Why Toowoomba lacks education on people with disabilities

A LEADING disability advocate believes the Toowoomba community still needs further education to integrate and embrace people with disabilities.

MORE EDUCATION: Organisers of the Changing Lives, Changing Communities forum (from left) Michelle Moss from QDN, Josh Marshall and Mark Henley from QCOSS at the City Golf Club. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A LEADING disability advocate believes the Toowoomba business and social community still needs further education to accept, integrate and embrace people with disabilities.

Toowoomba's Josh Marshall, who lives with multiple sclerosis, was part of the organising committee at the Changing Lives, Changing Communities forum at the City Golf Club yesterday and today.

The purpose of the event, founded by the Queensland Council of Social Service and Queenslanders with Disability Network, was to discuss how businesses, governments and organisations could create a more inclusive society for those with a disability.

Mr Marshall, who has discovered these issues first hand after he began using a wheelchair, said Toowoomba had the services available but lacked the mainstream education to back it up.

"Toowoomba is doing well as in we have committees with the council and we have a lot of people with a lot of say doing good things," he said.

"Toowoomba is falling short in the education, their understanding of the needs of people with disabilities.

"Toowoomba is falling short of employers and hotel staff and restaurant owners actually understanding that a person with a disability needs certain changes criteria to attend the service or be employed by the organisation."

QDN business and operations manager Michelle Moss said the event worked closely with the Toowoomba Regional Council to achieve better outcomes for affected people.

"Everybody can be doing something and playing their part, so it's about how we bring everybody together and move forward to change lives and communities," she said.

"We'll have a range of different projects and ideas that people will have, around employment, housing, health or community access.

"People are working on ideas and solutions, so at the end of the two days we'll have those people connected to work together on those things."

Originally published as Why Toowoomba lacks education on people with disabilities