We offer a range of peer-informed and peer-led resources aimed at equipping our community with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to live well.
We all have something to learn and something to share, regardless of where we are on our journey. Whether it’s a three-hour session on wheelchair skills, a multi-day course promoting independence and wellbeing through upskilling and experience sharing, or a panel discussion on a subject our community wants to hear about, these resources are designed and delivered to make sure we’re all learning from each other and growing together.
Skills For Independence courses are an Australian first, and we’re proud of them. The idea is a group of people living with complex physical disability, newly acquired and longer term, spend a few days together learning new skills and talking about shared challenges and solutions. It’s an opportunity to connect with others, and grow in ways that are meaningful to you and your goals. The course is led by Specialist Peer Trainers – folks living with disability who’ve gone through extensive training in facilitating group discussion and learning. Look out for upcoming courses on our Events page, or Contact Us to learn more about them.
Our Wheelchair Skills sessions aim to build your confidence when moving about in the great outdoors. A Specialist Peer Trainer will guide you through a variety of obstacles and terrains, and caters to people wanting to learn the basics as well as those looking to expand their skill set. Look out for upcoming sessions on our Events page, or Contact Us to learn more about them.
What’s Out There days are community living expos which showcase the possibilities of life with a complex physical disability, and tackle a wide range of subjects. Working with Austin Health, we pull together a panel that combines lived experience and relevant professional knowledge. Panel members share their insights and answer questions, usually followed by lunch and small group discussion. Look out for upcoming sessions on our Events page, or Contact Us to learn more about them.
We hold regular skill building and development events, including in-person sessions and online webinars. Informed by our commmunity’s needs and wants, the events always aim to deliver practical tools and tips for living well, whether it’s a foundational topic or a niche one. Look out for upcoming sessions on our Events page, or Contact Us to learn more.
AQA acknowledges that we live and work on lands stolen from the oldest continuous culture on earth. While our office is on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, we live and work on First Nations lands across Victoria. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and that this was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. We pay our deepest respect to Elders past and present, and we thank them for holding wisdom and caring for country. We also acknowledge that AQA’s work of building a more caring and inclusive society - where everyone has the resources they need to live well - follows in the footsteps of a long and ongoing struggle of First Nations peoples across the continent to be afforded the self determination, respect and resources they need to live well.
Disability doesn’t discriminate, so our community is as diverse as the richly diverse culture we exist in. Having the fullest version of ourselves on display, seen and appreciated, is a fundamental aspect of living a full and meaningful life. It is also the foundation from which the full benefit of our capacity building and empowering supports are accessed. Recognising this, we have developed an organisational culture where diversity is not just thoughtfully and respectfully accommodated, but truly celebrated - be it ethnicity, religion, ability, age, gender, sexuality or gender identity.
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