Everyone, Everyday - ACT Disability Awareness Program

 

The Everyone Everyday program is being developed to promote awareness throughout the Canberra community about people with disability and their capabilities and contributions, and to foster respect for their rights and dignity. 

It is our aim that the program will positively influence attitudes and behaviours within the community by raising awareness amongst the next generation of decision-makers – ACT school students - who will be our future employers, service providers, business owners, advocates, policy makers, teachers, colleagues, neighbours and friends.

Everyone, Everyday is being developed by BLITS (Business Leaders Innovative Thoughts and Solutions) with the support of the ACT Government through the Community Services Directorate (Disability ACT) and the Education and Training Directorate (Disability Education).  The University of Canberra and the Australian Catholic University are critical friends supporting the development of this program.

The Everyone, Everyday program is a significant ACT Government commitment under Future Directions: Towards Challenge 2014 which is the ACT's key disability policy to improve outcomes and opportunities for people with disability.

Everyone, Everyday Competition – 101 Ways to Include People with Disability

ACT school students were invited to be part of a competition to share their ideas - through words, drawings or photos - about the things that everyone can do to include people with disability in everyday life.

The response from students was very encouraging with over 90 inspiring entries received.

The judging process was carried out by Mr Michael Milton, ambassador for the Everyone Everyday program, Mr Alasdair Roy, Children and Young People Commissioner from the ACT Human Rights Commission, Ms Jayne Johnston, Executive Director of Schools in the Education and Training Directorate and members of the Minister’s Youth Council: Ms Nip Wijewickrema and Ms Anna Kaufman.

We thank them all for their support of the program.

An awards presentation and luncheon was held at the CSIRO Discovery Centre on 8 August. The Everyone Everyday participants, sponsors and supporters were invited by the Minister for Community Services, Joy Burch to join her in the celebrations. The Minister for Education and Training, Dr Chris Bourke and Michael Milton, also attended.

26 prizes donated by the Canberra community were awarded to the winning students and teachers.

ACTBLITS would like to thank all of the participants in the competition and congratulate all of the winners.

Please click here for a full list of prize winners.

The winning entrants not only receive a wonderful prize but will also have their ideas published in a book, which Minister Burch will launch as part of the International Day of Disability celebrations in December 2012.

Everyone Everyday competition winners on 8 August with Minister Joy Burch, Minister Chris Bourke and Mr Michael Milton

Everyone, Everyday partners

ACTBLITS would like to thank the following organisations for their support of the Everyone Everyday Competition and Sunflower Flash Mob.

• Zone 3 Laser Games Canberra for the pass for 10 people
• The National Museum of Australia for the free Art at the Museum program
• The Department of Sport & Recreation for use of the Sports Ability kit
• The Centenary of Canberra Unit for free access to participate in "We Built This City"
• Canberra Milk for their advertising sponsorship
• Capital Careers for their prize donation of 2 vouchers for the winner and a friend to attend a 1 day cooking class at Kids Pantry.
• Steve Pattrick Electrical for 2 x $100 Gift Vouchers (To be used at Dick Smith/Harvey Norman)
• Bunnings Warehouse (Fyshwick and Belconnen) for face painting and balloon modelling at the Sunflower Flash Mob
• Cultural Facilities Corporation for providing 2 tickets to the Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company's production of "Australia Day" The wickedly funny play by Jonathan Biggins playing at The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
• Dendy Cinemas Canberra for providing a Double Pass to Dendy Premium Lounge Cinema and a Double Pass to Dendy Business Class Cinema
• Mark & Vanessa Sutton for providing a day in a professional recording studio
• Croissant Dor for providing a $50 gift certificate
• Kids Media for their design of the Everyone Everyday material
• Questacon - The National Science & Technology Centre - for providing a free family pass
• Mr Jeremy Lasek for the 2 free half hour sessions on the Seg, Glide, Ride (Segway Ride) at Lake Burley Griffin
• The National Zoo & Aquarium for the free pass to the Zoocation school holiday program
• Canberra Glassworks for the voucher for a glass experience
• Cockington Green Gardens for the 2 complimentary family passes
• Westfield Belconnen & Woden for $500 worth of gift cards
• Warehouse Circus for the free workshop for an entire class

Everyone Everyday Teaching Resource

Another key element of the awareness program is a resource for ACT teachers to raise student awareness about the inclusion of people with disability. The resource will include a set of classroom activities that are evidence based and align with the new Australian Curriculum and the ACT Schools Curriculum Framework - Every Chance to Learn.

• The Everyone, Everyday teaching resource for primary schools was trialled in 5 primary schools by 15 teachers during Term 4 of the 2012 school year. Years 3 and 4 teachers delivered 14 lessons to 350 students. The lessons focussed on the inclusion of people with disability in everyday life. The themes covered in the resource align to the key concepts identified through the Everyone, Everyday consultation process.
• The lessons are student centred and explore how individuals, classes and whole school communities can take action to ensure children and adults with disability are valued and included in all aspects of school and community life.
• Participating schools were Namadgi, Gowrie, Farrer, Mt. Rogers and Turner.
• The project team are in close contact with staff from each school, and the feedback to date has been very positive.
• Megan Campbell, from Disability ACT delivered the first lesson to all participating classes, to ensure the teaching Unit commenced with the philosophy and rationale of Everyone Everyday firmly in place.
• Formal evaluation of the program is being completed by the University of Canberra. An evaluation report of the pilot program is due in March 2013, following analysis of pre and post surveys with staff, students, principals and parents; interviews with focus groups; and observations of lessons.
• Full implementation of the primary school resource (Kindergarten to Year 6) is planned for Term 2, 2013. A similar trial will begin for high schools in Term 4, 2013, with the full implementation across all year levels (Kindergarten - Year 12) during first semester, 2014.
• A paper outlining the Everyone, Everyday program has been accepted for inclusion in the Public Health Association of Australia’s (PHAA) national conference. Megan Campbell and Maureen Howe will be presenting their paper at the PHAA National Social Inclusion and Complex Needs Conference, 15-16 April, 2013 - Hotel Realm, Canberra.

Consultations on the Everyone, Everyday Resource

A discussion paper to guide consultations on the curriculum resource was released on 23 January 2012.

Click here to access the discussion paper.

Targeted and open consultations were held on the curriculum resource throughout March and April 2012 with young people, young carers and young people with disability, teachers, disability sector groups, parents and advocacy organisations. A summary report on the community consultations for the curriculum resource was released on 8 August and is available here

The full 24 page report on the community consultations for the curriculum resource is also available here.

Everyone, Everyday - Ways to Change the World Workshop

On Friday 2 December 2011, Nick Stanhope, CEO of UK based organisation We Are What We Do delivered a workshop on engaging and inspiring communities to do small good actions that help to address social and environmental issues.

Below is the vid-cast of the workshop

Everyone, Everyday - Ways to Change the World Workshop from Daniel Sanguineti on Vimeo.

The publisher for We Are What We Do publications are www.walkerbooks.com.au

Sunflower Flash Mob

On Friday 2 December 2011, a sunflower flash mob was held in Garema place, Civic to celebrate inclusion and diversity.