ACT project wins 2014 National Disability Award

The Everyone Everyday Disability Awareness Program has been presented with a 2014 National Disability Award at a gala event held at Parliament House in Canberra last night.

The project was a joint recipient of the ‘Improving Education Outcomes Award,’ along with the Stirling Community Early Learning Centre from South Australia.

Representatives from the Disability ACT Project Team that delivered the programme attended the awards event. They were one of 23 finalists from more than 200 nominations across eight award categories.

Everyone Everyday is a teaching resource promoting inclusion.

Linked to the Australian Curriculum, it provides students from kindergarten to Year 6 with the knowledge, skills and confidence to actively include children with disability in everyday life.

It was described by the National Disability Awards judging panel as “an innovative programme that is clearly targeting an area that has been neglected over time”.

The panel noted an independent evaluation by the University of Canberra, and was impressed by the level of consultation in developing the resources, which are “changing attitudes through training and awareness-raising through the school environment,” and have “the potential to have a flow-on effect in the broader community”.

The programme was rolled out to 144 teachers and 3,000 students across the ACT during 2014 and is available online nationally.

The National Disability Awards are a major part of celebrations marking the International Day of People with Disability that takes place on 3 December each year.

The full list of 2014 National Disability Award recipients and more information can be found at www.idpwd.com.au.