In February, Mercy Health Home Care Services attended the Having a Say conference in Geelong.
The Having a Say conference is the largest Australian conference for people with disabilities. It presents an opportunity for people with disabilities to find their voices, to speak up, to be heard and to be respected. This year’s conference attracted more than 1,000 people from around the country. It was a wonderful chance for people to come together to share opinions and views and to celebrate a common cause, as well as an opportunity for attendees to speak with and listen to each other, not only to the presenters on stage.
There are many reasons why people like to attend the Having a Say conference. Some are keen advocates for people with a disability and want to debate issues; others find the whole environment empowering and there are those who simply want to have fun. While for many, it is the opportunity to have a say via presentations or through activities including open microphone sessions that draws them to the conference. Conference organisers often receive feedback along the lines of: ‘It was great and I felt important because everyone listened to what I said’.
The conference was a great success and shows that there will always be a need for people to get together to share experiences and to celebrate achievements.
Mercy Health was an exhibitor at the conference and we provided two staff members to take on the role of attendant carers to assist as required over the three-day event.
Attendant carers at the conference
