Home | Site map | Contact us | Help | Search Search Disability Services Queensland

Disability Action Week

• About Disability Action Week
• Disability Action Week Awards
• Register your event
• Information for event organisers
• Calendar of events
• Online promotional materials
• Sponsors and sponsorship
• Contacts

Information for event organisers

The success of Disability Action Week depends on community members getting involved.

Fun ways to get involved

Community members can get involved by:

• hosting a community event — a charity breakfast or dinner, a sporting event or an art exhibition
• organising a fundraising sausage sizzle at their local shopping centre
• writing a letter to the editor of their local newspaper about a disability issue
• contacting a local radio station and asking for a discussion about disability issues
• Making the week special for a person with a disability by hosting a party or taking him or her on a special outing.

Schools and childcare centres can get involved by:

• organising a poster or essay competition
• organising a screening of a film about a person with a disability
• making a friendship quilt
• hosting a fundraising cake stall at a fete or school function.

Service providers can get involved by:

• hosting an open house at their centre or facility with displays and information sessions about the services provided
• launching a new service, resource or initiative in their community during Disability Action Week
• hosting a celebration for clients — a party or a special outing.

Getting organised

The following tips will help you organise your event.

• Form a committee to help you organise the event.
• Develop a project plan that includes event goals, key dates and roles and responsibilities of committee members.
• Think about your target audience — who would you like to attend the event.
• Develop a budget that includes guest speaker’s fee, venue hire, catering, promotions and insurance.
• Investigate funding sources and sponsorship opportunities.
• Organise carers or language interpreters for event participants.
• Organise a photographer to take photos at the event.
• Develop a risk management plan — identify potential problems and develop strategies to minimise their occurrence.

Promoting your event

Let people know about your event by registering your event on the Disability Action Week website. Once you have registered online you will automatically receive your 2008 Disability Action Week promotional pack to help publicise your event.

If you have received a Building Supportive Communities grant in 2008, we ask that you register your event online at least six weeks before the date.

The following tips will help you promote your event:

• Distribute flyers and posters four weeks ahead to local schools, libraries, shopping centres, churches, neighbourhood centres and community groups.
• Send out invitations to special guests four weeks in advance.
• Ask local schools and other community groups to mention your event in their newsletters.
• Contact your local media:
  1. Send a community service announcement to your local radio station. Some local newspapers also run free community announcements.
  2. One week before, send a media alert to your local newspaper and radio and television stations.
  3. A couple of days before your event, phone your local newspaper and radio and television stations and remind them of your event.
  4. Early on the day of your event, send your local newspaper and radio and television stations a media release. Follow up with a phone call during the day.

Media spokespeople

Paul Larcombe

Position:

Disability Action Week State Planning Committee Chair

Organisation:

Disability Council of Queensland

Mobile:

0405 124 110

John Mayo

Position:

Disability Action Week State Planning Committee member

Organisation:

Spinal Injuries Association

Telephone:

(07) 3391 2044