Celebrating inclusion and diversity in the Tweed

TWEED Shire Council is hosting Together We Celebrate, a series of inclusive events running through November and December to mark International Day of People with Disability on December 3.

The program highlights the contributions of people with disability, neurodiverse individuals, and those who are Deaf, while encouraging community participation and awareness.

Social Futures Team Leader Damien Becker said the events aim to foster understanding and celebrate the diversity within the community.

“It’s not just on one day of the year, so we created a program of events to allow multiple opportunities for people to engage with the themes and activities,” Becker said.

Highlights include an inclusive story time session presented by Paralympian and Olympic medallist David “DJ” Johnson at Tweed Heads Library on Wednesday, November 27 at 11am. A local area co-ordinator and wheelchair athlete, Johnson is known to thousands of school children for his work with Sports Ability.

Other activities include dementia-friendly tours of the Tweed Regional Gallery, scenic bike rides on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, and an all-abilities art exhibition.

The series finale, Art Without Limits: An Exclusive Art Showcase, will run at Murwillumbah’s M-Arts Precinct from December 13–18, celebrating the creativity and stories of people with disability.

Becker, who has lived experience of disability, said this year’s theme, “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future”, resonated deeply.

“Many people with disability already display tremendous community leadership that isn’t seen or understood, and many more would love to take opportunities that have not yet been created.

“Lived experience can be a powerful asset to shape new and better communities for everyone,” he said.

Together We Celebrate encourages the community to imagine new possibilities and recognise the value of diverse leadership.

For more information and a full list of events, head to the Tweed Shire Council website.