Community
11 December, 2024
Students support celebration
ABOUT 30 people celebrated International Day of Persons Living With a Disability at the Little Acorn Café in Terang last week.
The event was the official launch of a waste education video created by Hampden P-12 students for Corangamite Shire Council.
Councillor Geraldine Conheady welcomed the attendees and praised the students on their work including the video by year 11 and 12 students and an exhibition of drawings by younger students.
“The life of Little Acorn Café embodies everything the day stands for — awareness, acceptance and understanding,” she said.
“As a local and a patron of the Little Acorn it’s such a joy to see how enriched the participants are by the work they do here.
“We’re here today to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Persons Living With a Disability.
“This was started in 1992 and has promoted community awareness and understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities.
“It's an opportunity to be part of an inclusive and diverse community.”
Cr Conheady said council is committed to removing barriers which might hinder people with disabilities.
“We want to see them enjoying a rich and rewarding community life,” she said.
“That’s something that we’re really committed to and I know that our positive ageing and inclusion team do a lot of effective and rewarding work to achieve that end.
“The theme of this morning tea is ‘no limits’. It is a reminder that every person is unique and everyone has something to offer and there are no limits.”
Guest speaker Dale Lawrance, who is a project officer at Corangamite Shire Council working on a multi-million-dollar IT project and also runs his own cleaning business, spoke about his experience living with cerebral palsy.
“The really cool thing about living with disability is that we’re all born problem solvers,” he said.
“I think that’s the superpower- that we think about things in a different way.
“There are frustrations at times. Don’t get me started on shoelaces. But you can get laceless boots.”
Mr Lawrance said living with a disability did not need to be a hindrance to success.
“My recommendation? Find what you love. Find what you’re good at. Run with it,” he said.
“With help and support of those around us, with some perseverance and dedication, you can find success.
“You can be happy in your life.”
The video in which Hampden P-12 students outline waste and recycling system and explain what goes in each kerbside bin, can be found at corangamite.vic.gov.au/Kerbside.
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