Australians with disability will be supported to attend conferences across the country, thanks to $350,000 from the Gillard Government under the National Disability Conference Initiative.

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers Amanda Rishworth, announced last week that 34 conference organisers will receive grants of up to $12,000 to assist people with disability and their carers to attend a range of disability-focused conferences in 2013-2014.

“Conferences are a wonderful opportunity for people from all walks of life, including disability advocates and leading academics, to come together to learn and share experiences,” Ms Rishworth said.

“Conferences support professional development and provide an opportunity for people with disability to further develop their leadership skills. Sadly, people with disability can still face barriers in accessing them. It is through initiatives like this that the Gillard Government is helping ensure that people with disability have the same opportunities as other Australians to fulfill their potential and participate fully in community life.

“This funding will ensure conferences that are focused on improving the lives of people with disability are more accessible and inclusive. This way more people with disability can get involved, be informed and have their say. We need more voices contributing to the national conversation around disability.

“The grants will be used to assist with the costs of conference fees, accommodation and travel for people with disability and their carers. Services such as Auslan interpreters, live captioning services, hearing loops, note-takers for people who are deaf and hearing impaired, and conference materials in a range of alternative formats such as Braille or larger font can also be covered.”