CALL FOR SPEAKERS - TRAINING CONFERENCE '08

The Executive Committee of the NZ Federation of Disability Information Centres is seeking applications from people wishing to present a session at its National Training Conference, “Going For Gold”. This event is to be held in Queenstown, 12-13 May 2008.
The theme is based on the concept “not-for-profit, not-for-loss”. Many disability information provider organisations experience difficulties with budgeting, cash flow, finding funding for promotion and marketing, obtaining and retaining staff at voluntary sector wage rates, coping with the ever increasing costs of compliance etc. We are seeking speakers who can provide delegates with good practical advice and tools, that they can take away and use, to improve their organisational and personal development.
Topic ideas could include but are not limited to:
· Making a splash without much cash – cheap and cheerful promotional ideas
· Panning for organisational gold – Getting the best out of staff.
· Golden opportunities – Grants, sponsorship and other fundraising.
· Don’t fossick with me! – Looking after your intellectual property – it could be worth gold!
· May I see your Miner’s license? – Managing compliance with regulations that bind us.
Delegates include people working at service level, management level and governance level and we aim to have a good mix of sessions to cater for their particular needs and interests.
Speakers at our events receive a free registration for the whole two day conference. Due to funding restraints we can’t provide accommodation or travel. However this is a great opportunity to both raise your profile as well as assist others to benefit from the work you are doing (and to stop the “reinventing of the wheel” that so many of us in the sector waste so much time doing!)
The Executive Committee reserves the right to decline any topics that it feels are not in keeping with the conference theme. Where speakers submit similar topics the Executive Committee reserves the right to choose one or decline both. However, speakers who are not accepted in a particular year may apply again in the following year.

If you are interested please send us an email with your topic title/s, a 50 word summary and a 50 word bio before Friday 30th November 2007.

Email to: Sallyjane

NEW 'MUST SEE' BLOG!!!

Hey everyone!

So, fed up with the lack of:

a) Reviews on the accessibility of cafes, restaurants, and public facilities around Auckland,

b) Regular news about NZ disability events, sports, arts festivals, etc.

and c) The distinct lack of any sort of online community for people with disabilities, their friends and family...

I've decided to do something about it!

I've created a blog, walkingisoverrated.com, which is a very early attempt at rectifying the aforementioned lacks. It contains reviews conducted by yours truly on accessible cafes and restaurants around Auckland (only a small number at the moment, but will be adding to it daily), comment on disability-related news and sport clippings, and so much more! It also has a Forums section, where you can start your own discussion on any disability-related issue you like!

If you're interested, I'd love nothing more than to have other people contribute to the site - whether it be a review you'd like to write, news stories you'd like to comment on - anything at all - flick me an email and we'll hook something up!

Also, if you currently run a website yourself, I'd be hugely appreciative if you'd consider putting up a link to my site - I'd be happy to reciprocate.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments, and enjoy the site!

Cheers,

Red Nicholson
walkingisoverrated.com
red@walkingisoverrated.com
021 779 089