Having their say

Four self-advocates supported by Minda have enjoyed the opportunity to have a say about issues that affect their lives and to celebrate ability and achievement.

Chris, Brenton, Katelynn and Jessica attended the Having a Say Conference in Geelong, along with Developmental Educator Melissa Cheung and MyPATH support leader Karen Berry.

The Having a Say Conference is the largest conference for people with disabilities in Australia, where people can find their voice, speak up, be heard and be respected. More than 1,000 people attended from across Australia.

Chris gave a presentation on the first day of the conference, on the main stage.

“I felt good and confident about the presentation,” Chris says. Chris presented the same presentation in Tasmania last year, and says he enjoyed catching up with his friends from Our Voice.

Jessica and Katelynn gave a joint presentation on the second day of the conference to talk about ‘Our life and our community’, which was the theme of the conference.

“We felt like lots of people were listening to us speak,” Katelynn says.

Jessica and Katelynn say they felt good that they got to speak up, and speak about what they do including advocacy at Minda and leadership at MyPATH.

“My favourite moment was getting up and speaking during the open mic (on the first day),” Jessica says.

The number of people who are able to attend the conference depends on the amount of money raised from the Express Yourself Quiz Night and Easter Raffle, so make sure you support these fundraisers in 2018!