Barbecue brings awareness about people with disability

4 Feb 2019

1 February 2019

The barbecue was an opportunity for St John of God Accord clients to take part in a community event where they could interact with caregivers, see the hospital for themselves and take pride in their skills and talents.

“We’re a provider that looks at the person first, we think to build a relationship and we are there for a long time with most people,” St John of God Accord Director of Customer Relations and Marketing Peter Newsome said.

“We hope that this day has a lasting impact on the hospital and caregivers who might not have known anything about us now have a little more knowledge and awareness of people with disability.”

While the day was significant for the St John of God Accord clients, it was also an opportunity for hospital caregivers to better understand what it means to live with a disability.

“St John of God Health Care is a really big family and we have an enormous number of services we deliver across the country and one of the unique services we deliver is in the disability space through St John of God Accord,” St John of God Geelong Hospital Chief Executive Officer Stephen Roberts said.

“I think it is really nice to give people a chance to be part of something and to ensure we are giving everybody the chance to live life to the full.”

St John of God Accord specialises in supporting people with intellectual disabilities and provides a range of support, accommodation, education, recreation and job services through Melbourne.