either disability-specific and/or disability-mainstreaming approaches have been awarded grants in this funding round.

Congratulations to the following 20 Australian volunteers who have been awarded an AVID Disability Initiative Grant!

Grants awarded by country

Bhutan

Heather Black

Deaf Education Teacher Trainer |
Wangsel Institute | $1,000

Host Bhutan's first ever Deaf Forum to support community development and verify the different signs used by people across Bhutan.

Indonesia

Stavroula Gerakaris

Swimming Pool Program
Development Trainer | Pusat
YAKKUM Rehabilitasi | $1,000

Purchase specialised swimming and hydrotherapy equipment to support the inclusion of people with disabilities in current swimming programs run through Pusat YAKKUM Rehabilitasi.

Mongolia

Anouska Storey

Project Advocacy Officer |
Universal Progress Independent
Living Center | $1,000

Research how Mongolians with disabilities access and share information online in order to support the formation of effective support networks.

Nepal

Natalie Long

Social Work Support Officer |
Sutra Centre for Development
Education and Research |
$1,000

Raise awareness and enable people with mobility disabilities to attend training in social work at the Sutra Centre for Development Education and Research by building an accessible toilet and ramp.

Philippines

Celine Yap

Emergency Services Officer
| Provincial Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management
Office | $1,000

Train staff in providing mental health support to individuals
and methods to engage the community in mental illness education.

Bhutan

Rachel Brindal

Early Intervention Advisor |
Ministry of Education | $1,000

Support the inclusion of
pre-school children with disabilities through the development and distribution of information materials for early childhood care and development.

Indonesia

Paula Dickson

Program Development Advisor
| Yayasan IDEP Selaras Alam |
$1,000

Enable people with disabilities
to learn and practice permaculture through infrastructure improvements to garden and classroom facilities.

Myanmar

Leigh Dix

Occupational Therapist |
Handicap International | $988

In association with Handicap International, produce a 10-minute video documentary that promotes disability-inclusive services and projects to encourage further positive change.

Philippines

Melizza Yao

Safe Access and Opportunities
for Inclusive Education | San
Rafael Elementary School Sped
Centre | $999.66

Make it easier for children with disabilities to attend school by building a wheelchair ramp and accessible classroom furniture at the San Rafel Elementary School.

Sri Lanka

Janine Standen

Speech Therapy Trainer |
University of Kelaniya | $999

Purchase a printer, laminator and stationary supplies to enable teachers to create visual resources that will encourage and enable the participation of people with communication disabilities.

Cambodia

Geraldine Harris

Speech Pathology Adviser |
Calmette Hospital | $1,000

Educate up to 800 nurses
from the Calmette Hospital
on best practices for supporting patients with swallowing disorders.

Indonesia

Leah Uhe

Business Development Officer |
Yayasan Bali Peduli | $1,000

Establish sexual and reproductive health peer educators within two disabled people's organisations based in Bali.

Nepal

Sarah Studds

Monitoring and Evaluation
Officer | Cottage and Small
Industry Development Board |
$1,000

Support people with disabilities to access micro-entrepreneurship opportunities through new training for Cottage and Small Industry Development Office staff.

Philippines

Sarah McKenzie

Program Development Officer
| Multi-sectoral Alliance for
Development | $1,000

Increase the number of people with disabilities who have access to community savings and loans projects through training and seed funding.

Timor-Leste

Bernadetta McEvoy

Management Mentor | PRADET
| $1,000

Establish The Garden Project,
a community garden to develop skills of people with mental illness which will be transferable to their home environments.

Indonesia

Catherine Sykes

Organisational Development
Mentor | Persatuan Penyandang
Disabilitas Indonesia (PPDI) |
$1,000

Level and cement a wheelchair width pathway into the PPDI building to ensure that more people with disabilities can access services.

Kiribati

Peter Lionel Malavisi

Midwifery and Maternal and
Child Health Educator | Ministry
of Health and Medical Services
| $1,000

Improve wheelchair access to the Tungaru Central Hospital by building and improving pathways into the hospital buildings.

Nepal

Manasi Kogekar

Program Development Officer |
National Association of the Hard
of Hearing and Deafened Nepal
(SHRUTI) | $1,000

Raise awareness about hearing loss through the creation of a child-friendly information story booklet.

Philippines

Harry Midalia

Speech Pathologist | Kiangan
Local Government Unit | $1,000

Train families, teachers and government staff to use and develop communication aids and systems for children and adults with communication disorders.

Timor-Leste

Laura McDowell

Journalism Training Mentor
| Timor-Leste Media
Development Centre | $949.88

Produce a weekly community radio program presented by people with disabilities in association with the Timor-Leste Media Development Centre and the Association for Disability Timor-Leste.