Inclusion starts here – marking International Day of People with Disability

December 1, 2025

Every year on the International Day of People with Disability (3 December), we’re invited to pause and ask ourselves an important question – what kind of society are we choosing to build?

The 2025 theme ‘Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress’ reminds us that inclusion shouldn’t be something we add on later, it should be part of our foundations, the way we think, design, plan, and interact every day.

To explore what this looks like in practice, we reached out to Greg Bergan, CatholicCare’s General Manager for Disability & Seniors services. Greg generously shared his reflections on this year’s theme, drawing from his years of experience walking alongside people with disability and their families.

This year’s theme invites us to imagine a world where inclusion is a foundation rather than an afterthought. What does this idea mean to you personally, and to CatholicCare?

When you think about it, the foundations of our world as we know it, no matter where you live, were laid by those in power at the time. So, to imagine a world where inclusion is a foundation, we must think about what it would have taken for those people to be thinking differently in the first place. For me, that means that we must look beyond the physical foundations and our built environments so as to shift from simple adaption to proactive anticipation. By this I mean that society needs to share responsibility for inclusion, look at prevention before correction, and have the intention to design with all people in mind before any barriers to inclusion actually arise. At CatholicCare we can create opportunities, build new environments and nurture new attitudes that allow inclusion to be at the core of everything we do and we can truly be an exemplar of societal progress if we put our minds to it!

How is CatholicCare working to embed inclusion into the foundation of its programs and everyday practice?

I see examples of this in CatholicCare everyday as we increasingly engage clients, families and carers as co-design partners when developing and renewing individual plans. I also believe we have a strong culture of welcome and belonging in our services that strongly aligns with our mission and values. We do emphasise the need to recognise the inherent worth of every individual with genuine dignity, respect and inclusion. We encourage staff to take the time to listen to people’s opinions and needs before doing the do. We also love celebrating the contributions of people with disabilities daily with activities, events and recognition.

What barriers do you think still prevent people with disability from fully participating in society, and how can we begin to remove them?

Only yesterday I was talking to parents who told me of their daughter who had worked happily at a restaurant for many years, only to lose her job when the owners sold their business to retire. Imagine if the new owners didn’t think twice about maintaining the employment of this lovely, not so young, lady with a disability? Or imagine if she could walk into the next restaurant she saw with a “staff wanted” sign displayed on the window and be employed on the spot – just like so many other people can! There are many barriers that still exist today, but the biggest of these is Attitude, with a capital A. Society needs to see the potential in people and provide opportunities rather than allowing attitudes and prejudices to get in the way of inclusion.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to make their workplace or community more inclusive, what would it be?

Just start! Talk to your colleagues about what changes could be made to make your workplace more inclusive. Think about the activities you engage in outside of work in your community. How might you make some changes to make them more inclusive? You might be surprised how just a small change can reap huge rewards for all involved!

Have you noticed any inspiring examples of inclusion in action, either within CatholicCare or in the broader community?

Last year, the City of Newcastle ran its 5^th annual Count us in Sport Festival, which is designed to make sport and recreation more accessible to people with disability. It caught my eye as it even had an Inclusive Sports Forum with Paralympian Speakers as well as a “Pitch Night” for inclusive sport ideas. I love these sorts of programs because their grass roots nature really provides a platform for inspirational change at the community level.

Greg’s insights remind us that inclusion is not an aspiration … It’s a daily practice. It grows stronger each time we choose empathy, listen deeply, design thoughtfully, and challenge the attitudes that hold people back.

This International Day of People with Disability, CatholicCare recommits to building communities where every person is respected, valued, and empowered to participate fully.

For more information about our disability supports call 1800 324 924, email info@catholiccaredbb.org.au or visit www.spirit.org.au.