Purple patch an added cause for accessibility celebrations
25 October 2016
Awards theme honours inclusion champion
The Tweed Shire Access and Inclusion Awards are enjoying a real purple patch – with both a growing number of award nominations and a distinctive theme for this year’s ceremony.
The annual awards - to celebrate contributions by individuals and groups to make the Tweed more accessible for everyone - have been given a ‘purple’ theme this year to celebrate the introduction of a new award honouring a life-long advocate for universal inclusion, Faye Druett.
“Purple was Faye’s favourite colour and this is our salute to a wonderful woman who served with us on the Tweed Equal Access Advisory Committee and did so much great work for people with disability or with accessibility issues,” one of the award committee members, Wendy Gilbett, said. “Purple is also often associated with spirituality and royalty. Faye certainly had a very strong spirit and was a queen of disability advocacy.”
The Stars Room at Twin Towns Services Club, which will host this year’s presentation ceremony on Wednesday 30 November, will be decorated in purple and category winners will receive special purple trophies. Those trophies will include the inaugural Faye Druett Advocacy Award, following her death in February this year.
Ms Druett spent most of her life campaigning for the rights, independence and inclusion of people with disability and brought a mountain of experience to the Equal Access Advisory Committee, which organises the annual awards.
“From an early age, Faye had a strong commitment not only to her own right to a full and active life in the community, but for all people with a disability,” Ms Gilbett said.
“Faye was a pioneer of the disability rights movement and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2010 for her service to the community, particularly for her executive and advocacy roles.”
Her achievements included her leadership of the pilot Home Care project, her advocacy for fully accessible public transport and her role in policy development for the Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity.
She was a founding member and Chief Executive Officer of Person With a Disability Australia, advocating for people in institutions to reside in their community and have greater choice over their own lives. As a personal advocate, she helped a young woman move from an institution into supported accommodation in the community, and was her guardian and advocate for more than 20 years.
Her working career included roles as Executive Officer of the Disability Council of NSW, a position with the Human Rights Commission’s discrimination unit, launching and implementing the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, and working with the Guardianship Tribunal until her death.
Ms Druett made headlines when she lodged a complaint under the Disability Discrimination Act, after she was called up for jury duty but was denied the opportunity because she could not access the jury box.
Award organisers are also celebrating a record number of nominations this year, with more than 30 as nomination numbers continue to grow each year. The awards were launched in 2013 to celebrate achievement and innovation towards creating an accessible and inclusive community. This year they incorporate categories for advocacy, individuals, businesses, sport and leisure, education and the Belonging award for the inclusion of children – as well as an overall winner for 2016.
Tickets for the presentation ceremony, which begins at 6pm, can be arranged by contacting Council on (02) 6670 2442 or at kcollins@tweed.nsw.gov.au. For more information, visit www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/AccessInclusionAwards
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Caption: The late Faye Druett will be honoured for her advocacy for people with disability at this year's Tweed Shire Access and Inclusion Awards