At Sport and Recreation Services, International Day for People with a Disability allows our participants to participate in a number of events or showcase their skills in a variety of ways. The Disability Trust is committed to “creating an inclusive world” and International Day for People with a Disability is a great way to encourage inclusion across the community.

This year, our Altogether Drama group will be performing a traditional English pantomime of Cinderella, alongside the Wollongong Workshop Theatre group. The performers have previously been in a number of productions including Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and this is Altogether Drama’s 18th year of performing.

Every year, we hold our Christmas Party on the first weekend of December where all participants from all Sport and Recreation Service’s programs come together to enjoy a night of dancing and games. As always there has been a lot of excitement building over the past few weeks and we are sure it will also be a great night.

Finally, our Leisure Link group will be taking part in the Shoalhaven International Day for People with a Disability Dinner Dance, held annually at the Bomaderry RSL Club. This event is the hard work of the Shoalhaven Disability Forum, and our group has been busy making their hats for this year’s Happy Hatters theme.

What do you do to celebrate International Day of People with Disability? Share your story here.

As I have been away on holidays, I asked one of our newest team members at Sport & Recreation Services, Tennille Owen, to share her experiences in working with us and for a disability service provider.

Tennille is employed as our Administrative Assistant and is supported by The Disability Trust’s employment service Workskills.

Tennille has submitted her story about finding work in the disability sector to carecareers' True Stories section. You can submit your story too, to help job seekers decide if a care career is for them!

What do you want to hear about in my next blog? You can ask me questions at Career Advice and Opinions.

Read Sarah's True Story about working in the disability and community care sector:

"I work at the Australian Foundation for Disability (AFFORD) as a Team Leader for the Community Participation Program, Jamisontown. The Community Participation Program gives adults living with disability the opportunity to learn valuable life skills such as cooking, shopping and using public transport, whilst also having a great time with music, art, sport and community activities. Each person in the program is encouraged to be the best they can be and to have fun while achieving their goals. Jamisontown has 20 clients and 6 staff.

I haven’t always worked in disability. When I left school I went to Business College and became a secretary, progressing after 5 years or so to the level of executive secretary in a company which manufactured metal cutting tools. While I really enjoyed the work, I was over the office politics and felt I needed to try something new.

Growing up, my grandmother had lived with us all my through my childhood and we had cared for her, and my mum spent her working life as a Registered Nurse in an aged care facility. I was familiar with the industry and I thought I’d give it a try. I began working in a nursing home and studied to gain a Certificate III in Aged Care. I’d always respected older people and I found the work there really enjoyable.

I progressed to community work in aged care, then I worked with people who had paraplegia or quadriplegia, and then I worked in respite and accommodation for children and adults. Across those years I completed a Certificate IV in Disability. 5 years ago I started with AFFORD..."

Read Sarah's full carecareers story or learn more about frontline support roles in the disability and community care sector.