The NSW Government’s celebration for International Day of People with a disability, presented by Ageing, Disability & Homecare was held at the Australian Museum this year on Friday 2 December 2011. Delineate projects, supported by small grants from ADHC and devolved by Accessible Arts, were highlighted at the celebration, to congratulate the range of inclusive projects in progress across the state. 
Delineate artists and project managers gathered at Accessible Arts at the end of September for a day of roundtable discussion, professional development and project presentations. The six model projects from across the state will feature throughout November and December in various regions, to bring focus to the NSW Government's Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign and to celebrate cultures of disability through the Arts.
Accessible Arts’ small grants arts program has been supporting the creative initiatives of the Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign since 2002. This year, in partnership with Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC), the program has been reshaped and launched under the program banner Delineate.
Newtown based emerging artist Georgia Cranko received a Don't DIS my ABILITY Small Arts Grant in 2010 for her project Living WITHin Context. Receiving the grant enabled Georgia to work with local artists Georgie Read and Michelle Dennis and producer Claudia Chidiac to create a new performance work.
Two regional arts and disability projects News
Representation of artistic ability on the rise
The Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign continues to attract an increasing number of arts events, including participation from artists with disability as ambassadors, key speakers and entertainers at major functions.
In 2009, nearly 85 per cent of events registered were arts related and included the visual arts, film, dance, sound and performance, bringing together arts and disability organisations to work towards an event, project or policy inclusive of people with disability.
Jared Younger and Helen Newman, Launch
of New Beginnings, Film Mentorship,
Accessible Arts Small Grants 09.
Stephanie Timmins, Don’t DIS my ABILITY Project Manager, Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care said, "We were happy to see that 83 per cent of events registered as part of the Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign had an arts related component, an increase of 20 per cent from 2008. We hope to have even more next year."
Accessible Arts have supported the growth of these events in a number of ways since 2002, including small grants, the promotion and documentation of events online, project development support and participation and attendance at exhibition openings, performances and events.
This year the team at Accessible Arts attended over twenty events across NSW, from Albury in the south of the state to Alstonville on the far north coast and everywhere in between, including Woollongong, Katoomba, Fairfield, Redfern and Sydney CBD. Images are available on the Don’t DIS my ABILITY facebook page.
Accessible Arts was not alone in their travels. A group of people from Lavender Cottage at North West Disability Services in Baulkham Hills visited the Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest, to attend the inclusive arts festival Sizzle.
Frances Farrugia, Coordinator of Lavender Cottage, North West Disability Services said, “Although we had not previously been to the Penrith Regional Gallery, we had two of our artists participate in the Sizzle exhibition and a small group also went to the tactile tour. We have had very positive outcomes from this experience and intend keeping in touch with the Gallery.”
Don’t DIS my ABILITY is the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care’s yearly campaign celebrating International Day of People with Disability.
(Left) Sensorial Exhibition, Katoomba Fine Art Gallery
(Right) Morganics beatboxing with the audience at Fairfield Museum & Gallery
(Left) WAPD End of Year Concert, Parramatta Riverside Theatres
(Right) First Flight Crew performing at Disability Services Australia Celebration