International Day of People with Disability (idpwd.com.au) 

Every year on 3 December, people around the world take part in International Day of People with Disability. It is a day to celebrate the contributions and achievements of people with disability and promote awareness, understanding and acceptance in our community. Every event helps to make positive changes to the lives of 4.4 million Australians.

This year, St Edward’s College has had a focus on the predominate disabilities within our own College community.   By talking about disabilities, we hope to raise awareness, understanding and break down stigma. Disabilities are often counted as “invisible” or “hidden”.  Some common ones in our community include; Specific Learning Disabilities in reading, writing and numeracy (commonly known as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and mental health disabilities such as anxiety and depression.

Students with disabilities account for 22% of our school community.  This data is consistent with NSW Catholic schools. With Neurodiversity comes creativity, ability to think outside the box and persistence to find a way to achieve.  We are blessed to have so many neurodiverse students in our community. 

Untreated learning and mental health disabilities can cause lifetime impairment, however, with proper diagnosis, understanding, and evidence-based treatment and in school adjustments, students with differences can embrace their strengths and interests, learn to manage their challenges and live full and rewarding lives.  Students facing these challenges should feel confidence in their abilities. Lets work together to create a more inclusive community for everyone. 

St Edward’s Diverse Learning Team are proud to partner with St Edward’s Pastoral care team and teachers to support and advocate for our Neurodiverse students.