World Day for Disabled Persons

07 December 2009

The celebration attracting 194 delegates, of which over 94 were young people aged 11-16 from schools including Gateacre Comprehensive High School, Childwall Sports College, Palmerstone School, Shorefields Technology College, Abbotleigh School and Clifford Holroyde School.

The event, which was the themed ‘Young People have visions too’, was also attended by teachers, support workers and LJMU student advocates. The aim of the day was to give young people the opportunity to learn about disability equality, and to explore some of the various options available to them on completion of their secondary education.

Organisations such as Merseyside Police, Connexions, Job Centre plus, and Liverpool University were present to showcase what they offer and to answer questions on how young people can get involved. The event, the first of its kind in Liverpool, was put together in such a way as to ensure that attendees gained valuable knowledge about the World of Work, education and diversity while keeping the atmosphere informal and fun.

The fun activities included dance workshops by JMUp IN(tegrated) Dance Company, blind football, goal ball, new age curling by Daisy UK and a wheelchair basketball activity coordinated by Greenbank Academy paralympic stars. In the afternoon the children were treated to a rousing performance by the Crown Trooper band, who played a few crowd-pleasers, inspiring and an impromptu dance from one of the band members. The Everton Tigers basketball team and coach brought brought an entertaining close to the day by training up some of the young people before taking them in an exhibition match.

One of the children commented: “It’s so great to see many young people here today, everyone mixing together, disabled and non disabled. The LJMU Integrated Dance workshop was brilliant!”

Another young person said: “The wheelchair basketball and the blind football made me appreciate disabled people. It’s good to know all these things before we go to University.”

Moni Akinsanya, the University’s Equality and Diversity Advisor, commended the effort made by the planning team, which includes members of the Disability staff network, as well as the invaluable contribution of the Aimhigher and HR team members who made time to help out at the event. She also commended Keighley Burrows and Janet Neil for their hard work, organisational skills and attention to detail, which contributed to the smooth running of the event.

For more information about the event and future events please contact the LJMU Equality and Diversity Team on 0151 231 3551, 3518 or 3563.

To see the news and video report produced by LJMU's Screen School students, visit: http://www.jmu-journalism.org.uk/#/news-150/4535528646