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Expo boosts community involvement for people with disabilities`Don’t judge what I can do by what you think I can’t do’. By Wellington Shire Council - 24th August 2005 - Back to News That was the underlying message at last Thursday’s regional Active Participation Expo at the Princeton Convention Centre, Sale.
Service providers, carers and people with disabilities travelled from many parts of Gippsland to be part of the event and speakers rose time and time again to reaffirm that a disability should not be a barrier when it comes to joining in local community activities and events.
Opening the Expo, Wellington Mayor Peter Gault said: "This expo is part of a project called Strengthening and Building Participatory Practice, which looks at ways in which people with disabilities are participating in local communities across Victoria and, in particular, the way disability support organisations encourage and assist them."
Councillor Gault said councils across Gippsland were committed to finding ways to encourage people with disabilities to participate in their local communities.
The Mayor highlighted two Gippsland initiatives for people with disabilities - the Gippsland Auslan Interpreter project and the Skilling Up to Shape the Future project.
"Wellington Shire is pleased to be one of three local councils in Gippsland supporting the Auslan project. Having access to an Auslan interpreter based in Gippsland will make it much easier for Deaf people to participate in community activities."
Skilling up to Shape the Future is a training opportunity for people with disabilities that was offered across Gippsland earlier this year.
"More than 65 people participated in the course, which helped people with disabilities obtain the skills needed to participate in community groups."
The Expo gave people a chance to share ideas and discuss ways to improve the participation of people with disabilities in the community.
Some of the groups who attended were: SELF (Sale Educational Life Skills Facility);
George Gray Centre, Maffra; Moe Life Skills; Noweyung Centre, Bairnsdale; and the Gippsland Vocational Training Unit. There were several impressive displays at the Expo including the stunning Quilts of Understanding, which are part of an exhibition that continues to travel around Wellington Shire with the themes of ‘celebrating all abilities’ and ‘celebrating community connections’.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com

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