International Day of People with Disability

International Day of People With Disability is being held this Tuesday, December 3.

Celebrated internationally, this event aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability, as well as share their achievements and contributions.

The event has been celebrated in Australia since 1996, and has been the focal point of events celebrating people with disability here in the  Bundaberg region.

This year there will be two events marking the day here in Bundaberg, one in the Bundaberg CBD Pavilion, the other at the Bundaberg Neighbourhood Centre.

At the Pavilion from 9am-1pm NDIS information will be available from Local Area Coordinators, IWC, and Epic Assist, an NDIS service provider that supports job seekers and employers in the region. This event is open to the general public.

For parents of young children, the Bundaberg Neighbhourhood Centre, supported by Early Childhood Early Intervention partner for the NDIS, Bushkids, will be hosting a playgroup and information session. Running from 9.30-11.30am, this event is open to children five and under, and is a good opportunity to learn more about early intervention strategies that may help young people with disability achieve their best future.

Last year service providers and other organisations hosted a range of morning tea celebrations, sharing their photos on social media under #IDPWD to be part of the international campaign.

This year a range of businesses and organisations will be showing their support on social media under that same banner.

IWC spokesman Alasdair Young said the landscape had changed significantly since the first plans rolled out in 2017.

“We’ve seen more than 1800 participants access the NDIS in this region alone, each one with their own personalised plan, and that is starting to affect the way people with disability engage with the community,” he said.

“Every day our LACs see the difference this scheme can make in the lives of people who have, in many cases, fallen through the cracks.

“It’s great to see the community becoming more inclusive with every passing year, and to see our participants being recognised nationally for their contributions.”

To learn more about International Day of People with Disability, visit idpwd.com.au or follow the All Abilities Alliance on Facebook; for more information about the NDIS, visit ndis.gov.au.