Key points:
- Today is International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD)
- The theme for 2024 is ‘Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future’
- Ambassadors Cooper Smith and Sara Shams are talented advocates for inclusion and diversity.
Today is International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), a United Nations day marked on 3 December each year. Since 1992 IDPwD has promoted community awareness and understanding of people with disability.
The theme for 2024 is ‘Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.’
This recognises the important role that people with disability play in creating a more inclusive and sustainable world for everyone. It also emphasises the importance of participation of people with disability in decision making that affects their lives.
Key goals.
The key goals for IDPwD 2024 are:
- Promoting the leadership of persons with disability in all areas of life
- Ensuring the inclusion of persons with disability in all aspects of society
- Increasing the participation of persons with disability in decision-making processes
- Raising awareness of the rights of persons with disability
- Celebrating the achievements of persons with disability.
Australian Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, said IDPwD was an opportunity to celebrate our diverse disability community, while recognising that everyone has a role to play in creating a better society.
“International Day of People with Disability reminds us that it will take everyone pulling in the same direction to create a society that is inclusive of the more than 5.5 million Australians living with disability,” Minister Rishworth said.
“This year we have our largest and most diverse group of Ambassadors sharing their lived experiences and reflecting the intersectionality of disability in this country.” Minister Rishworth said.
IDPwD Ambassador spotlight.
Each country has its own approach to marking International Day of People with Disability. In Australia, IDPwD Ambassadors are appointed each year to inspire and lead conversations about inclusion.
This year, Australia has appointed eight ambassadors, each come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Today, we’re taking a closer look at two of the IDPwD 2024 Australian Ambassadors.
Cooper Smith – DJ and music producer.
Cooper Smith has been challenging other people’s expectations his whole life.
Nineteen year-old Smith is one of the youngest IDPwD Ambassadors but has already had so much experience in advocating for inclusion. As a brand ambassador for Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) and a ‘Steptember’ participant, earlier this year he featured in CPA’s Steptember advertising campaign ‘A Life Changing Movement‘. Cooper also works with the City of Melbourne as an accessibility consultant.
Having cerebral palsy hasn’t stopped Cooper from pursuing his passion for music.
“I’ve always had a real love for music,” Cooper says. “I thought, ‘How could I share the music I enjoy with an audience?’ So, I decided to buy an app on my iPad and started practising as a DJ.”
He’s come a long way since getting behind the decks as a five-year-old, playing around with his dad’s vinyl collection in a tin shed in their backyard.
This young DJ and music producer has been making waves in the Australian music scene and regularly plays sets at major music festivals, including Ability Fest and the Australian Open.
As well as working to champion diversity and inclusion in the music industry, Cooper visits primary schools and high schools to talk with students about disability and inclusion across all areas of life.
Sara Shams – health professional, model and public speaker.
Sara Shams (she/her) is a disability advocate, model, speaker and healthcare professional. She’s passionate about establishing equal opportunities, creating inclusive environments and increasing the representation of people with disabilities, particularly from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Sara advocates for an intersectional approach to inclusion, recognising the unique challenges faced by individuals at the intersection of race, disability and other marginalised identities.
As a modelling inclusion ambassador, she works with the fashion and media industries to amplify diversity and ensure authentic representation of all disabled communities.
Sara comments, “I didn’t see anyone like me – a woman with disability, or a woman of colour – on screens or in the media when I was growing up.”
Sara achieved one of her top goals when she modelled on the catwalk at Designer Q and Brisbane Fashion Week in 2022.
“I am determined to increase representation of people with disability in the media and other industries, and one of my goals was to get on the runway, which was an incredible achievement for me,” Sara says.
While the media and fashion industries are moving in the right direction, it can often be tokenistic. Sara says: “I want to see people with a range of disabilities represented on the runway and other industries. I also want to see people with disability in leadership positions and an increase in employment rates.”
She believes inclusive hiring practices and disability awareness training are important for organisations along with setting a quota to hire qualified, experienced staff with disability.
To learn more about IDPwD and the other Ambassadors visit: https://www.idpwd.com.au/