Newslines Radio: Celebrating people with disability

In recognition of International Day of People with Disability (I-Day) on 3 December, today’s Newslines Radio program looks at the importance of celebrating the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability.

Aboriginal actor Aaron Pedersen is the patron of this year’s national I-Day celebrations, which are supported by the Australian Government.

He tells Newslines that as people gather for I-Day events across the country, he hopes they will discover that everyone has abilities worth recognising.

“Humans are humans. We’re all made in the same mould…some just have different skills than others,” Aaron says.

“I think the challenge is just to have people by your side with special needs and share them with the world.”

In this program First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) executive officer Damian Griffis says I-Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about disability issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

He believes the Australian Government’s National Disability Insurance Scheme will help to remove some of the barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with disability.