Imagine playing volleyball sitting on the ground with a big beach ball and a low net.
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Not only is it a lot of fun, but it’s an activity about involving everyone regardless of ability.
It’s just one of the activities Manning Gardens Public School students played over the two days Ability Links NSW visited the school.
The students took turns on Thursday, June 14 and Friday, June 15 listening to wheelchair sportsman Robbie Veneziano share his story about living with a disability.
“It’s about planting a positive seed with the children,” he said. “Embracing and accepting everyone’s differences. Creating comfort.”
Manning Gardens school is already practising inclusion with its mainstream students frequently integrating with the students from the support unit program.
So when the assistant principal for the support unit, Alison Trudgeon was contacted by the Ability Links team, she embraced the opportunity.
“It’s making the students think of new ways to be inclusive in their own school,’ she said.
Over the two days, all the students had the chance to try the three activities designed to reflect what the Ability Links is all about.
The activities highlighted the importance of everyone being able to take part.
Jason Hay from Ability Links said it’s a State funded program that helps people with disabilities connect with their community.
He said the program links people with disabilities to activities they want to take part in, like fishing or rabbit hopping.
“It’s very much a social activity,” he said.
Bringing the program to the schools is an opportunity to teach inclusion at a young age, exposing children to people with disabilities and encouraging inclusion.
Ability Links
Ability Links NSW Coordinators, known as Linkers, work closely with people with disability, their families and carers to support them to fulfill their goals, hopes and dreams.