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Letterhead Image with the kind permission of Tiwi Designs, see their arts & craft at www.tiwiart.com

Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples' Education Fund

Contact: Frank Hall-Bentick Chairperson

Unit 4, 65 York Street, Richmond Victoria 3121

Tel: 03 9429 4210 Email: info@adipef.org.au

a sub-fund of the Australian Communities Foundation

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 six monthly 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

1. Frank Hall-Bentick - Chair

2. Lesley Hall - Deputy Chair

3. Annette Rooke

4. Rae Hurrell

5. Ros Sackley

6. Jody Saxton-Barney

7. Cath_McNamara

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 31^st, 2011

September 30^th, 2011

March 31^st, 2012

September 30^th, 2012

How to Apply

Download the form below, complete it and send it back to us. Any questions please contact us.

Word ADIPEF Application Form

PDF ADIPEF Application Form

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.

ADIPEF Donation Form