'Celebration of who we are': Day offers different view of disabilities

Festivities for International Day of People with Disability, to be held on Sunday, kicked off in Wagga's Riverside precinct at 10am, drawing crowds that surprised even the organisers.

Team lead of the Disability Royal Commission counselling and support team at Relationships Australia Canberra and Region Amanda "Bex" Beckett said she was beyond happy with the turnout.

She said it was great to see so many people out supporting the disability community.

"We're really encouraging people to walk around and talk to the services, and really work on creating an inclusive community - especially in Wagga," she said.

"We have a huge community here - you can't help see there's a lot of people.

"I've had people coming up to me asking if they can do something for it next year."

Disability service providers and support organisations from around the region came together in support of the event and people with disabilities.

Following the conclusion of the Disability Royal Commission, there was a sense of celebration in the air.

People danced to live music. People who struggle with over stimulation swapped tips on the best earplugs Support workers shared Rotary-cooked sausages.

New Directions managing director CEO Ryan Quarmby said it was hard to imagine an event like this two decades ago.

"People with disabilities contribute so much to our community," he said.

"We've come so far. Being in the industry for 20 odd years, I've seen the change from a relatively un-integrated to really fully-integrated into daily life.

"Wagga has always embraced the day and always celebrated it, but it is an opportunity to celebrate who we are, what we deliver and be proud of that."

There is a common misconception that disability is something exclusive to people with physical conditions.

The definition of disability has gradually expanded over the years to include more psychosocial conditions like ADHD and autism.

Conditions like these are invisible, often making it more difficult for sufferers to seek help, or obtain support from either disability services or peer groups.

Ms Beckett said people needed to be more considerate of those with such conditions.

"We have Headspace here today who've created a quiet space, and there's a lot of people here wearing their headphones, which has become quite acceptable," she said.

"Things like quiet time in shopping centres, easy-read documents and flexible work hours should be considered the norm rather than allowance."

A centrepiece of the event was live storytelling, organised by This is My Brave Australia (TIMBA).

TIMBA's events seek to shine light on the invisible experience of people with disabilities by having them tell their own stories.

TIMBA founder Tim Daly said hearing lived experiences was invaluable to people who had no personal experience of disability.

"You can understand them better, and relate to them as a peer rather than a diagnosis," he said.

"I think the fact this is a celebratory environment is really important too, because it gives people a different view of disability. It's not all therapy and all those things.

"We've got music, there's people out there dancing, and they're talking, they're sharing stories with people.

"We've built a space to let them be able to do that, which I think is important. There's not enough places people can celebrate."

The United Nations theme for International Day of People with Disability on December 3 is "united in action to rescue and achieve the sustainable development goals for, with and by persons with disabilities".