Inclusion will be the focus this International Day of People with Disability when the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre hosts the Disability and Inclusion Fair this week.
Running from 2.30pm to 5.30pm on Tuesday, December 3, the fair will bring together about 15 disability service organisations including genU and You Care Co Geelong to provide information stalls, presentations and information workshops and entertainment.
Your Care Co Geelong (formerly Enable All) business development and operations manager Sharon King said the fair was a great way for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) clients to receive information about service providers.
“The information days are so important for service providers within the Geelong region to be able to showcase their services and to be able to speak to participants, family members and the public, face-to-face,” Ms King said.
“It allows face-to-face contact with participants, their families, and other service providers, and creates a more connected environment for service providers.
“NDIS participants can take the information, look at the possibilities available to them with registered NDIS providers, and work out what services are best suited to them and their individual needs.”
The Geelong fair follows the successful Bellarine Disability Fair held at Leopold Library in July.
Clare Amies, genU chief executive, said planning was underway to hold regular disability and inclusion fairs in the Geelong library catchment to ensure people had access in their location.
“This collective approach and increased connection among all the services demonstrates everyone’s commitment to serve people with disability and help foster genuinely inclusive communities,” Ms Amies said.
“At genU, our purpose is enriching as many people’s lives as we can, through supports, connections and opportunities, and being part of the fair is one way we can achieve that goal.”