This year Rural Access in partnership with Pinnacle and Stawell Skene Street School will ‘Celebrate Ability’ at the all-accessible Alexandra Oval complex in Ararat, which has been donated in-kind from Ararat Rural City.

Wimmera Sports Assembly and Central Sports will run outdoor games such as soccer, handball and bowls, a unique version of Connect Four, as well as promoting the Grampians Giants, the local all-abilities football team.  

Parks Victoria will show off the TrailRider, the all-terrain wheelchair, and the new improved motorised version to aid the Sherpas on tough terrain when aiding people of all abilities to enjoy the hikes in the Grampians.

There will be a display of works courtesy of the Wildlife Art Museum of Australia and the Skene Street Choir will sing at 11am.

This day will be a celebration of  the achievements and contributions people with disability make to the community every moment. It also serves to highlight the needs of people with disability, their families and carers and recognise the organisations which are proactive in meeting and supporting those needs. 

It is a unique community awareness day as part of the wider International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) celebration, a United Nations sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being. In 1997 Australian community representatives renamed the day International Day of People with a DisAbility to better reflect the principle of placing the individual before any real or perceived limitation.

In 2000 the Australian campaign adopted the catchphrase ‘Celebration of Ability’, and this has been the major theme of every subsequent year. 

This year the day has again been re-named, to International Day of People with DisAbility. It is a small but important change, as it reflects the shift in how we as a society define disability and how we see it affect our communities.

The purpose of the day is to promote the achievements of people with disability, to create awareness of disability issues and the benefits gained by creating a fully inclusive society. An inclusive society is achieved when people with disability are involved in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

International Day of People with DisAbility is an opportunity to unite disability and community organisations, people with disabilities, businesses, all levels of government and the wider community to promote the positive message of inclusion. Every year millions of people commemorate the day.