Workshop enables the sharing of ideas

Youth and community groups in the South West will have the opportunity to engage with people who are affected by a disability at a workshop on January 18.

Enable WA in Bunbury has teamed up with the Youth Disability Advocacy Network to host the workshop in an attempt to allow better disability research and service improvements in the region.

Activities, promotion and research officer Jesse Williams said the network had been running for a year and a half and its focus for 2017 was to reach regional areas.

“Our main goals for 2017 are to further develop workshops for both youth and community groups about awareness, inclusion and advocacy,” he said.

“And develop workshops that train staff of organisations to help build their capacity to work with and be inclusive of young people with disabilities in their services and employment.”

He said the group wanted to create a more interactive robust online network for young people with disabilities.

The group is also hosting the Ignite Conference in Perth later this year in an effort to bring people from regional and remote communities to the city to hear from professionals.

The network, along with Enable WA coordinators James Hughes and Sarah Pepper, will host the workshop and are encouraging people between the ages of 12 and 25 with a disability to attend the event.

“There’s a lot of skills that people with disabilities can share with each other and we want this to be an opportunity for young people to get together and meet others in the South West,” she said.

Mr Hughes said he looked forward to the group coming down to Bunbury as the network was a group of passionate young people who believed in advocating for people with disability.

“When we first met with them in August it was clear they wanted to achieve the same things that we do here at Enable,” he said.

“Anything is achievable for people with disabilities and it is great that we can share what we do with YDAN.”

Participants do not need to register for the casual workshop and both organisations are encouraging those who are interested to head along to Enable WA, Beach Road, Bunbury on January 18 at 10am.