[2016] Videos

In this talk Jo challenges assumptions that people with severe or profound cognitive disability are unable to lead self-determined lives. She provides guidance to signatory nations in their efforts to uphold their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure everyone is able to lead lives of their preference, including those rarely heard. Dr Jo Watson is a Lecturer, Researcher and Speech Pathologist, specialising in Disability and Inclusion at Deakin University in Australia.

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We have all read the headlines featuring a fortunate college-bound student who received $100,000 or more in scholarship awards. Assuming that the scholarships were renewable annually, this amount could easily pay for four years of college at any American college or university. However, these success stories are the exception, not the rule. They are aberrations among the pool of millions of aspiring college students who submit scholarship applications to the hundreds of companies, foundations and non-profit groups that offer them. The reality is a much different, and sobering, picture. According to federal government estimates, the average undergraduate who borrows money to pay for college graduates with about $28,400 in student loan debt. 101 Scholarship Applications: What It Takes to Obtain a Debt-Free College Education was written specifically to address the issue of college loan debt, and help students and their parents identify scholarship opportunities, as well as develop strategies for submitting applications and winning awards. This book’s author, Gwen Richardson, is a parent who spent nearly two years carefully researching scholarship sources for her teenage daughter, who entered college debt-free as a freshman. The highlight of this book is a comprehensive listing of more than 200 scholarship sources, including award amounts, eligibility requirements and direct web site links. All sources have been vetted and researched for accuracy.