Embracing International Day of People with Disability
Published: 30 Nov 2023 3:12pm
International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is on tomorrow (Friday 1 December 2023), with Council supporting community events to help increase public awareness, understanding, and acceptance of people with disability.
This year Council is collaborating with Kooringal High School to host keynote speaker Brett Stibners, an Australian Paralympian and Gold medallist.
Students in years 9, 10 and 11 from schools across the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area will be invited to Kooringal High School to hear about Stibners’ journey of disability and succeeding in a professional wheelchair basketball career.
Wagga Wagga City Council Community Development Coordinator Alex Osgood says events like this one are aimed at increasing awareness and breaking down stigma of disability.
“Council is extremely proud to be partnering with Kooringal High School to bring Brett’s story to our community. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to challenge the way they think about disability and of course, meet an Australian Paralympic champion!” Alex Osgood said.
“This year, International Day of People with Disability is encouraging people to ‘unite in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for, with and by persons with disabilities’.
“This theme asks everyone to work collaboratively to make communities better and fairer for people with disability. By reflecting on the barriers that people living with disability and neurodiversity face we can continue to work towards making Wagga Wagga an accessible and inclusive place to live, work and play.”
There will also be a public celebration of International Day of People with Disability hosted by Relationships Australia Canberra Region (RACR) and This Is My Brave Australia Inc (TIMBA) and supported by Wagga Wagga City Council.
This community-led event will be at the Riverside Precinct from 10am on Friday 1 December 2023.
Council teams will also be present at the event to undertake community consultation and engagement, seeking feedback from the community to contribute toward the new Community Strategic Plan and their input into our local cultural, creative and economic future by having their say on potential options for cultural and entertainment venues.
To learn more about International Day of People with Disability head to the website.