The principle ‘leave no one behind’ was the motivation behind headspace Dubbo, Marathon Health and Northcott as they teamed up to mark International Day of Persons with a Disability (IDPwD) on Monday.
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The three groups combined to host an information day and promote the 2017 theme ‘transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all’.
The event held at Macquarie Lions Park aimed to raise better awareness of the needs of the disabled community, to encourage informative support and to celebrate the achievements of this community.
It comes after the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) became available to people in western NSW in July.
Marathon Health communication and stakeholder engagement manager NDIS Jessica Brown said this year’s IDPwD theme was very much in keeping with the rollout of theNDIS in western NSW and Marathon Health’s commitment to ensuring clients were not “falling through the gaps”.
“The NDIS means a complete overhaul of the way people would normally access supports so there is a bit of confusion for people as they learn how and what the NDIS means for them,” she said.
“It is important people know how to get help and support in navigating the system which is why Marathon Health offers free pre-planning support to keep people on the right track.”
Ms Brown said it had been great to meet with other organisations on Monday and “make sure we’re offering the choice and control the NDIS will provide”.
She urged anyone with a disability aged under 65 who may or may not have had support before to get in touch with an organisation to assist them to access the NDIS.
Cody Jones, headspace Dubbo Youth Reference Group member and volunteer at Northcott, also believes IDPwD is a timely reminder to ensure equality and understanding under the NDIS.
“[The theme]‘transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all’ is about ensuring that all Australians are equal and it comes at a critical time with the NDIS and a person-centred approach now being at the forefront of the disability movement,” he said.
“Alternatively, ‘leave no one behind’ serves as a reminder that we, as a community, have steps to take eliminate discrimination and promote greater understanding of disabilities and living with a disability.”