Day for all
SHEPPARTON CELEBRATES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY
About one in five Australians are living with a disability and 12 per cent of school students have some form of disability.
These were the figures guest speaker Janet Gill Kirkman relayed to a huge audience at the recent International Day of People with Disability celebration in Shepparton’s Queens Gardens.
With many years’ experience in education, Verney Road Special School’s liaison principal’s talk was just one of the many things on offer on the day.
Greater Shepparton City Council’s Amanda Tingay said the event was about celebrating the wonderful achievements that everyone brought to the community.
‘‘It’s great to see so many people here,’’ she said.
The 12-strong cheerleading team from Verney Road Special School, the Verney Road Dragons, showcased the skills its members had developed in the past eight months.
Before the performance, team member Taliah Fraser thanked the Community Fund Goulburn Valley for the funds donated to send the Dragons to compete in Melbourne, where they placed second in their division.
The day is a United Nations-sanctioned day that is on internationally.
It celebrates progress in breaking down barriers, opening doors and realising an inclusive society for all, as well as the achievements and contributions of people with disability.
Jeffery Males said he participated in two Shepparton-based social connection groups where he spent time with likeminded individuals.
Mr Males has an acquired brain impairment and said taking part in the Wednesday men’s group and the Friday disability group had prevented him from being lonely.
The gardens were jampacked with activities for all to enjoy, including basketball, face painting, giant soccer, boxing and much more.
Several services and organisations were on-site to provide information, including the Shepparton Shout Out self-advocacy group.
Formed in October 2013, the group provides a space to promote the voice for people with disabilities and is run as part of the Rights Information and Advocacy Centre.