Here at the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL), we provide opportunities for people with disability, children with developmental delays and disability, their families, and carers to:
- connect with others in their community;
- address barriers to true inclusion and accessibility in communities;
- use their skills and knowledge to achieve shared goals.
What is Community Capacity Building?
Community Capacity Building (CCB) focuses on enabling all members of the community to develop skills and competencies to take greater control of their own lives. It attempts to increase a community’s capacity to solve collective problems by working towards sustainable, grassroots solutions.
When looking at disability inclusion in our communities, we consider how we can work with local communities to promote and enhance:
- Attitudes and mindsets
People are respectful, welcoming, and inclusive of people with disabilities.
- Information and communication
People with disability have the information they require to understand and access available resources.
- Physical access
People with disability can get in, move around, and have the physical resources they require to fully access their community.
- Policies
There are policies in place that support the rights and needs of people with disabilities.
- Opportunities
People with disability are provided with opportunities to participate and contribute to the community.
What projects are we working on?
We are working on projects to increase access to all areas of community life.
We have partnered with volunteer organisations to increase opportunities for carers and people who live with disabilities to volunteer. We also work with neighbourhood houses to increase access to community events and festivals.
We are working with employment providers to increase their understanding of how to support young people, with a disability, to find employment. We are also partnering with Childcare and early learning providers to support access to early learning services for families with children who live with a disability or developmental delay.
Are you a carer? We are working with unpaid carers to hear about the support they require to continue caring for their loved ones and find time to prioritise themselves.
How you can be involved
People with lived experience (people with disability, children with developmental delay, families, and carers) are always central to our work.
If you are interested in sharing your lived experience and ideas to help in building inclusive communities, please subscribe to our mailing list or email community@bsl.org.au to discuss further.