Nominations open for Victorian Disability Awards 2024

Chris Varney is determined to help young autistic people find their confidence and a sense of belonging in the community.

Chris Varney founded I CAN Network more than a decade ago. He is also the chair of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council. Picture: Brad Fleet.

Chris Varney is determined to help young autistic people find their confidence and a sense of belonging in the community.

The 37-year-old from Drysdale, who has autism, established the I CAN Network in 2013 after he realised some young people didn’t feel as supported or encouraged to reach their potential as he did because of their developmental disability.

While in high school, Mr Varney said he felt supported by teaching staff, who were flexible and gave him a degree of control over his learning.

“When I went to university and in other roles in the workplace, I realised not everyone had the same run as me,” he said.

“My teachers told me I can do things but a lot of kids and young people who are also autistic were told they can’t and had a limited view of themselves.

“I was determined to change that but I couldn’t find anything that built up confidence, belonging and optimism in autistic young people.

“So I said to myself ‘if it’s going to be, it’s up to me’.”

I CAN Network started as camps for autistic kids, run by autistic adults, which Mr Varney said helped young people feel a sense of normality, pride and belonging.

Chris Varney. Picture: Brad Fleet.

“We then took the ingredients of our camps, like story telling, life skills and team work, and (brought it into) schools,” he said.

The I CAN Network mentoring program is now in 129 government schools in Victoria.

Mr Varney is also the chair of Victorian Disability Advisory Council, an independent body which advises the state government on issues affecting people with disabilities.

Mr Varney said Geelong was “well on its way” to becoming a disability friendly community.

“We are lucky in Geelong … and we sometimes take that for granted,” he said.

“You don’t find this level of inclusivity in other areas.”

In 2022, I CAN won the Excellence in Promoting Disability Pride award at the Victorian Disability Awards.

Nominations for the 2024 awards are now open and Mr Varney encouraged Geelong residents to nominate an individual or group in the community working in the disability sector.

“It is an awesome opportunity to recognise people in Geelong who give their heart and soul to people with disabilities,” he said.

For more information and to nominate, head to www.dffh.vic.gov.au/2024-victorian-disability-awards.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as Nominations open for Victorian Disability Awards 2024