Over the coming weeks, people from all over Gippsland will be celebrating Social Inclusion Week and International Day of People with a Disability (IDPwD). A number of events will be facilitated by local Sporting Clubs, Associations and other organisations, in celebration of diversity in sport and recreation. If your Club or Association is also running an event, please feel free to get in touch with us so we can promote.
Events in Gippsland include:
- International Day of people with a Disability event in Moe on December 3. Click Here for the poster.
- Bairnsdale Squash and Table Tennis All Abilities Open Day on November 20. Click Here for the poster.
- ‘Rock The Port’ event in Sale on November 27. Click Here for the poster.
- Wellington Hockey Club’s ‘Get Going Gippsland’ event in Sale on November 28.
What is Social Inclusion Week?
Social Inclusion Week aims to help all Australians feel included and valued, giving everyone the opportunity to participate fully in society. Created by Dr Jonathon Welch AM, Social Inclusion Week is about connecting local communities, workmates, family and friends, in order to build and strengthen relationships or networks and address isolation and exclusion of those who may be marginalised. Social Inclusion week is an annual initiative running in the last week of November, this year from Saturday 23 November through until Sunday 1 December.
What is International Day of People with a Disability (IDPwD)?
Since its inception in 1945, the United Nations (UN) has outlined and reiterated its commitment to calling for the creation of inclusive, accessible and sustainable societies and communities – most notably with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Over time, the UN has honed its focus on promoting the well-being and welfare of people living with disabilities, and in 1992 called for an international day of celebration for people living with disabilities to be held on December 3 each year.
IDPwD is for:
Reflection – to look at our own past individual and collective actions, and to identify our goals for the future;
Celebration – to recognize and value the diversity of our global community, and to cherish the role we all play, regardless of our abilities;
Learning – to understand and learn from the experiences of people with living with a disability;
It is a day for optimism – to look towards the future and the creation of a world where a person is not characterised by their disabilities, but by their abilities;
Action – where all people, organisations, agencies and charities not only show their support for International Day of People with Disabilities, but take on a commitment to create a world characterised by equal human rights.
