A more inclusive future

Going out into the community is an enjoyable learning experience. How can organisations and public spaces support children with a disability to have fun and thrive?

Community & Me aims to nurture better inclusive communities as our children grow and discover the world. We welcome you to contribute to this research project which will help shape positive change.

Community & Me is a peer-led, co-designed community inclusion project

Navigate the Community & Me project

Family Survey

PhotoVoice

Inclusion Visioning Kit

2022 Survey Results

Tell us about your community

2023 Family Survey now open: have your say on inclusion!

Children learn about the world, have fun and thrive when they go out into the community. Although society is becoming more inclusive, barriers can remain for families of children with disability and delay to enjoy a day out.

The 2023 National Family Survey is open! Government and organisations want to hear your feedback to enhance their policymaking and quality of services for a more inclusive future. We invite you to share your experiences on participating in community programs and activities for positive change.

Show us where you go

PhotoVoice enables children to share their unique community perspectives and experiences with others through photography.

Our aim is for all children to participate and have their voices heard, but we understand support may be needed.

Parents or carers can help their child by holding the phone or camera, making suggestions on what to photograph, or interpreting their child’s behaviour as something they like or don’t like in the community.

“Completing PhotoVoice gave me new opportunities for rich engagement with my child.” ~parent

Using PhotoVoice

Help your child take photos of activities they enjoy or are challenging to do in their community.
You can use a phone, tablet device or camera.

Upload the images to PhotoVoice and help your child with answering some questions.

Victoria’s PhotoVoice experience

This is where Victoria’s carer, Van, brings her on a Saturday morning. They visit a café at the beach to enjoy a babycino and then go for a walk along the beach.

“While helping Victoria share her views through PhotoVoice, there was this beautiful awareness I wouldn’t otherwise have had. It was just wonderful to realise that Victoria could engage in a conversation to express things she likes. This reminded me to step back more to give her that opportunity because her voice matters.”
~Melo (Victoria’s dad)

PhotoVoice – A father’s story

Doing this survey gave me a chance to reflect on where we are as a family, in terms of interacting with and within our community, and it helped me realise I’m not where I’d like to be.

PhotoVoice made this experience more than just a survey. It helped me realise I was underestimating my daughter’s ability to make decisions and express herself. With a camera, she was able to show me the things she enjoys and the process was fun for both of us.

PhotoVoice reminded me, that if I want my daughter to gain confidence in her ability to express herself, I need to give her the opportunity to make her own choices. I need to make sure I take a step back. I have a responsibility not only for the experiences my daughter has but also for her sense of being included. ~Melo (Victoria’s dad)

Families of children with disability want more inclusion in community activities

That’s the message we received from the 2022 National Survey.

It was conducted to document and reflect the experiences of children with developmental delay and disability in community art, cultural, sport and recreation activities. It provided a snapshot of the barriers and enablers they encountered for meaningful participation.

The survey responses highlighted that:

There is a significant gap between how children currently participate in community activities and their desire for more equal access
The greatest barriers to inclusion were related to the environment, sensory challenges and attitudes to disability

The family survey for 2023 is now open. We want to hear family and carer experiences to inform a more inclusive future. Your experiences matter and completing the survey will help us advocate for change!

Read 2022 survey summary

Read 2022 research report