October
Philippa Winch
For Disability Awareness Week in August, Vinnies at St Paul’s School Richmond organised an interactive display about living with disability which was open to classes and members of the wider community to view.
The display showcased information and activities related to various disabilities as well as work that the Vinnies had done on this topic.
The week also involved Vinnies visiting preschoolers with disabilities at the Little Stars Playgroup at St Barnabas Church in Stoke; a talk by Richard Townsend who, at the end of last year, went to Fr Ray Children’s Village in Thailand to help with a sports programme for people with special needs, and an Art Exhibition by Community Art Works that offers art and music therapy for people living with disability.
To finish the week St Paul’s Vinnies hosted a screening of ‘The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia’ for interested members of the community on Tuesday 20 August.
The Vinnies artwork and information will now go on permanent display in the new Nelson-based Parent to Parent Office in Richmond, Nelson.
Says St Paul’s Vinnie, Imogen Richards, ‘I have learned that some people can’t walk that well and some can’t talk that well. People judge them. We need to help people with disabilities. They can be lovely people.’
St Paul’s Disability Awareness Week was planned to coincide with National Parent to Parent Awareness Week. Parent to Parent is an organisation that empowers families who have children with disabilities and health impairments through support and information.
Those wishing to contact Parent to Parent support services in their area can contact the national Parent to Parent office or (07) 853-8491.