Speeches
Tuesday, 02 December 2025
Reception for Cara and celebration of International Day of People with a Disability
Rod and I, as joint patrons of Cara, are delighted to welcome you all to Government House ahead of tomorrow’s International Day of People with a Disability.
This year’s theme of fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress speaks to the mission of Cara.
It also speaks to your progress as clients in how you work with the organisation and your support workers in exploring your own goals and needs.
I know that many of you face challenges in your daily lives which often require extra planning, resilience and determination, including coming here;
.. so Rod and I thank you for wanting to be here and making the necessary arrangements. We thank those who have supported you today and in your wider pathways.
Friends.
As a society we too often overlook, or indeed are ignorant of, the barriers people living with disability encounter each and every day and have to overcome – whether that’s physical barriers, technological barriers, or attitudinal barriers that are often deep seated.
Organisations like Cara are vital in helping to create a community where everyone has a sense of belonging, where everyone is welcome, and where such attitudes find no home.
This was something that Rod and I wanted to do in our own small way here at Government House.
Recently, extensive works were completed to remove our steps, raise the driveway and put in a walkway so that everyone can enter Government House through the main, State, entrance and not via a side door, as previously.
I know that everyone in this room today is united in their determination to work towards a more inclusive society for the more than 5.5 million Australians living with disability.
Today we recognise 30 clients of Cara and we also recognise your support networks, families and staff who have assisted your progress.
Be proud of who you are and what you have achieved and will achieve, because we are certainly proud of you.
You are overcoming challenges in your own way. While you all have diverse needs, you have in common resilience and determination.
Rod and I thank the Cara family for caring and for providing specialised support for people with severe and multiple disabilities over the past 76 years.
I have often said that South Australia shines as a caring community. Thank you to the Cara staff, leaders, volunteers, and supporters for helping to make it so.
To all the people we will recognise with a certificate today, well done. Rod and I are pleased to have the opportunity to meet you.