19th December 2018
“Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”
This year’s theme for International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD) for 2018 strikes at the heart of the together project, a violence and abuse prevention initiative of the Disability Services Commissioner (DSC).
On Monday 3 December, IDPWD, we took the together project to the Disability Sport and Recreation Festival on Crown Riverwalk and ran a wrap art making space for everyone at the festival – and people walking past as well!
the together project is an opportunity to open up conversations between people with disability, families, friends, staff members around the key questions of what makes us all feel safe, happy and respected – through the medium of inclusive all-abilities wrap art.
We asked questions of our artists as they sat wrapping art with us: What makes you feel equal? What makes you feel valued? What makes you feel happy? It was the start of some great conversations:
- I feel equal when I’m on a tennis court, because it is a time where I can be with people who share my interests.
- I feel happy when I’m drinking coffee!
- I feel happy when I can support people to do the things they want to do independently.
- I feel happy when Mummy takes care of me every single day.
- I feel valued when I’m being appreciated.
- I feel happy when I get to go to the city.
- I feel happy when I’m creating crafts at home.
- I feel valued when my hard work is recognised with a thanks and a pat on the back.
- I feel happy going on the train and going to events.
- I feel valued when people laugh at my jokes and relentless puns!
- I feel happy when I’m listening to music and doing art.
- I feel equal when I’m involved in what you do.
What makes you feel safe, happy and respected?
You can get involved with the together project as well, and get everyone around you involved too. There are instructions for making your own wrap art at home – and even if you don’t want to make wrap art, you can tell us what makes you feel safe, happy and respected through our online form.
There’s more wrap art workshops at the National Wool Museum in Geelong in January, as well as at the Having a Say Conference in February. All finished artworks will become a part of an art exhibition at the Project Space at Deakin University. Find out more.
You can make art at home or in your workplace as well – you never know who might be a secret budding artist. As one person said at our IDPWD art making space as she watched her friend wrap art – “I never thought he’d like do crafty things, but he’s loving this! We’ll have to do more art and craft at home now!”
the together project is a violence and abuse prevention initiative of the Disability Services Commissioner in conjunction with Art Gusto, the National Wool Museum and Arts Access Victoria.
