Last Thursday I was honoured to attend Festable.

I was a special guest of Harmony Pathways. I was there to sell and advertise my book, Diaries of an Artist.

It was a celebration of inclusion, to celebrate the quiet souls of the community.

It aims to break down barriers, to educate, and to destigmatise people with disabilities.

They might have challenges, but deep down they just want to be treated like everyone else. 

They love having fun, forming friendships, and enjoying life. 

Most importantly, they love to be part of the community.

On the day there were organisations who aim to help them achieve it.

One of them was Fraser Coast Disability Service. Their main operations are to help participants achieve their personal goals, like looking for work, forming friendships, going to social events and attending group activities.

Josie Raco, the head of Fraser Coast Disability Services, brought her own energy to the disability community.

She saw the need to be more inclusive, and to offer more diversity in services to best match the participants’ individual goals and needs.

Knowing what is available in the community offers the power to choose the quality of service.

The Fraser Coast Regional Council, HBNC and many other service providers were represented too.

They had games, information stalls, market stalls and food stalls. It was a fun day out.

Entertainment was provided by the organisers, APM, and the individual stallholders provided their own entertainment.

This included friendly dance competitions, guessing games and general activities. One of the stalls had ten pin bowling.

The main purpose was to educate the public about inclusion. The event also gave an opportunity for providers to market their services, to provide participants with choice.

Knowing what is available in the community offers the power to choose the quality of service that suits them, and who would best help them achieve their personal goals. 

The day was also great for parents and caregivers. It was a carers’ day out, offering a chance for carers to socialise with other carers, network and to have a great time.

The caring industry is growing. More people are going into the sector, because it’s a humbling and rewarding career choice or change.

It was especially uplifting to see the happy individuals themselves. Seeing them having fun was a great example of a positive and inclusive community. 

So, in closing, I was grateful to attend Festable.

I learnt so much.