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Message from the Chair
Dear Members and Colleagues
It was with pride that I was announced on Monday 28 October as the ACT Senior Australian of the Year. It was a surprise, given the caliber of my fellow finalists. I am honoured that I will be representing ACT over-65s at the Australian of the Year ceremonies on January 25 2020. In addition, I am in amazing company with Katrina Fanning, strong Wiradjuri woman, who is ACT Australian of the year. Madeline Diamond, founder of TrashMob, is ACT Young Australian of the Year, and foster parent extraordinaire Julia Rollings is the ACT Local Hero. Hold us all in your thoughts in January 2020 please.
The excellent work of the ACT Community Sector continues with the YWCA launch, on Tuesday 29, of a new report: Our Lives: Women in the ACT. Their ACT-wide survey has highlighted many issues that women face in the ACT.
Also released in the past week was the results of the 2018 Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers. This nation-wide survey now estimates that there are 4.4 million people with disabilities in Australia. The rise in numbers is due to population growth and an ageing demographic. People with disabilities make up 17.7% of the total population, with about 23% stating that a mental illness or behavioural disorder is their primary disability.
Regards, Sue
Chair, WWDACT