Government supports kids with disability at Invictus Games

The Hon Sarah Henderson MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, announced today the Australian Government’s support for young people with disability by sponsoring the Outback Academy Australia (OAA) Red Dust Heelers program.

Red Dust Heelers will fly both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians with disability to Sydney to play an exhibition wheelchair basketball game on the Invictus main court on 26 October. This event is one of the five community engagement and education program events being supported by the Australian Government.

“The Australian Government is committed to ensuring people with disability are able to participate in everyday life just like everyone else,” Ms Henderson said.

“The players will have overcome hardship and travelled large distances, some as far away as Mulan in the East Kimberley which has a population of only around 100 people, to make it to the games.”

The Australian Government is supporting these Red Dust Heelers as part of its program of celebrations for International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), a United Nations‑sanctioned day that is held on 3 December each year.

Five programs across Australia are being rolled out, all of which work in partnership with the OAA Australian Paralympic Committee and feature ‘come and try’ community events, including the exhibition basketball game, community ‘cook ups’ with bush foods, and awareness raising sessions.

The wheelchair basketball exhibition game will be held on 26 October at 5pm at the Invictus Games main court in Sydney.

Community events are scheduled in Sydney (26 October), Shepparton and Melbourne (13 and 14-15 November), Bunbury and Perth (3-4 December), Brisbane (26 March 2019) and Townsville (28-29 March 2019).

To find out more about the events go to https://www.idpwd.com.au/events/calendar.