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GippSport - 2016

"GippSport's Access for All Abilities program has worked with Brendan to provide Gippsland schools as well as youth groups a mixture of disability awareness training, road safety and fatigue workshops as well as wheelchair basketball sessions. Brendan has particular strengths in working with young people to raise awareness of the risks of being on the road as well as talking through other risky situations young adolescents may encounter. GippSport has found Brendan to be able to relate to people of all ages through his engaging personality and he is very open to any questions that people have of him. GippSport has no hesitation in continuing their close relationship with Brendan, and will continue to work in partnership with him to help develop people's knowledge around people living with a disability.

Wheelchair basketball has certainly been a great way to show young people what it might be like to live in a chair. As Brendan teaches the game to students he is able to demonstrate some of the barriers and restrictions of living in a chair, whilst also showing what can be achieved when in a chair. We have found that once people have the experience of being in a chair they can quickly relate and gain greater understanding of how drastically one aspect of life can be altered if living with a physical disability. Having Brendan's expertise as both a wheelchair basketball coach and past player of the Australian wheelchair basketball team enables students to reconsider their own beliefs and thoughts on what can be achieved by every individual living within their local community.

In November and December 2015 we teamed up and conducted a roadshow for numerous schools with a variety of students aged from Prep to Year 12. Each session was flexible and met the needs of that specific group. The schools that were visited included Heyfield Primary School, Wurruk Primary School, Bairnsdale Secondary College, Stratford Primary School, Maffra Secondary College and Rosedale Primary School.”