Council honours

By Sarah Schwager
INTERNATIONAL Day of People with a Disability on Saturday was celebrated in Dandenong with a Leadership and Self-Advocacy Training presentation lunch on Friday.
The City of Greater Dandenong Council, in partnership with the Disability Resources Centre (DRC), Noble Park Community Centre and Leisure Linkup, awarded plaques to 20 residents with disabilities who completed a leadership and self advocacy course with one of the organisations.
It also paid tribute to residents who live with disabilities and encouraged others with disabilities to take part in future leadership programs.
Council’s disability planner Chris Stewart said the lunch celebrated the achievements of Greater Dandenong residents living with disabilities.
“It’s so important that we, as a community service provider, recognise the achievements of people living with disabilities and the leadership program is one example of people with disabilities doing remarkable things,” Mr Stewart said.
DRC acting chairperson, Dan Davidson, said the course empowered people with disabilities to speak up about issues that affected them.
Mr Davidson said next year marked the 25th anniversary of the International Year of People with a Disability and the start of the DRC, and he hoped services for people with disabilities improved even further in the next 25 years.
“1981 was the first time people with disabilities in Melbourne started to get together and fight for their rights,” he said. He said he hoped a Charter of Human Rights would be achieved, helping secure the rights of people with disabilities.
“2006 could be a milestone as far as people with disabilities are concerned,” he said.