Tune in on Tuesday 3 December for 12 hours of programming on International Day of People with Disability.

Full program details below.

This year's theme is EMBODIED SOLIDARITIES. How can we better practice solidarity with each other as fellow disabled people of different backgrounds and abilities, locally and across borders, at a time in humankind’s existence where mass-disabling violence is increasing? How can non-disabled people better practice solidarity with us? Listen in as we reflect and explore through conversation, music, and more. 

By Pauline Vetuna, 3CR Disability Day content coordinator

Artwork title - collective conscience (2024) mixed media on canvas by Renay Barker-Mulholland

Artist statement: Inherited memory calls from within, our ancestors urging us ever forward. The landscapes we navigate no person, no movement, has ever managed to repair. We shift to understanding why we are broken by that system, and that the moon hangs in the same sky, over the dead bodies of those killed by our weapons.  

The sky, the moon, the terrain, the movements? There is no one but us, but we are knowing, and we are moving.  

This past year has been a tipping point in the balance of knowledge. The broader understanding of capitalism and their impacts have brought about a reckoning. The delivery of yet more diversity and inclusion strategies, the writing of reconciliation action plans, to sit in a colonial folder marked, ‘Bla(ç)k knowing’. No more. 

Artwork image description: Collective Conscience is a multi media artwork featuring collage, ink, and digital sections. There is a wolf looking devious outside a yellow curtained window, a large section of watermelon held up on a large pile of food, a cartoon character is taking notes on a long scroll of paper with words like revolt, and war crimes written on it. Layered across the image are many, dark, sad, and broken faces. 

7.00am Embodied Solidarities

7.30am Community Is a Verb: Care beyond colonial capitalism  El Gibbs on the anticapitalist roots of the social model of disability, disability doulas, the expertise of disabled people regarding care, patriarchal devaluing of the gendered care economy, and strategies for collective organising past, present and future.

8.00am Art Chat.  Renay and Pearl. Music by Nav Karan.

8.30am Accent of Women Amplifying Leadership and Solidarity for First Nations Women with Disability Living in a Colonised Land 
In this Special Edition of Accent Of Women for International Day of People with Disability, Kelly Cox and June Riemer yarned with guest presenter Marisa Sposaro about amplifying Leadership in Disability and Solidarity. Kelly Cox is a First Nations advocate, from the lands of Biripi and Worimi, currently residing in Bundjalung NSW. Kelly is a Disability Advocate and Consultant who provides advice to various levels of Government. June Riemer is also a First Nations advocate. She is a Gumbaynggirr Dunghutti woman and disability consultant on the First Nations Womens' Justice Institute Advisory Council. Through stories and First Nations commentary, much was discussed in the context of education, health and blatant criminalisation of First Nations people, with references made to marginalisation of First Nations communities. 

9.00am The Pandemic is a Portal:  COVID is not over. It is still here.
This is an invitation to understand that reality, and to let it transform you.  Grounded in disability justice, and brought to you by a chorus of staunch disabled voices: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Darcy from Sick/Sovereign, Tori Hobbs and Julia Rose Bak from The Disability Justice Network and Li from COVID Solidarity ‘syd.’ Produced by Samantha Haran, Shareeka Helaluddin & Sehej Kaur. Additional thanks to Justin Chen, Allison Chan and Juliet Fox.

10.00am Billabong Beats:  Presenter Gavin Moore is joined by Walpiri elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves.  Followed by Jai Haines - proud Tommeginne Aboriginal man. Jai is a powerful self-advocate and he is passionate about working with his peers in the Deadly First Nations Self Advocacy group and Voices for Change Self Advocacy Group.  Jai is a highly competent public speaker and likes to educate people about issues that effect his First Nations peers with a disability, and his peers who have experience with the justice system. Jai sees the value in talking to Health and other systems to educate them about working with people who have an acquired brain injury (ABI). Jai has said that this is where changes to the systems can happen…if people understand what is needed for people with an ABI they can do more to help.

11.00am In This Together. Through the lens of VALID's community development team, hosts Ellie, Frank and Joe take us on a journey through poetry, music and what solidarity can do when advocating for change. Produced by VALID www.valid.org.au/in-this-together/ 

11.30am  “Standing together” Finding your community - a guide. 
Three young disabled people discuss their journey to realising the disability community through advocacy, support groups and sport. It takes time to find the right community for you and we believe it helps to connect with other disabled people who might share similar experiences. Until society becomes fully accessible and inclusive, we as disabled people need to surround ourselves with people who understand us and support one another to feel as if we belong.  Presented by Stella Barton.

12.00pm Employment Difficulties for Disabled People - This is Sirani's lived experience of employment difficulties and the non-embodied solidarities and what we should be doing to make it work, from both Government and non-for-profit/corporate sectors.

12.30pm Disability Housing Justice  Housing Justice is finally in the news yet the voices of people with a disability are still absent from much of the discussion.  Pauline Vetuna revisits an edition of Raising Our Voices program featuring stories from: Shona and Chris, from 'Have A Say Bendigo' a self advocacy group run by and for people with an intellectual disability in Bendigo; James; Heather and Aunty Jane, from 'Reinforce' a self advocacy group run by and for people with an intellectual disability in Victoria.  They talk about living in institutions, group homes, squatting, SRS's and CRU's; and how they are now all living independently. 'We want people to know that people with a disability should not have to live in these institutions, group homes, SRS's and CRU's'.
WARNING: The program features discriptions of domestic violence and sexual assault. For support please call. CASA (link is external)24 HOURS, 7 DAYS A WEEK Counselling & Support Line: 03 9635 3610.  Sexual Assault Crisis Line Throughout Victoria: 1800 806 292. CASA House is Relay Service Friendly:

1.00pm Ubuntu Voices:  Presented by Ajak Kwai.

2.00pm The Vibe Consultant: Solidarity music with tilde.

3.00pm Raising Our Voices: Self Advocacy Groups. Raising Our Voices has been making radio shows about disability rights and about issues that affect people with disability for over 37 years. Nothing about us without us! Supported by Action for More Independence and Dignity in Accommodation.

4pm How to Self Advocate: Self Advocacy Resource Unit and Voices at The Table(link is external) talk with Raphael Kaleb (The Boldness) on how to stand up for your Disability Rights. 

4.30pm Breadline:  For this special hour-long Disability Day episode of Breadline, we deep-dive into the Disability Support Pension. Tune in to learn more about life on the DSP, the history of the pension, and advocacy for disabled people who are unable to work. Your value is not in your productivity! Hosted by writer, comedian and disability pensioner Kaitlyn Blythe.  Presented by the Australian Unemployed Workers' Union.

5.30pm People-led Disarmament: Ending the military industrial complex

6.00pm Solidarity Beyond Borders