As the Sydney lockdown continues and pandemic measures spread to the rest of the country, most people are working from home again. Some of us at UNSW have not been on campus for weeks or months. During these times it’s particularly important that lines of communication are strong and open, so that there continues to be some sense of community until the point we can gather together in person again. The UNSW Disability Innovation Institute is putting particular effort into our communications for the future through our regular newsletters, upcoming webinars and events, and plans for an Annual Review.
At the start of September the Institute launches a program of 'Associates of the Institute'. The program will be a key part of the growing disability research community across UNSW. Associates will be able to apply for the Institute's seed funding, showcase their research through our communications, and get guidance and advice on best practice in inclusive research methods. Watch out for more information coming soon!
We all know now the impact that the stress and isolation of lockdown can have on our state of mind. Many people with existing mental health issues are finding the going tough, especially as access to help may be restricted due to pandemic measures. In June, one of the Institute’s seed funded projects reported on their research on access to primary care for people with severe mental illness; the recording of the webinar can be found here.
There is another change of face at the Institute. Hannah Sheridan, who has been our Manager since last year, will go on parental leave at the end of August. Hannah has been key to the Institute continuing to flourish over the past difficult pandemic months. In fact she has split her time between managing us (or trying to) and managing the Institute of Global Development, and in the process has helped forge stronger links between both Institutes – for example we are in the process of recording a joint podcast on disability and disasters. We will all miss Hannah enormously, but look forward to news about (and with the help of Microsoft Teams, meeting) her new baby in due course.
Since mid-August the worsening political situation in Afghanistan has been all over our news media. As always in states of crisis, people with disability are among those more likely to be exposed to the risk of violence and trauma than others. In a short article here I look at what the future may hold for people with disability in Afghanistan.
