Georges River Council celebrated International Day of People with Disability at Kogarah recently.
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More than 80 participants from community service providers, council representatives, Moorefield Girls High School, NDIS participants and their families united on December 1.
Organised by Disability, Mobility and Services, the day's activities revolved around ensuring NDIS participants had a fun experience through painting, yoga, zumba classes, singing and a sausage sizzle.
Students from the Special Education Unit and representatives from St Vincent De Paul, Wesley Mission, Service NSW, Wise Employment and Allied Health Partners also attended and participated in activities.
One in five Australians reports living with disability, including in the Georges River area. In 2021, more than 8000 (5.3 per cent) of the population in the Georges River local government area reported needing help in their day-to-day lives due to disability.
The day promotes awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. Whether through employment, sport, advocacy, or public life, people with disability continue to help NSW become a more accessible and inclusive state for all.
There has been $3.9 billion invested in 2022-23 to support the NDIS and $15.9 billion across four years to 2025-26. This funding is leveraged with Commonwealth contributions leading to record investment in specialist disability services across NSW.
Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington said more than 1.3 million people in NSW live with a disability and make a significant contribution to our state every day.
"International Day of People with Disability serves as an important reminder to the entire community to recognise and celebrate the diverse skills and experience of the people around us," she said. "The NSW Government is committed to improving inclusion and accessibility across mainstream services. There's still a lot of important work to do to make our schools, hospitals and transport systems more accessible, and as a new government, we take the task seriously."
Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion, Liesl Tesch the day was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of people with diverse strengths and abilities across NSW and the richness that provides to communities. "It's also a chance to reflect on how inclusive we are as a state and where we can do better, whether that's making essential services like healthcare and homes accessible for everyone or creating flexible education spaces to suit different learning styles," she said.
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