New Funding for Disability Conferences
19 March 2013 at 10:46 am
Disability conference organisers will now be able to provide improved access for disabled people and their carers at events, following the announcement of a new Federal Government initiative.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Jan McLucas, announced the National Disability Conference Initiative grants of up to $12,000, inviting organisations to apply for the funding.
The Government says that the initiative will allow conference organisers to apply for funds to support the inclusion of people with disability at nationally-focused disability conferences held in Australia during 2013-2014.
It says the grants can be used to assist people with disability and their carers with the costs of attending the conference, such as conference fees, accommodation or travel.
“Attending a conference is something that many of us don’t think twice about but the fact is there are many Australians who face barriers when doing so,” McLucas said.
“It is through initiatives like this that we can help ensure that people with disability have the same opportunities as other Australians to fulfil their potential and participate in community life.
McLucas said that services such as Auslan interpreters, live captioning services, hearing loops or note-takers for people who are deaf and hearing impaired can also be covered under the grants.
Applications for funding close on Friday April 26. Eligibility requirements and application forms for the National Disability Conference Initiative are available online.
“Conferences are a wonderful opportunity for people with disability to come together to learn and share their experiences. They may support professional development and enhance the leadership capacity of people with disability,” McLucas said.
