2008 Winners
Inclusion in Small Business Award
Impact Comics
Impact Comics receive the 2008 Small Business Award for creating a meaningful and enjoyable volunteer position in its Civic store for a person with a significant disability.
Zac de Jonge has been volunteering for one morning a week at Impact Comics. This is the first time in his life that he has a role in a workplace. This has made a significant improvement to Zac’s life – he is interacting with other people in the wider community, including his peers who share his interests.
This business has provided Zac an opportunity to use his existing skills as well as develop new ones. He is a valued member of staff by management and customers alike.
Inclusion in Medium to Large Business Award
AMF Belconnen Ten Pin Bowling Centre
AMF Belconnen’s Ten Pin Bowling centre operates 32 lanes 7 days a week attracting customers from the ACT and neighbouring towns — this includes more than 100 bowlers with special needs through the doors every week.
The Centre offers a reduced pricing policy and has leagues for people with disabilities, including the vision impaired. The weekly Saturday Wizards league is one of the largest in Australia consisting of 24 teams.
Wider areas in the concourse allow fantastic wheelchair access to all areas of the business including disabled toilets. Bigger screens were also incorporated into the refurbishment for people with vision impairment. Work is currently underway to raise the player’s floor area to concourse level removing the need for ramp access.
Inclusion in ACT Government or Agency Award
Futures Program The Canberra College
ACT Department of Education & Training
The Futures Program at Canberra College delivers a specialized program to students with special needs such as a significant academic deficit, intellectual disability or autism.
Over the past three years the Futures Program has become the showcase of best practice in the provision of educational and vocational training for college students with special needs — winning awards at both local and national levels.
Students of the Futures Program have enrolled in college and enjoy being integrated as a ‘regular college’ student in a regular college world. Many students have mainstream peers and are keen to maintain these friendships.
For students of this age, peer friendships are as important as any work-training program.
Inclusion in the Community – Team Award
Belconnen High School’s Autism Inclusion Team
ACT Department of Education & Training
Belconnen High School’s Autism Inclusion Team was established in 1999 as the first program in an ACT Government high school to specifically assist students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, to undertake their education within a mainstream setting.
The Team, comprising eight staff now support 20 students who are motivated by the motto: “We are not our past we are our possibility”.
In the ten years since the program’s inception a lot has changed, although inclusion within the mainstream school has remained an important value at Belconnen High.
In the words of one parent, the Belconnen High Autism Inclusion Team provides students with Autism “the chance of a life”.
Inclusion in the Community – Individual Award
Dick Passchier
Department of Territory & Municipal Services
Dick Passchier is the manager of the Graffiti removal team At The Department Of Territory & Municipal Servces. He is a tireless advocate for people with disabilities and has been personally responsible for increasing the number of people employed with a disability at TAMS.
Dick has an extremely strong commitment to staff with disabilities, ensuring that they are supported in the workplace and that they are provided with the same opportunities for training and career progression as any staff member.
Dick’s advocacy and tenacity is a tremendous example to all in how to push the boundaries of prejudice and stereotyping that often limit people with disability from reaching their full potential.
Inclusion in the Community – Individual Award
Kate Boljkovac
ACT Record Services
Department of Disability Housing & Community Services
Kate Boljkovac embodies what inclusion is all about and her work has made a big difference for people with disabilities.
Kate has had a significant impact in her department as well as her work environment. She encourages full participation in the workforce and provides opportunities to enhance skills through training as well as building confidence.
Kate has carried out initiatives implemented by ACT Record Services and has become a natural support for her colleagues with disabilities. She has extended not only support but her sincere friendships in her workplace as well as investing time outside of work hours.
Inclusion in Marketing
Capital Careers Pty Ltd
Capital Careers is as small commercial company with big ideals that provide a supportive and inclusive service where all clients are respected as individuals.
The business provides unique training for people with disabilities and has consistently demonstrated a capacity to develop and deliver creative and holistic training solutions to improve productivity and competitiveness for clients.
Capital Careers has become a multi award winning organisation, including as a finalist in the 2007 Training Excellence Awards.
Capital Careers has twice been recognised in the Inclusion Awards — winning the first ever ACT Chief Minister’s Excellence in Inclusion in 2005, for its outstanding commitment to people with a disability through leadership innovation and collaboration — backing this up with recognition again in 2007.
Inclusion in Tourism Award
AMF Belconnen Ten Pin Bowling Centre
AMF Belconnen’s Ten Pin Bowling centre attracts many people with a disability from around the region including Queanbeyan, Yass, Goulbourn and Collector.
The business runs weekly programs for regular disability groups such as Volunteer Connections, Yass Community Service, Goulbourn Community Service as well as the Queanbeyan Community Service.
Belconnen Ten Pin Bowling also hosted the National Disability Championships at the Centre in June of this year, attracting in excess of 300 bowlers.
Not only is the Centre providing a necessary physical activity for people with a disability, it is providing access to others in the community including parents, carers and coaches on a social and often developmental level.
2008 Judges Award of Recognition
Tuggeranong Valley Rugby Union Club – The Vikings Group
The Tuggeranong Valley Rugby Union Club is committed to employing people with a disability. The Club ensures that employees with a disability are provided with tailored on-the-job training and assistance to successfully integrate into mainstream work forces.
The club has actively raised the awareness of people with a disability in the community by providing continuous employment opportunities.
The Club’s high profile in the community puts it in an ideal position to promote positive imaging of people with a disability.
It has been active in working to change community perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities, and this is reflected in the high number of co-workers working directly with a person who has a disability.
The 2008 Chief Minister’s Award of Excellence
AMF Belconnen Ten Pin Bowling Centre
This Ten Pin Bowling Centre in Belconnen has clearly proven a commitment of excellence for the inclusion of people with a disability through its services, programs, training and ability to embrace the philosophy of an inclusive society.
The centre specifically caters to bowlers with special needs, every week offering a 60% price reduction so that people with a disability and their carers can enjoy the facilities.
It has implemented dedicated weekly leagues to provide a social outlet and regular event for people with a disability, while simultaneously integrating them with other bowlers throughout the Centre.
AMF has made many changes throughout the Centre to ensure that bowling is inclusive for everyone and has reached beyond the local market to also include surrounding regions who do not have the facilities to accommodate the disability market.
