02/12/2025
🌏 International Day of People with Disability
Celebrating Connection • Inclusion • Growth • Community
Today, on International Day of People with Disability, I’m feeling incredibly proud and grateful for the community that has been built through Life Is Worth Living over almost seven years.
Its a long post today but I wanted to celebrate our achievements and acknowledge all who have contributed to our LIWL experience.
What began as a small idea to offer safe, person-centred, heart-led support grew into a vibrant, interconnected community where people are seen, valued, and genuinely included.
Over the years, our service has:
✨ Supported over 100 people in the Geelong region to access the community, build independence, explore new environments, and grow in confidence.
✨ Employed more than 60 staff, including many with diverse backgrounds and lived experience, providing a nurturing workplace where people can comfortably return to work, build both their careers and their sense of self, with the freedom to grow professionally while still contributing to this valuable field alongside others.
✨ Created spaces for belonging, including our unique respite experience at The Nest, where individuals can develop skills, gain confidence, and transition toward greater independence.
✨ Walked alongside families, therapists, and support teams, bridging communication gaps and ensuring each person’s needs, preferences, and human rights remain at the centre of their care.
✨ Provided meaningful routines, community access, and social engagement from SIMMA music groups, visiting local businesses where relationships form naturally, daily home support to build independence, outdoor adventures, cooking programs, train trips, and the quiet moments of connection that matter just as much.
✨ Supported growth and empowerment, self-advocacy development, helping people make decisions, try new things, and experience success in environments that uphold their autonomy.
✨ Welcomed volunteers, whose generosity and commitment have helped our service run smoothly and strengthened our community. Their contribution has been invaluable and deeply appreciated.
✨ Supported students on placement and encouraged staff to pursue further qualifications, contributing to a stronger, more capable, and confident workforce across the disability sector.
✨ Fostered an inclusive workplace, making thoughtful adaptations and modifications to ensure that people with lived experience can contribute meaningfully and sustainably to our workforce. Inclusion isn’t only a value, it’s a practice embedded into the way we operate every day. Inspired by my own lived experience and barriers I have personally faced living with invisible disability in the workforce.
Life Is Worth Living has never just been another service.
It has been, and continues to be, a community providing opportunities for belonging.
A place where inclusion isn’t just talked about; it’s lived.
Where staff are supported to become their best selves, and where individuals with disability are given every opportunity to explore, connect, and participate fully in life.
As we celebrate today, I want to acknowledge:
💛 Our participants, who are the heart of everything we do
💛 Families and carers, who entrust us with their loved ones
💛 Our dedicated staff, past and present, who lead with compassion and personalised care
💛 Our incrediblly dedicated volunteers
💛 Students and emerging professionals who’ve joined us on placement
💛 Our community partners, therapists, and local organisations
💛 And the ongoing vision for a more inclusive, connected Geelong
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Here’s to continuing to build a community where people feel supported, empowered, and genuinely included today and every day.
Happy International Day of People with Disability 💛🌿
