Revellers have a ball, despite disabilities

MUSIC was pumping and dancers were looking their glamorous best at the third annual Otago Polytechnic ball for people with intellectual disabilities last night.

This year’s ball, organised by occupational therapy students, was a masquerade.

As well as dancing and refreshments, dancers could play a ‘‘Guess the Celebrity’’ game and there was a maskmaking stall on offer.

Organisers said between 50 and 60 disability services users and their carers were expected over the course of the evening.

Dunedin woman Shelly Lens said she enjoyed having ‘‘lots of photos’’ taken, and fellow attendee Hazel Crimp said she liked ‘‘everything’’ about the ball.

Occupational therapy senior lecturer James Sunderland said in the past, the ball had been organised solely in collaboration with Idea Services.

However, this year it had been opened up to users of other services in the community, including Pact and Cargill Enterprises.

The ball was part of the students’ field work placement, with other students on different placements, including in schools and resthomes.

Although the people who attended were charged about $5 each to go to the ball, money left over went back into facilities for them to use.

In the past, money had been put into items such as the aquachair at the Dunedin physio pool.

PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Dressed up . . . At the third annual ball organised by Otago Polytechnic students for people with disabilities are (from left) Shelly Lens, of Dunedin; Otago Polytechnic student Clare Green and Hazel Crimp, of Waitahuna.