Page 1580 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 8 May 2018
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Applications were received from all sorts of organisations and eight successful projects were funded for equipment, training or infrastructure modifications. The successful organisations ranged from sporting to computer gaming, to the arts, to volunteer-involving community organisations. The funded projects will create a broad and deep impact on the lives of people with disability and help to advance community attitudinal change about inclusion.
The eight successful projects were: Capital Football for training to raise awareness of disability for footballers and their coaches; the Academy of Interactive Entertainment for building modifications to welcome people with disability through physical access; Girl Guides to develop inclusive resources to welcome newcomers; Warehouse Circus for disability awareness training and accessible equipment to create more inclusive classes; Belconnen Arts Centre for building modifications to revolutionise access to the arts; filmmaker Jolene Laverty to support short films on the experiences of people with disability in the ACT; GG’s Flowers & Hampers, which I know some of us are regular purchasers of, for accessible equipment to increase employment of people with disability; and ENGAGE Sports for accessible sports equipment to create inclusive sporting opportunities led by the students at Marist College.
I look forward to announcing further successful projects and initiatives in the future and encourage community groups and small businesses to consider making an application in this grants round.
MS ORR: Minister, what else is the ACT government doing to ensure that Canberrans with disabilities are included and consulted?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Orr for her supplementary question. The government is committed to ensuring that people with disability are included and consulted in a myriad of ways across our community. We recognise that mainstream service systems have not always catered appropriately for the needs of people with disability and we are committed to doing better.
Noting this, the ACT government established the Office for Disability in the Community Services Directorate as a focal point for our ongoing work to ensure that Canberra becomes an even more inclusive and engaging city for people with disability. The office works with and promotes policy outcomes for people with disability in a number of ways, including supporting the ACT Disability Reference Group, which is designed to advise the government on issues affecting people with disability. The office manages the I-Day grants for organisations to celebrate the International Day of People with Disability. The office also supports the work of the Inclusion Council, which is currently collaborating with the Canberra Business Chamber on a project to enhance the employment of people with disability.
In partnership with the Inclusion Council, the ACT government values and celebrates inclusive action through the Chief Minister’s inclusion awards. Of course, the ACT government also encourages Canberrans of all abilities to connect, participate and discover all that Canberra has to offer in community activities through the annual Connect and Participate Expo—the CAP expo.
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