Speeches
Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Reception for volunteers of Technology for Ageing and Disability
Rod and I are delighted to welcome you all to Government House to celebrate the volunteers who contribute so much to the TADSA community.
We are constantly heartened by, and grateful for, for the generosity of spirit and commitment of volunteers such as yourselves who see a need, who respond to it, and who actively work to enhance other people’s lives.
We come together in National Volunteer Week not only to thank volunteers, but also to recognise the broader contribution that volunteers make to the social fabric of our State.
Volunteers are often unseen by the wider community, but the results of their giving of their time and expertise is widely felt.
The theme of National Volunteer Week is Your Year to Volunteer.
I trust this will be a clarion call for others to boost the ranks of volunteers who do so much for our community.
I know you don’t seek recognition for what you do, but this reception is one small way Rod and I can say thank you and express our appreciation for your commitment to the work of TADSA.
You come from many backgrounds but have a common purpose to improve the quality of life for people living with the challenges of disability and ageing.
In 1978, the organisation was founded on a simple but powerful idea: that practical skill, freely given, could remove barriers and restore independence to people living with disability.
For a child this may mean riding a bike for the first time.
For an adult it may mean returning to work or recreation.
For an older person, continuing to live with dignity, safety, and connection in their own home.
Through TADSA, this work is made possible by you, a volunteer army of technicians, engineers, tradespeople, designers, and makers.
Together, you are a powerful force, assisting people not only in metropolitan Adelaide but across regional and remote South Australia.
By designing and making bespoke assistive aids and equipment that are not commercially available, or by modifying existing equipment or by providing specialist advice, you are meeting needs that would otherwise go unmet.
On a personal level, I have witnessed how lives can be transformed in simple but practical ways.
My late mother, Jennifer Cashmore, had a sharp mind long right to the end, but her body suffered from the ravages of Parkinson’s disease.
She found it hard to undertake some of the basic self-care tasks.
Faced with a particular challenge, we turned to TADSA for help and a solution was found.
I am grateful to those made this possible, both for her and for others like her.
Friends
I thank the TADSA volunteers for bringing your unique expertise to the design and building of bespoke assistive technologies.
Through you, the work of TADSA is sustained almost entirely through this generosity.
I thank:
- The clients, and families that place their trust in TADSA;
- The volunteers whose skills and generosity make this work possible;
- And the staff, board members, partners, and supporters who ensure the organisation’s strength and sustainability and respect.
TADSA’s work illustrates what is possible when skill, compassion and community purpose come together.
Thank you for your part in transforming lives for the better.