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Finding solutions to disability

Around 90 people attended a forum at Kernot Hall, Morwell on Tuesday to put forward ideas to address a range of disability issues.

By Latrobe City - 29th April 2002 - Back to News

Around 90 people attended a forum at Kernot Hall, Morwell on Tuesday to put forward ideas to address a range of disability issues.

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Brendan Jenkins expressed his vision of an inclusive community, and encouraged people to become involved in local projects.

"It is important that local people are involved in the development and implementation of local projects, to give us the best chance of achieving long term change in the community," Cr Jenkins said.

Cr Jenkins said that it was good to see the forum participants putting forward their ideas for local projects and that through participation in a number of focus groups the whole community could benefit.

"For example, there was a call to improve public transport through the introduction of more accessible buses, better co-ordinated timetables and more frequent train services between major Latrobe Valley centres."

"Participants also suggested a media campaign intended to portray people with a disability in a more positive light. Some people offered to spend a morning with a member of the general public, to highlight first hand the difficulties a person with a disability can face in every day life," Cr Jenkins said.

"The range of suggestions put forward by those who attended prove that this issue is important and needs to be developed. Other ideas put forward included seeking Government funding for respite programs which would allow carers of people with a disability to have longer breaks, further staff training and disability awareness information to the business community and having larger organisations develop a database to identify people who need information in alternate formats such as audio tape or Braille," Cr Jenkins continued.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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