International Day of People with Disability
Published on 03 December 2022
Saturday 3rd of December marks International Day of People With a Disability (IDPwD). IDPwD is a United Nations (UN) observed day celebrated internationally. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions.
IDPwD is an opportunity for us to make positive changes to the lives of the 4.4 million Australians with disability by promoting an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of people with disabilities. Active Monash recognises the importance of people with disabilities to enjoy opportunities to socialise and maintain health and wellness in a supportive environment.
The 2022 AUSPLAY National Sport and Physical Activity Participation Report has shown that overall, there is a slight increase in participation in physical activity, but there is room for improvement! Top motivations for people with a disability to participate in some form of physical activity (both organised sport and non-sport related) include for physical health and wellbeing, mental health, fun and physical therapy. The most popular sport related activities include swimming, cycling, and running, while non sport related activities, walking and attending the gym top the lists.
But it is not just about being physically active. Social connections in the workplace are also important to understand and look for opportunities. Did you know there are approximately 2.1 million Australians of working age with a disability? Of the 2.1 million people, only about 47% are employed, compared to approximately 80% of people without a disability in the same age range. That is why we at Active Monash are so passionate about providing employment opportunities for the highly diverse community we serve.
We would like to take the time to share some stories of the people of Active Monash this International Day of People With a Disability. We encourage you to get to know your community members and why inclusion is so important for everyone.
Meet Conor Welsford – Active Monash Participant
How important is it to you to be able to access programs to help stay active and engaged with the community? What impact has taking part in the programs at Active Monash had on your life?
Extremely important because I need to keep active as this helps long term with my health. Also, it gives me a valuable opportunity to socialise with others. Active Monash has been a fun addition to my week.
What does it mean to you to feel a sense of belonging in the community?
I feel included! Everyone should feel safe and able to participate in community activities.
The theme of International Day of People With a Disability 2022 is ‘Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world’. What does this mean to you?
Where possible use all accessible means to include people of all abilities, regardless of disability.
What would you like the community to know about living with a disability?
I need more time than others to complete things. It takes me longer to digest information. Keep things simple, break it down one step at a time. Be patient. For me it does not need to be complicated – simple things can be fun!
Meet Caitlin Syer – Active Monash Customer Service Officer (CSO)
I am 28-year-old, proudly living with dyspraxia and an intellectual disability, I am a disability advocate, and I am part of the LGBITQA+ community.
I sit on VDAC (Victorian Disability Advisory Council) as a VDAC member we advise the Minister of Disability and the state government on matters to do with inclusion and how to make our State more disability friendly, something I feel strongly about.
I work at Monash Aquatic & Recreation Centre as a CSO, and I also work 1 day a week as a public servant at Victoria Public Sector Reform. It has certainly not been an easy path, but I am proud to work in the community and have a mainstream job. Representation matters.
Why is International Day of People with Disabilities important to you?
Inclusion is important to me, as it is to everybody else. It is a basic human need to feel included, respected and understood. I deserve to be part of the community in work, rest, and play.
This day is important to me because it is a time to reflect on the progress we have made in disability inclusion. In the last 5 or so years, we have seen a rise in disability awareness through media. Advocates like Dylan Alcott have pushed this, the rise of platforms like TikTok, give a widespread voice to creators who live with disabilities and get to present their daily lives and through television and movies, we have seen a large increase in disability representation.
Can you describe your own experiences?
I have experienced intolerance from all aspects of life, from customers to co-workers to friends. My experience of living with a disability is further complicated by the fact I am a woman. I see expectations vary between me and my male counterparts living with the same disability, and I feel I also get degraded and talked down more often.
What would you want to see in the future for people living with disabilities?
Ideally, in the future I would like to see people living with disabilities to be in more powerful positions, (managers, politicians, decision makers). Normalised representation of people living with disabilities in media, jobs becoming more accessible for people living with disabilities and not having to explain my disability to people.