International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is held on 3 December each year.

IDPwD aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability.

The theme for IDPwD 2022 is:

‘Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.’

The annual theme provides an overarching focus on how society can strive for inclusivity through the removal of physical, technological and attitudinal barriers for people with disability.

Red Energy Arena has partnered with local disability employment service provider Axis Employment since 2019 to build an inclusive and diverse workforce.

With 15 staff members currently employed at the arena through Axis Employment, our People and Culture Manager, Anna Bennallack works closely with the Axis team to create an ongoing inclusive, safe, and rewarding environment for all employees.

“This is such an important day to recognise – it creates an opportunity for all of us to build our knowledge and skills around prioritising accessibility and inclusion in the workplace,” Anna says

“The Axis Employment program contributes significantly to Red Energy Arena. It’s not only great for the employees but makes good business sense.

“We have had the opportunity to draw from our widest possible pool of talent, with these staff members demonstrating that they are loyal, positively minded, and hardworking.”

Today more than 4.4 million people in Australia have some form of disability – that is 1 in 5 people. Over 35% of Australian households include a person with a disability.

With this perspective, disability is relevant to us all, and building an inclusive and diverse workforce is beneficial to everyone within the community.

At Red Energy Arena we strive to make everyone feel welcome, and we recognise the importance of ensuring our experiences, facilities and workplace is accessible and representative of all members of the community.

One way we do this is through our Access All Abilities (AAA) basketball program, which we run in conjunction with the Bendigo Basketball Association – a program specifically designed for people living with disability.

Participants can practice their basketball skills and implement these skills into a game at the end of the session – a terrific opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy basketball at the arena in an encouraging and supportive environment!

Employing people who live with disability makes us all better at our jobs, as we gain a greater understanding and insight to some of the challenges that can be faced by people living with disability on a day-to-day basis – both at home and in the workplace.

This enables us to improve our events, experiences, sporting programs and our facilities.

Our staff members employed through Axis Employment bring such a positive attitude and outstanding work ethic into the organisation, which ultimately benefits staff morale.

We are excited to watch all their careers develop and grow, and we look forward to supporting and nurturing more people living with disability through our partnership with Axis Employment.