The Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign runs across NSW throughout November and December each year.  If you are from the media and would like more information about the Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign, any of the events or would like to interview one of our ambassadors, please phone 02 8270 2459.

3 Decmeber 2009

International Day celebrates people with a disability

The outstanding contribution of people with a disability will be celebrated this morning at an International Day of People with a Disability event at the Art Gallery of NSW.
Ambassadors for the NSW Government’s Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign – including singer-songwriter Krystel Keller and Paralympian Kurt Fearnley – will attend the event.

Guests will be taken on a fully-accessible tour of the Gallery’s Rupert Bunny exhibition which was Auslan-interpreted for people with a hearing impairment and audiodescribed for people with a vision impairment.

Minister for Disability Services Paul Lynch said the day celebrated the diversity, achievements and abilities of people with a disability. “People like Kurt Fearnley show that disability is not a barrier to feats of remarkable physical endurance,” Mr Lynch said.

“Krystel Keller is blind but that hasn’t stopped her from reaching her potential as a singer-songwriter,” he said.

In Australia, one in five people have a disability. About 1.4 million people in New South Wales have a disability while 800,000 people in Australia care for people with a disability. Globally, there are about 650 million people with a disability.

Guest speaker at today’s event was Vision Australia board member and Dancing with the Stars performer Gerrard Gosens.

This year’s United Nations theme is “Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world”.
Don’t DIS my ABILITY events continue in some locations this week. Further details are available at www.DontDISmyABILITY.com.au

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew Williams 0408 602 936

Click her to download this Media Release (PDF_24kb)

30 October 2009

Don’t DIS my ABILITY Ambassadors announced

Minister for Disability Services, The Hon Paul Lynch today announced the names of the 2009 Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign ambassadors. The 15 ambassadors chosen are from a variety of different fields including arts, education, sport and business.

They include Australian marathon swimmer, Susie Maroney, who was born with cerebral palsy, John Foster, a founding member of the Aboriginal Disability Network, who has a hearing impairment and singer/songwriter Krystel Keller, who is blind.

Mr Lynch said “the Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign ambassadors represent the remarkable contribution people with a disability make to the workplace, sport, academia and the arts throughout NSW.

“By sharing their stories, the ambassadors will help educate people about the greater need for accessibility, awareness and understanding in all areas of the community”.

For further information about the Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign ambassadors, events and activities, please visit www.DontDISmyABILITY.com.au.

MEDIA CONTACT
MINISTER’S OFFICE: Andrew Williams, Media Officer
0408 602 936

ADHC CONTACT: Rachel Chittick (for ambassador interviews)
rachel.chittick@dadhc.nsw.gov.au
02 8270 2086