Family festivals, a wheelchair convoy and an employment drive for people with a disability are all part of this year’s Disability Action Week, which will be celebrated from 18 to 24 September.
Disability Action Week focuses on empowering people, embracing aspirations and realising capabilities to enrich our community.
In Cairns, a range of Disability Action Week activities will include the launch of an employment drive for people with a disability by not-for-profit organisation Direct Employment Services (DES).
An open day at the organisation’s McLeod Street offices will mark the start of a marketing campaign which aims to find employment for 20 DES clients in 11 weeks.
Early planning for this year will see many local festivals and activities hosted by community organisations.
On the Sunshine Coast, for example, residents will again be invited to the popular Is Everybody Here event on 14 September. The event offers numerous children’s activities embracing sport, music and dance activities, and highlights local disability services with a range of information booths.
Further north, a re-run of the well-publicised Fraser Coast Motorised Wheelchair and Mobility Scooter Convoy will attempt to break the Guinness World Record established during Disability Action Week 2009.
That year saw 126 vehicles travel some two kilometres out of Hervey Bay, cheered on by enthusiastic crowds and drawing fresh attention to issues around mobility and social isolation.
To find out how you can enjoy Disability Action Week 2011 activities in your community, visit www.communities.qld.gov.au/disability
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