World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) is recognised on 2 April each year, with the aim of creating understanding, acceptance and celebrating people with autism.
As a Council we recognise and value the members of our community with Autism, and are working to continuously improve the inclusiveness of our events, venues and policies for all members of our community.
What’s on in 2023
For this year's World Autism Awareness Day, we invite you to join sensory-friendly events across our community in celebration of WAAD.
Calm storytime - World Autism Awareness Day
World Autism Awareness Day at the Youth Hub
Relaxed public ride sessions - World Autism Awareness Day
Mon 3 April 2023
Have your say on our draft Disability Action Plan
We are committed to ensuring the Boroondara is an inclusive and accessible place for people with disability. We recently invited you to provide an initial round of feedback to inform the review and update of our Disability Action Plan. This was to ensure the plan meets the current needs of our community and identifies opportunities to improve inclusion and access for people with disability.
We look forward to sharing the draft plan for another round of community consultation in mid-2023.
To be notified when the next round of consultation opens, we recommend following the Disability Action Plan page on our Engage Boroondara website-external site.
Access Keys for our venues
Access Keys are customised accessibility guides that provide accurate and convenient information about accessing venues, events, and programs. They are universally designed and suitable for all people, regardless of ability.
Several of our venues have Access Keys that include photos, access details, maps and sensory guides to make it as easy as possible for people to enjoy the facilities.
Access Keys can help potential visitors to a venue to:
- understand what they can expect from a specific venue or experience, ahead of time
- share information to help determine the suitability of an experience
- ease their anxiety about visiting new places.
These guides can be read independently, or shared with a friend, family member, or support worker to prepare for their visit.
We have Access Keys designed by Access Ability Australia for the following venues, available on the following pages:
- Boroondara Youth Hub's Access Key is available on our Visit and contact our Youth Hub page
- Kew Traffic School's Access Key is available on our Kew Traffic School page
- Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre's Access Key is available on the Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre page of the Access Ability Australia website-external site
- Boroondara Sports Complex's Access Key is available on the Boroondara Sports Complex page of the Access Ability Australia website-external site
- Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre's Access Key is available on the Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre page of the Access Ability Australia website-external site.
Social Stories for our venues
Social stories describe social situations and aim to help prepare individuals for social interaction by providing clear information about specific situations. They can support people with autism, language disorders, social communication difficulties or cognitive delays and disability. They can also help families, support workers and educators.
We have Social Stories for the following venues, available on the following pages:
- Boroondara Youth Hub's Social Story is available on our Visit and contact our Youth Hub page
- Kew Traffic School's Social Story is available on our Kew Traffic School page
- Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre's Social Story is available on the Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre page of the Access Ability Australia website-external site
- Boroondara Sports Complex's Social Story is available on the Boroondara Sports Complex page of the Access Ability Australia website-external site
- Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre's Social Story is available on the Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre page of the Access Ability Australia website-external site.
Amaze
Amaze is a leading autism organisation driving change so that Autistic people and their families can live their best lives. They provided information, resources, and support for people with autism, their families, and the community.
For more information or to access their resources, visit the Amaze website-external site. You can also email [email protected] or call them on 1300 308 699.